I don't want to repeat myself too much on this post, but I wanted my friends here on HF to be aware of a new post and illustration I made on how to solve the oft-occurring "limp tarp syndrome" on the Hennessy Hammock.
I'm going to try to summarize a few key points below, and you can see the full post on my blog.
The Hennessy models are often shown with the tarp connected directly to the hammock suspension. This has a very striking visual appearance, but it also has some practical benefits, including quicker set-up and take-down, a pre-centered tarp, among other advantages.
However, one negative side-effect that some have noticed is that once you get into the Hennessy, the tarp goes limp, often sagging in the middle and touching the sides. The solution has been to try to tighten the suspension _more_, but it isn't 100% effective.
A tight pitch on the hammock puts extreme force on the suspension, webbing, and even the trees, which results in stretch on the suspension lines. Although the stretch is suppose to be minimal (I believe spectra line is bout 3%), it adds up. It is nearly impossible to hang a hammock with the suspension perfectly horizontal.
When the tarp is pitched across the nearly horizontal hang of the hammock it appears taut and straight. Once the hammock is loaded, the hammock settles down. Changes in the suspension line allow for the suspension angle to change and the distance to lengthen. The result is that the hypotenuse of the triangle where the tarp is connected is slightly longer, meaning the distance between the tarp ends has shortened resulting in a limp pitch.
The solution is to pull those prusik knots where the tarp is connected further up the hammock suspension, away from the hammock and closer to the anchor point. If you have a tight pitch on the hammock, this is nearly impossible to do. You could have a partner pull the prusiks while you lay in the hammock, but that isn't always possible. In addition, once you get out of the hammock and the hammock "recoils" back, the tarp will be on extreme tension that could damage the tarp or the connectors.
To reduce the strain and get a perfect pitch, one easy solution is to hang the hammock on the magic 30-degree angle instead of horizontal. In this way, the tarp can be pulled up further on the suspension without damage to the tarp. Once weight is applied, the tarp remains taut.
This technique can be used on any hammock where you want to save some weight, time, or hassle by attaching the tarp directly to the hammock suspension. By using a 30-degree angle you reduce the forces that stretch the suspension and you minimize the change in hang angle.
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