Atlas straps

I received an Eno jungle nest hammock along with atlas straps for my birthday. I like the idea of the Atlas straps but feel I could make something lighter. I was thinking paracord but with a strap or webbing end because I have heard the wider straps such as on the ones mentioned will cause less harm to the tree. I have hung my brothers Doublenest with 550 and have seen it pull some bark as it sags. Has anyone constructed something like this, and would the paracord hurt the trees without webbing?

You're thinking along the right lines, but I definitely would not recommend paracord. Even though it's rated for a tensile strength of over 500 pounds, an average sized person can put more stress on it than that, depending on the geometry of the hang. The tighter the hang (flatter), the more stress on the suspension. It's generally recommended to put enough slack in the line that it hangs at a 30 degree angle. This relieves a lot of strain and is typically more comfortable, depending on the hammock. Plus, paracord is pretty heavy for it's strength and holds water. What most people use who want an ultralight suspension is what's called whoopie slings, and they're usually made from a dyneema cord like Amsteel Blue. You can either order them pre-made, or get the line and make your own. It's really easy to do; just search for how-to videos online. In addition, the wider straps that go around the trees are called tree huggers or tree straps, depending on whether or not they've got loops on both ends or just one. All the little details of how to connect this stuff are a bit much to go into here, but there's ample information online. Hammockforums.net is the place for this kind of stuff. I would also recommend watching the series of beginner videos by Shug Emery. The only thing is, he loves his hardware. That's understandable; it makes hanging more convenient, but adds some expense and a few grams of weight. It's possible to setup a whoopie sling suspension with nothing more than a couple toggles for hardware (or found sticks).

Good luck.

There are many ways to do it. But I also wouldn't use the 550 cord. Go to a climbing store and get 4mm or 5mm static line. For the straps, use polyester or polypropylene, not nylon. You want the minimum amount of stretch in your suspension system. Go to hammock forums for all the many ways to skin this cat.

Also, read some of the sticky threads here, especially the one titled "Whoopie Sling Suspension".

An alternative to whoopie slings that accomplishes what you're trying to do is the UCR suspension. It's even lighter, but negligibly. Whoopies are more popular, but there are people in both camps. I've actually got a whoopie on one end of my hammock and a UCR on the other (don't ask).

Thank you both for the information I'm really suprised by the strengths of these ropes especially in comparison to their size. I will never buy paracord again lol. I can get straps at work they throw them away when they start looking rough I will check the material, I'm positive they have no give I have used them to pick up alot of weight. Would one inch suffice for a tree hugger kind of setup?

Yes, 1 inch is the most common size. Let me just reiterate what FinallyME said about not using nylon straps, if you can help it, since they stretch, especially if they get wet.