Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. #1

    Damaged 1.6 oz HyperD hammock fabric - Should I be concerned?

    My first post in the forums, but boy, have these forums been useful! To date, I've made three nice hammocks that I use all the time, and the information I've found here about making, improving, and using hammocks has been totally game-changing. Literally! I took my first homemade hammock on a week-long backpacking trip in the Tuolumne section Yosemite last summer, and it was such a revelation to sleep in the hammock instead of on the ground.

    Between my wife and I making gear, almost everything I have now is homemade (including a Ray-Way backpack, which was also a game changer!). Anyway, the hammock in question here is the very one that I took on the Sierra trip (my profile pic is from that trip, in that hammock). I've gotten a ton of use and spent many days and nights in the local and distant mountains hanging in it. Recently, I discovered that despite being very careful with my gear, the fabric of the hammock has been damaged. It's about a 1/2 inch spot, and i have to guess it was from a key or something? Here's a close-up photo of it:

    tear.jpg

    If this was a backpack or something, i'd just throw some tenacious tape on it and call it good, but as this is a piece of gear that is pretty critical, whose failure mid-trip would be pretty catastrophic, I'm kind of concerned. The forces that are put on a hammock are way bigger than a backpack or shirt. Should I just replace it, or maybe retire it from backpacking duty? I've heard of (and even once seen) hammock failures, and in both cases, it was an instant and totally catastrophic failure. Kind of funny when no one gets hurt, but not funny in the middle of an outing. The one time I saw it happen was with a cheapo hammock that was not made of a ripstop fabric like HyperD.

    Thoughts?

  2. #2
    Randonneur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Lower Duck Pond
    Hammock
    Walahalla Monolite 1.5
    Tarp
    Dynemma Hex Tarp
    Insulation
    JRB Mt Washington
    Suspension
    Whoopies slings
    Posts
    420
    Images
    1
    Personally I would relegate it to hanging in the back yard and make another for back country use. If it fails when your in the backyard it's no big deal but 10 miles into the woods and it's a trip ender. Just MHO.

  3. #3
    Senior Member old4hats's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Ball Ground, Ga.
    Posts
    2,383
    My gut reaction is retire it, use it in the yard, get some more hyper D and make a new one. Great opportunity to change color, width, length, if that has crossed your mind.
    If you prepare for failure you will probably succeed.

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Demorest, GA
    Hammock
    Chameleon
    Tarp
    Thunderfly
    Insulation
    Sidewinder
    Suspension
    Whoopie Slings
    Posts
    162
    I agree with Randonneur, I wouldn’t chance it on a trip. Or let the wife use it... JK, you could always repurpose the material into a few stiff sacks or something along those lines.

  5. #5
    Thanks, all.

    That confirms my suspicion. I do have another I made from the HyperD XL for the added width that's all set for backpacking duty, so I'll probably just retire this one and re-use the fabric.

    Thanks again!

  6. #6
    Senior Member Firesong's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Saskatoon, Sk. Canada
    Hammock
    Warrior Edge UL - LSoH
    Tarp
    'Razor' Hex - LSoH
    Insulation
    LSoH Toaster TQ/UQ
    Suspension
    Various
    Posts
    1,210
    Are you sure that’s hyperD, looks like hexon with the grid pattern. You could do a bar tack over it and it would probably be fine for general use. I’ve even put a patch on one for a guy who had one of those camera screws fall (ones that hold the case to mounts on a helmet etc) and get between the pad and hammock creating the same kinda thing. Put a square hemmed patch on it , sew around and ‘x’ across it. If you have other hammocks just give it to one of the kids.

  7. #7
    Senior Member MikekiM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    East of Montauk, NY
    Hammock
    DIY
    Tarp
    HG DCF-All of them
    Insulation
    HammockGear
    Suspension
    Kevlar + Beckett
    Posts
    4,330
    Images
    21
    Interesting.. looks like an abrasion more than a tear.
    Either way, having had a hammock fail on me while on the trail, I agree with retire it to yard duty.
    Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
    Bob's brother-in-law

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Firesong View Post
    Are you sure that’s hyperD, looks like hexon with the grid pattern. You could do a bar tack over it and it would probably be fine for general use. I’ve even put a patch on one for a guy who had one of those camera screws fall (ones that hold the case to mounts on a helmet etc) and get between the pad and hammock creating the same kinda thing. Put a square hemmed patch on it , sew around and ‘x’ across it. If you have other hammocks just give it to one of the kids.
    Got me second-guessing myself! Had to go back and check my old orders and, man, you are correct!

    From the Dutchware order:
    Hexon 1.6 - Burnt Orange

    I only ordered from them once, so i assumed i'd gotten that fabric from RBTR.

    Good eye!

  • + New Posts
  • Similar Threads

    1. Does Dutch use hyperD fabric?
      By jduff44 in forum Dutchware
      Replies: 12
      Last Post: 05-17-2018, 20:49
    2. 76" Hammock Fabric - 1.6 HyperD XL is BACK
      By ripstopbytheroll in forum Ripstop By The Roll
      Replies: 12
      Last Post: 06-25-2017, 13:52
    3. 72" hammock fabric - 1.6 oz HyperD XL
      By ripstopbytheroll in forum Ripstop By The Roll
      Replies: 96
      Last Post: 09-16-2016, 08:04
    4. HyperD and M10 Vendor Fabric Tags
      By ripstopbytheroll in forum Ripstop By The Roll
      Replies: 1
      Last Post: 03-10-2016, 01:44
    5. New Fabric: HyperD XL - 72" wide
      By PapaSmurf in forum Dream Hammock
      Replies: 25
      Last Post: 12-30-2015, 22:41

    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
    •