Hammock Tying

[Clark]

Ok so i've been using hammocks for just over a year now and this year i bought one from DD, i have no problem tying it up etc.. but i have heard some people use carabiners and attach the webbing to that somehow. You'll have to excuse me if i'm sounding a little dense but can anyone show me how this is done? i have done a search but found nothing.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[crazyclimber]

crab through each end and the webbing clove hitched onto the crab.

http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Mail_Order_Karabiners_22.html
The bottom one there is a good strong one (and cheap) and being climbing quality is more than strong enough.
Small enough that you wouldn't want to thread the hammock on and off it daily. Mine've been on there since the day I had it though, so not an issue.
Apologies for the poor quality pic... hopefully gives you the general idea though

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1391/876084464_d792b66da0_o.jpg

 

[RobertRogers]

Good stuff to know

 

[crazyclimber]

Anyone else used different methods? Constantly amazes me on here the ideas people have come up with.
Btw not shown on the pic is that paracord I use as a drip line. Just an 8" length that's looped around the webbing just the tree side of the crab

 

[Clark]

Thanks for the pic and explanation. I might have to give this a go if i get out this week. cheers again

 

[tommy the cat]

Well dunno about the crab as mine looks diff to the dd

Sorry seem to get the photo either really big or small....anyway through the s hook with two lines in a loop and a bow round the tree aka Pablo how good in the wet the s hook would be but I would sort that if it rained.
Dave

 

[pothunter]

Ive been using a toggle attached to one end of the ridge line that I use when putting up my basher, once around the tree and drop the toggle thru the loop and pull tight, don't see why it should not work for a hammock, perhaps twice around the tree.

 

[Silverback]

For a Magikelly I use three quarter inch webbing straps with a loop sewn at the end of each which hooks on to the 'S' hook then the other ends are clove hitched around the trees, tightened as appropriate then finished with two half hitches. A quick five minutes laid in it will remove a lot of the stretch then another quick tighten up and bob's ya muvvas bruvver . This method was very kindly shown to me by Swyn

 

[bushblade]

I see a lot of people use big chunky, heavy HMS type 'biners for putting up hammocks, but don't see why. Unless you're expecting a rough night violently swinging between the trees there's really no need.
Go for small, lightweight, wiregate 'biners such as black diamond nutrino, camp nano etc.
Much lighter, smaller pack size and quicker and easier to use IMHO.

Another point, most of the benefits for using 'biners are they work as drip rings preventing water reaching your dry hammock. They work best in this function if you orientate them verticaly (not clipped directly into the hammock). Doing this has the added benefit of being able to quickly and easily unclip the hammock from the suspension tapes and store seperately from the hammock, which you would do if the tapes were wet at the time of packing away.

 

[tommy the cat]

That makes sense bush blade just clipping of the crabs to pack seperately if wet etc as well as drip rings.Just couldn't see the point really with the M.k one as weight is always an issue with me.
Dave

 

[Nick_S]

Bah, all this whatnot with carabiners is far too fancy for me.

I tie my Hennessy up with a Trucker's hitch (a variant where the "pulley" is a slipped overhand knot in the bight -- that's three loops) and the tie-off is an adjustable grip hitch.

That's a 3:1 ratio, meaning a nice taut hammock, but nonetheless adjustable. I'm happy with it, and it seems to be fairly kind to the ropes. Neither of the knots bind.

 

[SOAR]

I use a bowline to attach my climbing cord to my karabinas that way the knot doesn't tighten up, making it easy to attach and take of.

 

[woodstock]

crab through each end and the webbing clove hitched onto the crab.

http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Mail_Order_Karabiners_22.html
The bottom one there is a good strong one (and cheap) and being climbing quality is more than strong enough.
Small enough that you wouldn't want to thread the hammock on and off it daily. Mine've been on there since the day I had it though, so not an issue.
Apologies for the poor quality pic... hopefully gives you the general idea though

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1391/876084464_d792b66da0_o.jpg

Nice site but how do you use the karbs to hook up your hammock

 

[crazyclimber]

I've just threaded the crab through the hammock where the webbing used to go, then clove hitched the middle of the webbing line onto the crab. Then same with the other side. Means I get the full length of webbing available, plus it's easy to just unscrew the crabs and take the webbing off when it's wet, and takes just seconds to put back on when I next want to put it up.
Webbing then goes round the tree - depending on my mood will use the shoelace knot (webbing wrapped round the tree a couple times first), or a couple of quick release knots used by Siberian reindeer herders - in one of the RM books but can't remember which off the top of my head. Def reindeer herders though - imagine myself on a picturesque snowy landscape every time I put the hammock up...
(snaps out of daydreaming)
Hope that helps explain it better. If not message me and I'll try to take some pics once I've finished work tomorrow

 

[Clark]

I didn't think there would be a decent response to this but it has helped alot. My bag is packed so tomorrow i shall be leaving for a one nighter and i'll try out carabiners. Thanks again for the info.

 

[Pablo]

I've just quickly read through the thread and noticed you're going soon, so forgive me if this has already been said.

This is how I use the krab. The advantage here is that the krab acts as a drip ring. I've just come back from 4 days using the hammock in the torrential rain. The tape tied to the tree was sodden, while the tape looped onto the hammock itself was dry as a bone. Just an idea.

Have fun.

Pablo.

 

[Graham_S]

I have a loop tied in one end of the tape.
the tape is passed around the tree and the loose end is passed through the loop.
then the tape is tied to a karabiner using a falconers knot.
the karabiner passes through a loop of tape on the end of the hammock.
Using a karabiner is useful in winter when knots can freeze overnight.

 

[EdS]

5m non ratchet luggage straps. Alway in the car and no need to mess around with knots. Easily undone as well.

 

[JulianWormwood]

I use 1 inch webbing tied onto an aluminium 'O' ring that the hammocks 'S' hooks attach to.

 

[Ralph]

I find that I don't like the two ropes on the DD hammock, so I usually have it set up so that there is one long rope, by pulling it throughthe loop in the hammock material, and then tying the rope together with an adjustable loop, eliminating the need for a karabiner if you are trying to keep weight to a minimum (although I take a couple of karabiners with me anyway ). The rope is strong enough to support me (yes, me, possibly not other, heavier people-I'm quite light) on its own, and this also means that I can use a normal knot around the tree, not having to tie up both ropes. But thats only how I do it.
Sleep well.