New hammock

[Gailainne]

I recieved a new DD hammock during the week, but as I live in Central Scotland, unfortunately daylight outside work only happens at the weekend ATM .

When it arrived my first thought was, its heavy but that was both the hammock and the tarp, so I checked them on some kitchen scales. The hammock weighs slightly less than a kilo and the tarp (optional extra) weighs in at a hefty 1.7k. 2.6k in total approx. As a comparison my Vango 2 man weighs in at 3.7k.

Had to sort out some knots first, I knew I would need a slip knot of some kind, and I remembered an episode of Ray Mears where he explains a very good hammock knot...but couldnt find it , ended up using a mooring hitch (very good site BTW, animation of doing the knot makes life SO much easier)

Anyway onward, took it out the back under the carport, (nice 4x4 posts to sling it off ).

First attempt was........ hmmm not up to expectations I ended up with about 6" of tape at one side and 4ft at the other....not exactly central.

I then realised the hammock was still flat at both ends, I had'nt compressed the end's, this released a lot more tape, which made tying the tape easier (the posts are 4m apart), BTW I found tying 2 tapes as one a bit of a pain, no doubt practise will help.

So started again compressed both ends first, then eyeballed it in the middle, I tried one end tying it with a single wrap and one end with a double wrap, double wrap certainly makes tying the double tape easier.

Yeah its up and more importantly holding my weight (svelt 11.5 st) (unfortunately mostly in the middle )

Sitting was okay but when I lay down I noticed something immediately.. I dont like being head down... I REALLY dont. It should be an easy fix, making sure the tapes are such, that I'm heads up.

The mozzie net looks pretty good, and using a cord as a ridge to support the tarp
it should be fairly simple to support the net.

 

[Drop]

The DD was high on my list of hammocks to get until the choice was taken out of my hands by Santa. I think I might be getting one sooner or later especially since they are now longer. How is the width, are you managing to lie across it ok? When I emailed the the owner it was before the new longer versions came out and before the new tarps, he very kindly advised me to wait for the new stock so I hope to be able to give him some business in the future.

Thanks for the link to the knot, I'll add it to my set of possible hammocking knots.
Currently because I hang my hammock from a spectra guyline, i use 2 lengths of webbing around the trees as tree huggers and use the knot that Hennesy hammock sugests, it's a bit of a pain to do and redo so I have been considering using a rolling hitch so that I can get the setup centred. I'm not sure if I would trust it to hang from.

I'm planning to change to webbing and use this knot.
I'm still taking every chance to string up my hammock every chance I get, unfortunately I dont have such a handy place to hang mine from as you do so I just have to force myself to go to some local woods (the sacrifices I make). Everytime I hang it I learn something that helps me.

Enjoy your hammock, I know i'm getting pleasure from mine.
Seán

 

[QDanT]

Hi Gailainne,can you provide any more information on the DD tarp I've emailed them asking what the material was and I got a one word reply "Nylon".
Is it rip stop nylon ? seems heavy at 1.7kl.How thick is it?
thanks in advance for your time Danny

 

[Ogri the trog]

I'm planning to change to webbing and use this knot.
Enjoy your hammock, I know i'm getting pleasure from mine.
Seán

Thats just the best way of securing a hammock in the universe - no complicated looping and pulling nor slight -of-hand. Just simple and effective, I recommend it to everyone.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Gailainne]

My apologies for not replying sooner I read these last night, but I wanted daylight and a little thought before I answered your questions.

Drop, first the knot, I found at least one easier knot than both the one you and I posted called the “mooring line hitch” in RM’s Bushcraft book (if I can figure out how to do some pics as I’m creating it I’ll post them, he also has some very nice knots “Evenk, Tarp taut hitch, and the Slippery adjustable loop” that I’m gonna have a go at this weekend, also in his Bushcraft book.

BTW I feel sooooo sorry for you that you have to practice in the woods…….not, envious perhaps .

QDanT, Sorry I thought I would get time today to measure the tarp, (unfortunately I got called into work), however I can tell you that from eyeball examination that, the mat’l is quite thin (I can get a digital vernier and check the thickness if req’d) and the inside has a rubber like coating. Ripstop, sorry don’t know enough to recognise it. I will however take some photos of all the components, hammock and tarp and post them soon.

I had planned on a nice long walk in a local nature reserve today, trying to identify trees, fungi, birds, basically chillin …typically RL reared its ugly head and shortened that to 2 hrs . On the bright side I tried out my new digital camera, very small and very hard to keep still, and I found horseshoe fungus and I think tinder fungus, I will post the pics later to confirm.

Sunday, the forecast is snow  I do have to be on site early (work &#61516 but after that the day is mine, hopefully I’ll sort out some answers for you by end of play, be warned though if it snows, photo opportunities abound, so a small delay may result.