Chris G
28-11-2007, 17:07
I've go a DD camping hammock, and while I'm very impressed with it I want to try other (read better) ways of attaching it to trees, etc. I took it with me to Centerparcs the other week, but the lines that came with the hammock were too short for the tree spacing so I ended up having to use a separate ridge line and attach it to that.
I've been wondering if there was a better way of doing this and I've come up with the following which I'd appreciate your views/experience on before I try it at Middlewood this weekend.
1) Take 2 lengths of 4m long tape. At the centre point of each form a loop using a doubled figure 8 knot.
2) Standing with your back to where the hammock is going to go, loop one tape round the tree twice keeping the figure 8 loop towards you, then tie the loose ends together so the tape is at the right height for your hammock. Repeat with the other tape on the other tree.
3) Take a 4m long piece of 5-9mm thick rope and tie a small (say 20mm internal diameter) loop at one end. Then tie a second loop (say 20mm internal diameter) about 50mm away from the first one.
4) Now pass the non-tied end of the rope through the hammock (i.e. replacing the tapes that come with the hammock) and pull it through until the looped part is close to the hammock. Repeat for the other end of the hammock with another 4m length of rope.
5) Pass the long end of the rope (hammock) through the loop in the tape (tree) and pull it back towards the hammock and pass it through the second rope loop (so that the one at the end of the rope is hanging freely), pull tight on the rope and secure back on itself using a "half-baked" prussic knot (see outdooridiots.com) wherever appropriate. Repeat for the other end of the hammock.
6) Hop into you hammock so that your weight pulls the knots tight. If there's some sag, hop out again and slide the "half-baked" prussic knots to tighten the whole system.
Q1 - What are the loops at the end of the ropes for? - Simple. Use these for hanging kit, or attaching your under blanket to your hammock via a karabiner, etc, etc, etc.
Q2 - Why use a 4m long rope in the first place? - These are effectively going to be halved in length, so you will add 2x 2m long ropes to your 3m(ish) long hammock, giving you the ability to sling your hammock between trees up to 7m apart (which you can't do with the standard tapes).
Q3 - What about rain coming back along the rope making the hammock wet? - Rather than passing the rope through the hammock, run a short length of tape/rope through the hammock and tie in a figure 8 knot. Connect a karabiner to this loop, then run the rope through the karabiner and tie to the tree as per the above method.
So what do you think?
Chris
I've been wondering if there was a better way of doing this and I've come up with the following which I'd appreciate your views/experience on before I try it at Middlewood this weekend.
1) Take 2 lengths of 4m long tape. At the centre point of each form a loop using a doubled figure 8 knot.
2) Standing with your back to where the hammock is going to go, loop one tape round the tree twice keeping the figure 8 loop towards you, then tie the loose ends together so the tape is at the right height for your hammock. Repeat with the other tape on the other tree.
3) Take a 4m long piece of 5-9mm thick rope and tie a small (say 20mm internal diameter) loop at one end. Then tie a second loop (say 20mm internal diameter) about 50mm away from the first one.
4) Now pass the non-tied end of the rope through the hammock (i.e. replacing the tapes that come with the hammock) and pull it through until the looped part is close to the hammock. Repeat for the other end of the hammock with another 4m length of rope.
5) Pass the long end of the rope (hammock) through the loop in the tape (tree) and pull it back towards the hammock and pass it through the second rope loop (so that the one at the end of the rope is hanging freely), pull tight on the rope and secure back on itself using a "half-baked" prussic knot (see outdooridiots.com) wherever appropriate. Repeat for the other end of the hammock.
6) Hop into you hammock so that your weight pulls the knots tight. If there's some sag, hop out again and slide the "half-baked" prussic knots to tighten the whole system.
Q1 - What are the loops at the end of the ropes for? - Simple. Use these for hanging kit, or attaching your under blanket to your hammock via a karabiner, etc, etc, etc.
Q2 - Why use a 4m long rope in the first place? - These are effectively going to be halved in length, so you will add 2x 2m long ropes to your 3m(ish) long hammock, giving you the ability to sling your hammock between trees up to 7m apart (which you can't do with the standard tapes).
Q3 - What about rain coming back along the rope making the hammock wet? - Rather than passing the rope through the hammock, run a short length of tape/rope through the hammock and tie in a figure 8 knot. Connect a karabiner to this loop, then run the rope through the karabiner and tie to the tree as per the above method.
So what do you think?
Chris