Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 32
  1. #1
    Senior Member TeeDee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Maryland
    Hammock
    DIY Bridge
    Tarp
    DIY 10'x11'
    Suspension
    Whoopie Slings
    Posts
    1,628
    Images
    300

    Whoopie Sling Tarp lines

    Since I have converted my SLS to Whoopie Sling ends following caboyer's lead in this post on another thread , I thought: "why not do the same with my tarp guy lines??"

    Looked around and couldn't find anything small enough to splice the 1.75 mm Lash-It I use for guy lines, so I stopped at JoAnne Fabrics today and looked over their selection of needles. Picked up a pack of Doll Needles by Dritz (#157). The largest needle is just right. The hole is big enough to get the guy line through and the needle fits nicely down the center of the 1.75 mm Lash-It.

    When I got home, I immediately used the bench top grinder and knocked the sharp point off the end and used a diamond stone to polish it.

    Took out a scrap of 1.75 mm Lash-It and tried to bury a length to form the adjustable eye of the Whoopie Sling.

    First lesson learned: Getting the doubled over guy line into the center of the guy line along with the needle is impossible. So approximately 1" from the end, I pulled 3 of the strands out and cut them off. This thinned the guy line down enough that the doubled over end and needle pushed into the guy line easily. So, taper the end if doing this. With the tapered end, it is easily doable. Note: the Lash-It is a 12 strand single braid.

    So here is an image of the completed Whoopie Sling using the 1.75 mm Lash-It along with the needle I used. Actually this is the test line and has adjustable eyes on both ends. Note that I buried the ends which makes a much nicer end than simply tying an overhand knot.



    I'm currently experimenting to learn the best length to bury so that I don't have to bury too much. In the test scrap above I wasn't really interested in the length buried, only in whether it is doable to splice the guy line and how hard or easy it is. Very easy

    Using the Whoppie Sling as a tarp guy line makes adjusting the guy line trivially easy - no knots, no Figure 9s, nothing extra to get lost, nothing except the guy line itself - well probably some shock cord .

    The only disadvantage I know about is the amount of guy line cord needed. Since the Whoopie Sling is essentially doubled, you will need double the length of guy line cord so that will double the weight of the tarp guy lines. I've never really weighed my tarp guy lines since the weight is so small anyway. The 1.75 mm Lash-It only weighs 0.019 oz/foot and the 2.2 mm Lash-It only weights 0.026 oz/foot, so another 100' of 1.75 mm Lash-it is only 1.9 oz and only 2.6 oz for the 2.2 mm. Other guy line cords probably weigh about the same. The small weight increase is more than offset by the Figure 9s if you use them. If you use friction knots, this is even easier to use, especially with mittens of gloves in the winter - you can use the Whoopie Sling with your mittens/gloves on.

    If you arrange the Whoopie sling properly with the buried section near the tarp tie out, adjusting the guy line from under the tarp will be trivially easy.

    The needle is small and light enough that I am making it a standard part of my gear along with the extra guy line cord I carry. That way I can splice any extra line lengths I need in the field. Using the needle and a sharp knife, I can splice together a Whoopie Sling in less than 10 minutes, probably about 5 minutes - not counting the time to dig stuff out of the pack .

    I assume that any braided guy line cord could probably be used. I know that the Zing-It could be used since it is the same stuff as the Lash-It, just a different color.

    If anybody cares to try this with braided mason line, please report back if it works.

    If anybody tries any other braided guy line cord, please report back also so others may learn.

    I hope that others find this useful.
    Those who sacrifice freedom for safety, have neither.

    Do not dig your grave with your teeth. (Unknown)

  2. #2
    Senior Member Frawg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Dayton, OH area
    Hammock
    DIY (various)
    Tarp
    DIY 5x10 pseudocat
    Insulation
    GI+
    Suspension
    UCR custom
    Posts
    1,693
    Images
    95
    Great idea, TeeDee!

    Quote Originally Posted by TeeDee View Post
    I'm currently experimenting to learn the best length to bury so that I don't have to bury too much.
    You probably noticed in nacra533's post that the recommended bury for an eye splice was 72 diameters. That's the length I serendipitously used in my first trial with the whoopie sling suspension, so that's probably what I'll stick with until educated otherwise.

    If anybody cares to try this with braided mason line, please report back if it works.
    Already did. ... it worked fine.

    If anybody tries any other braided guy line cord, please report back also so others may learn.
    Only did an eye splice with the braided sheath of some paracord from which I'd removed the inner strands, but it held okay so I'm guessing one could make a whoopie sling with the stuff.

    I hope that others find this useful.
    Very useful, thanks!

    Side note, I'm experimenting with looping my tarp ridge line from the tree hugger toggles (marlinspike hitch in your setup) so I can get by with just a single strap and hitch point on each tree. Since I keep the toggle so close to the trunk, the deflection of the hitch point when I climb in the hammock seems manageable. Lots of variables to play with in this approach - mainly line lengths & tensioning - and it's my next area of research.

    Thanks again for all the detailed work you do!

    Chuck

  3. #3
    Senior Member PuckerFactor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SW VA
    Hammock
    DIY 11' double layer 1.1
    Tarp
    huge DIY camo
    Insulation
    DIY 9oz. Primaloft
    Suspension
    7/64"whoopie sling
    Posts
    1,203
    First off, that's pretty cool!
    I'm not sure why you would need to have both ends adjustable though, it only lengthens your minimum length. Just do an eye and a tensioner (just had a Eureka moment, diagram forthcoming), and then your adjustable part. I wish I had my Amsteel Blue already, I'd get one made and take a picture. I'll do a mockup in Paint and post it in a sec.


    tensionedguyline.JPG
    Okay, the black line is your 12-strand stuff. The blue line is your shock cord.
    bury the shock cord a few inches and half hitch the tail a few times around the standing line. Add however much slack is appropriate for your shock cord and bury the working end a few inches and pop back out and half hitch that end a few times. I haven't done this yet, but I think it might work, if the shock cord doesn't compress too much.

    Acer
    Last edited by PuckerFactor; 06-24-2009 at 21:02. Reason: Adding mockup

  4. #4
    Senior Member Frawg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Dayton, OH area
    Hammock
    DIY (various)
    Tarp
    DIY 5x10 pseudocat
    Insulation
    GI+
    Suspension
    UCR custom
    Posts
    1,693
    Images
    95
    On a related note, one other thing I've done is make one end of the sling a sliding eye splice that isn't a 'whoopie' bury. It lets me insert a toggle in the eye, which tightens considerably under tension and grips the toggle fairly securely.

    I've done this with my suspension lines and will do the same with my mason line guy lines. Next step is to put a smooth groove in each toggle, making it more likely to stay in place at the fixed end of the whoopie sling.

    This approach gives me a quick (dis)connect system for both hammock suspension and tarp guys, as I'm now using paracord sheath loops for the tie points on my tarps.

    I really like this modular approach, which lets me mix 'n match things as I feel moved.

    Best,
    Chuck
    Last edited by Frawg; 06-25-2009 at 00:03. Reason: Added image; wrangled an unruly apostrophe

  5. #5
    Senior Member TeeDee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Maryland
    Hammock
    DIY Bridge
    Tarp
    DIY 10'x11'
    Suspension
    Whoopie Slings
    Posts
    1,628
    Images
    300
    Don't think it would work with the 1.75 mm (0.07") Lash-It guy line I use. The shock cord I use for tensioners is 1/8" diameter. The shock cord is too big to splice in the Lash-It. Good idea though.

    Quote Originally Posted by acercanto View Post
    First off, that's pretty cool!
    I'm not sure why you would need to have both ends adjustable though, it only lengthens your minimum length. Just do an eye and a tensioner (just had a Eureka moment, diagram forthcoming), and then your adjustable part. I wish I had my Amsteel Blue already, I'd get one made and take a picture. I'll do a mockup in Paint and post it in a sec.


    tensionedguyline.JPG
    Okay, the black line is your 12-strand stuff. The blue line is your shock cord.
    bury the shock cord a few inches and half hitch the tail a few times around the standing line. Add however much slack is appropriate for your shock cord and bury the working end a few inches and pop back out and half hitch that end a few times. I haven't done this yet, but I think it might work, if the shock cord doesn't compress too much.

    Acer
    Those who sacrifice freedom for safety, have neither.

    Do not dig your grave with your teeth. (Unknown)

  6. #6
    Senior Member TeeDee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Maryland
    Hammock
    DIY Bridge
    Tarp
    DIY 10'x11'
    Suspension
    Whoopie Slings
    Posts
    1,628
    Images
    300
    Quote Originally Posted by caboyer View Post
    Great idea, TeeDee!



    You probably noticed in nacra533's post that the recommended bury for an eye splice was 72 diameters. That's the length I serendipitously used in my first trial with the whoopie sling suspension, so that's probably what I'll stick with until educated otherwise.
    Yes, I saw that. All of the references I have read recommend 3.5 fid lengths and they define a fid length as 7 times the circumference which comes out to slightly over 21 times the diameter. That's one reason I decided to use a 10" bury on my SLS even though 5" held fine. On my SLS I'm using 3 mm (approximately 1/8") rope, so 3.5 * 21 * 1/8 == 9.2" approximately.

    For my 1.75 mm Lash-It, the 3.5 fid lengths works out to approximately 1.5". I've found that 1" holds fine, but I'll probably use 1.5".

    Good to know that it works on the braided mason line - it will probably work on any braided guy line.
    Those who sacrifice freedom for safety, have neither.

    Do not dig your grave with your teeth. (Unknown)

  7. #7
    Senior Member TeeDee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Maryland
    Hammock
    DIY Bridge
    Tarp
    DIY 10'x11'
    Suspension
    Whoopie Slings
    Posts
    1,628
    Images
    300
    I was thinking of trying to use a splice for the toggles on my SLS, but have decided against it for 2 reasons:

    1. In my SLS, the toggles are not on the end of the line and so using a splice is not as straight-forward.
    2. Also, I do not want the ridge line length varying from set-up to set-up. The marlin spike hitches I currently use work very well and are easy and quick to tie. Using a buried splice, the length has too much of a chance of changing.



    Quote Originally Posted by caboyer View Post
    On a related note, one other thing I've done is make one end of the sling a sliding eye splice that isn't a 'whoopie' bury. It lets me insert a toggle in the eye, which tightens considerably under tension and grips the toggle fairly securely.

    I've done this with my suspension lines and will do the same with my mason line guy lines. Next step is to put a smooth groove in each toggle, making it more likely to stay in place at the fixed end of the whoopie sling.

    This approach gives me a quick (dis)connect system for both hammock suspension and tarp guys, as I'm now using paracord sheath loops for the tie points on my tarps.

    I really like this modular approach, which lets me mix 'n match things as I feel moved.

    Best,
    Chuck
    Those who sacrifice freedom for safety, have neither.

    Do not dig your grave with your teeth. (Unknown)

  8. #8
    Senior Member Frawg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Dayton, OH area
    Hammock
    DIY (various)
    Tarp
    DIY 5x10 pseudocat
    Insulation
    GI+
    Suspension
    UCR custom
    Posts
    1,693
    Images
    95
    Quote Originally Posted by TeeDee View Post
    I was thinking of trying to use a splice for the toggles on my SLS, but have decided against it for 2 reasons:

    1. In my SLS, the toggles are not on the end of the line and so using a splice is not as straight-forward.
    2. Also, I do not want the ridge line length varying from set-up to set-up. The marlin spike hitches I currently use work very well and are easy and quick to tie. Using a buried splice, the length has too much of a chance of changing.
    I like your system a lot. My motivation for diverging from it was that I wanted a removable ridge line. I like using the hammock as a lounge chair and, at 6' 2", I don't like dodging the ridge line with my head.

    I'll make it a point to see how much the length of my ridge liine changes between setups, but I'll probably just make some marks on the line to facilitate replicating certain lengths.

    My only concern is that my toggles could easily get lost, so I need to secure them in some way. (TBD) Might also use some of my pink duct tape on 'em.

    Good show!

    Chuck

  9. #9
    Senior Member BaloO's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Malmö, Sweden
    Hammock
    DD Travel Hammock
    Tarp
    DD Tarp
    Insulation
    DD Underblanket
    Posts
    121
    another noob question.. is it possible to splice paracord or is the braid to small?
    www.fogelberg.info

    If the hammock is rocking, don't come knocking

  10. #10
    Senior Member Frawg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Dayton, OH area
    Hammock
    DIY (various)
    Tarp
    DIY 5x10 pseudocat
    Insulation
    GI+
    Suspension
    UCR custom
    Posts
    1,693
    Images
    95
    Quote Originally Posted by BaloO View Post
    another noob question.. is it possible to splice paracord or is the braid to small?
    I imagine anything is possible, but I haven't heard of it being done nor can I imagine where I'd want to. Besides, my eyesight and dexterity are nowhere near good enough to pull it off, so I wouldn't even think of trying. Sheet, Zeppelin or Fisherman's bends are what I typically turn to.

  • + New Posts
  • Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast

    Similar Threads

    1. Replies: 5
      Last Post: 02-01-2013, 23:50
    2. ? Whoopie tarp guy lines
      By Japandy in forum Weather Protection
      Replies: 23
      Last Post: 11-18-2012, 12:02
    3. Hennessy tarp after whoopie sling conversion
      By Buzz in forum Suspension Systems, Ridgelines, & Bug Nets
      Replies: 10
      Last Post: 03-23-2012, 17:36
    4. ?? HH Whoopie Sling tarp Prusik Hitch
      By DerNageler in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 5
      Last Post: 12-08-2011, 07:05
    5. Tarp Prussic'd to whoopie sling?
      By itsjustbusiness999 in forum Suspension Systems, Ridgelines, & Bug Nets
      Replies: 1
      Last Post: 02-21-2011, 20:37

    Tags for this Thread

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •