Technique

Most of us have a long list of technique we have learned from the school of hard knocks. I learn the technique, but don't remember when, how or why.

On August 8, 2010 at 12:45 am the LineLoc used to tension my hammock tarp slipped all the way to the stopper knot. I do not remember why I put stopper knots on LineLocs. The slack allowed major flapping and a stake pulled out. When I got up to rerig the tarp my quilt blew out of the hammock. In the lightening flashes I saw that the quilt hung up on a bush, so since it was not raining that hard, yet, I rerigged my tarp then retrieved my quilt.

Six months from now I will be backing my LineLocs up with a slipped halfhitch, but will not tremember why.

we always say - tie a big knot in the end of your rappel line...
Line locks - don't they abrade abd lose some grip?\

BTW this is why I sleep in a tent.
Jim

Linelocs? My hammocking is still in the stone age. I use a "knot". I did use a carabiner the last time out to clip on to some extension rope, but still used a knot to cinch it.

MountainLaurelDesigns stock tarps have LineLocs. I share JimShaw's concern about long term durability.

I have never had a modern guyline tensioner slip on me before. Remember those awful yellow plastic things? Even the old dowel rods with a hole drilled in each end work fairly well.

Oh, you are talking about your TARP over the hammock? Mine clips on to the suspension line and locks down with prussic knots...never slip. I notice on hammock forums that some folks are using steel line locs to hang the hammock itself.
Seems to me that would chew up the rope in short order. I used to make the dowel tensioners back in the day.
A trusty tautline hitch or truckers hitch works for tarps and is basically the same thing as a line loc, without the hardware. The more wraps you add to your tautline hitch, the more like a line loc it is. I'll probably re-fit my hammocks with whoopie slings once they finally wear down...in about 100 years. I've got a generation II Hennessey (now called the 'scout') and it shows no wear at all, since new.
(i know you know this stuff, Dick...)

You may think its funny that I would share hammock technology, but since bigfoot gave me a hammock, and being an Inginear I had to read up the latest stuff and then design my own which I of course consider to be superior to every one elses. but it probably weighs more, is more durable, and the pieces can be used to tow a truck or winch you out of a hole since its actually made of spectra winch cord from ebay.

Anyway I use what they call a single line suspension. Basically its 40 feet of 4,000 lb test spectra (that is tightly slung between two trees) and the hammock hangs under it attached by a whoopy sling on each end so that the angle of the dangle of the hammock is isolated from the angles and tightness of the ridge line so that the hammock itself can be full adjusted without changing the tree ties. The actual 40 feet of spectra includes a 6 foot (12 loop) whoopy and a 2 foot (4 foot loop) whoopy integral to its design, so it has 8 feet of adjustment by pulling on a ring.


So I have some 1 inch wide plastic shipping wrapping tape that came around a load of plywood and each end has a figure 8 knot in it and one piece is 4 feet long and one is 6 feet long. I wrap these around my chosen trees, pull the spectra out one end of the Bag and use two half hitches on bights to secure it to the tree wraps, this easily pulls out when you want to pack up. Then I walk to the other tree pulling the assembly out of a medium sized marmot stuff sack and again use two half hitches (on bights)to secure the spectra ridge line to the tree wrap. Then I pull the two main ridgeline whoopies to tighten the ridgeling taught and use the two whoopies attaching the hammock to the ridge line to adjust the slack in the hammock. The Marmot stuff sack ends up on the ridge line right above me so I can stuff my jacket and things into it. When I leave I pull the release bights on the half hitches and stuff it all into the marmot sack.

Jim they just totally changed flicr so I'll have figure out how to use it to copy my hammock line photos over here.

That sounds like a very functional system. I keep mine as simple as possible. Generally I can find trees close enough where the original hammock ropes (spectra) will make a couple wraps and tie with two half hitches on a bight. I don't mess with tree huggers but can use my kayak tiedowns as such if needed. A couple weeks ago we had three trees to hang two hammocks, and they were big ones. So, I made a "Y" attach point on the center tree, and biner'd the hammocks to it.

A single suspension line, Jim is a good idea....I did that back when I first started, but didn't like hauling that much rope around. It was more adjustable than any other way. After I hammock'd a few years, I got pretty good at eyeballing it and hanging with no need to adjust anything.....less stuff to pack.

I do almost exactly the same as Dryer. K.I.S.S. A hennessey hitch, known to the rest of the world as a cinch hitch or lineman's bend, is really foolproof. Back when God was a little girl, I made my first hammock like Js's using the same reasoning. Trouble is, you need super strong line for that because a tight stretch puts enormous tension on the lines (we use the trick of pulling the middle of a taut line in swiftwater rescue to pull trapped boats off rocks. It's like a power winch). A simple slack hang with lines attached to the hammock ends permits using much less strong and therefore lighter lines. I have used 3/8" Muletape successfully, but it needs tree huggers to keep from cutting into bark, so it's easier to use 1 1/2" polypropolene webbing. Strong enough for 6 night-months of field use and 2.5 ounces per 12' line.

When I first started hanging I was using what was known as the 4-wrap knot. With that hammock, I still use it. With my next hammock I uses straps and cinch buckles. I haven't gotten a new hammock since then, so I am still using that system.

i use double half hitch knots

Being a lover of having extra rope lying around, I pretty much have no usual hammock set up. Yeah, it takes me an extra five minutes to set up or take down, but I get to customize and constantly revise. It's sorta like the 'six months from now I'll have no idea why I put that knot in there' idea.

I'm always toying with multiple ridgelines, adjustable tension in the ridgeline, drip lines, you name it. That's a big part of why I love hammock camping, the endless toying and changing the setup. Of course I can set up a tent in three minutes flat - just show me some ground that's not flat, and I'll show you a gorgeous hammock site where you have to be inventive to stay dry :-)