Aye Up,
A recent challenge prompted the intention to create a relatively portable but very stable and all weather, suspended shelter/observations platform.
The platform used is the material section from a (damaged) military, fold out cot-bed.
The spreader bars are made from the aluminium frame of the same cot-bed.
The spreader-bar inserts are made up from mild steel angle.
The suspension items consist of
4mm Dyneema;
4mm SS thimbles;
x4 pieces of mil surplus pallet strap sewn together in pairs;
Some redundant climbing karabiners and a fig of 8 descender;
There is one continuous run of Dyneema end-loop to end-loop, passing through grommet-ed holes in the spreader bars
and two separate Dyneema triangles one at each end, each attached directly to a spreader bar.
The loop sections of each hanging element of the Dyneema are fitted with a 4mm stainless eye thimble held in position with a small sewn sleeve. (made from the pallet strap).
The thimbles at each end are clipped into the same krab, tensioning the platform and keeping it from sliding towards the centre under load.
This method has proven to provide good tension-ing of the platform.
The sleeves, only intended to keep the thimbles in place when not under load have also proven very useful for adjusting the thimbles to get the sideways balance of the platform correct when it is hung.
The (modified) dpm hooped bivvy base is simply attached to the hammock by way of strips of hook and loop and paracord.
A single bungee and paracord ridge-line above the bivvy helps lift the upper part of it off the occupant.
Tensioned hard, the set-up can be arranged quite close to the ground.
During the short trial after initial set-up it has proven stable and comfortable.
A recent challenge prompted the intention to create a relatively portable but very stable and all weather, suspended shelter/observations platform.
The platform used is the material section from a (damaged) military, fold out cot-bed.
The spreader bars are made from the aluminium frame of the same cot-bed.
The spreader-bar inserts are made up from mild steel angle.
The suspension items consist of
4mm Dyneema;
4mm SS thimbles;
x4 pieces of mil surplus pallet strap sewn together in pairs;
Some redundant climbing karabiners and a fig of 8 descender;
There is one continuous run of Dyneema end-loop to end-loop, passing through grommet-ed holes in the spreader bars
and two separate Dyneema triangles one at each end, each attached directly to a spreader bar.
The loop sections of each hanging element of the Dyneema are fitted with a 4mm stainless eye thimble held in position with a small sewn sleeve. (made from the pallet strap).
The thimbles at each end are clipped into the same krab, tensioning the platform and keeping it from sliding towards the centre under load.
This method has proven to provide good tension-ing of the platform.
The sleeves, only intended to keep the thimbles in place when not under load have also proven very useful for adjusting the thimbles to get the sideways balance of the platform correct when it is hung.
The (modified) dpm hooped bivvy base is simply attached to the hammock by way of strips of hook and loop and paracord.
A single bungee and paracord ridge-line above the bivvy helps lift the upper part of it off the occupant.
Tensioned hard, the set-up can be arranged quite close to the ground.
During the short trial after initial set-up it has proven stable and comfortable.
