[d7e7r7]

Hi guys,

Am going camping on Thursday and wanted to ask here before I go out and buy some paracord if anyone has had any experience in hanging hammocks with 550 paracord?
Does it work? Recommended? Any other cheap alternatives and places to buy?

Thanks

 

[Al Diehl]

Small ratchet straps. Not the thin cheap ones.
The straps do less damage to trees.

Al

 

[Cruzer1800]

I use the 550 with my hammock with no problems. I double loop it around the tree so it doesn't slide down, and then put BOTH ends through the hammock loops. Works just fine as long as your trees are close together. It begins to stretch a bit if you widen out more. I am 200+ and have had no troubles. Happy swinging!
=)

 

[d7e7r7]

I use the 550 with my hammock with no problems. I double loop it around the tree so it doesn't slide down, and then put BOTH ends through the hammock loops. Works just fine as long as your trees are close together. It begins to stretch a bit if you widen out more. I am 200+ and have had no troubles. Happy swinging!
=)

Thanks for sharing your experience.... By double loop do you mean you use this method?

?

 

[ChapNelson]

PM Just Jeff, or go visit Hammock Forums. I think you'll find that Paracord is not preferred, but the static webbing is.

 

[1stcavmp77]

I would NOT use 550 cord. I tried that a couple times and on the third or fourth time using the same piece of cord it snapped with me in my hammock and dropped me about 3 feet on the ground. This was when I was first starting out with my hammock and didn't have much experience and had hung my hammock a little too high.
My best experience is with good wide webbing that can be bought by the foot and use 2 good stout welded rings such as descender rings or the brass rings that can be bought at Tractor Supply Co. That's what I use and it's the quickest and easiest way to adjust the hang of your hammock. My suspension lines are 25 feet long each and roll up into a bundle about 5 inches across. If you use the rings you will need 2 for each end.
I also recommend Hammock forums and this series on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAE6E04E4EFE92BB6&feature=view_all

 

[wolfsaber]

As already said, paracord is not the best idea. Ratchet straps do work good and are available at hardware and automotive stores. Another thing, if you have a boating supply store around, is amsteel blue in 7/64th or 1/8th. The holding power of the Amsteel is much stronger than most other options.

 

[Reeper]

I hang quite a bit and also a member of the hammock forum. I personally would not use 550 for suspension. The $6 slap straps would work better if you have biners on the end. But they stretch bad. What Wolfsaber said is a much better solution.

 

[OLDWarrior64]

I sell miles of paracord and I agree......get some good webbing or straps for your hammock.

 

[fire65]

Seen it done and ask him if that was strong enough. He said my dad says it is ok. I would never do it, there are so many better things. But I am a rope guy.
Angles mean a lot in rope strength.

 

[Just Jeff]

I've broken 550 twice on my hammocks...don't use it anymore for that reason. I cut it off the parachute myself so it was the real thing.

Besides, paracord is high memory stretch, meaning that it'll stretch overnight and you'll wake up closer to the ground (or on it), then it'll pop back to it's original position when you unload it so you can do it all over again the next night. Low memory stretch cord or webbing like Amsteel or polyester webbing is much better than nylon...it will stretch just a little and then stay there.

Might partly depend on the angle you hang your hammock, too. The force on the hammock support can easily exceed 550 lbs for a 200 pound man. That's why most hammockers use a minimum of 700 lbs safe working load on their kits. Most current manufacturers of camping hammocks use more than 1000lbs SWL.

 

[Adrenolin]

I'm looking to start in the world of Hammocks this year and some great info in this thread! Thanks.

 

[Telos]

I wouldn't touch paracord for this job due to the vector loads being generated by your body weight. Webbing straps do work, however my preferance is for 10mm Bluewater static line, two locking carabiners, and a set of rope thimbles for shear reduction. This provides a bombproof set up that is also fully adjustable...you'll need to learn this knot that I call the "Man O War" hitch....

... begin with figuring 8 the line around the tree

...with the standing ends, tie two opposing blood knots...

.... adjust it to the desired height, and snug it up...

....add the thimble, and lock it in with a Figure 8, then clip in with carabiners

btw, don't forget to wrap the tree with a bit of canvas to protect the bark..

 

[1stcavmp77]

My favorite part about my set up.....no knots : You just need to sew a loop in one end of each strap and go around the tree with that.

 

[d7e7r7]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I emailed a company where I stay, Southern Ropes, and they recommended a polypropelene braid of 10mm which comes to R6.00 per meter excl vat. so that's probably what I will be getting.

Sound good?

@Telos, thanks for the pics but I find it much easier to set up the hammock without knots, like 1stcavmp77 does.
Like in the video I posted a few posts up in this thread...

 

[Enscheff]

I use a loop of paracord and a carabiner on each end of my backpacking hammock. Held me and a sexy little Asian girl just fine.

 

[spiffy]

FWIW:
When I hang, I use tree straps w/ Amsteel blue "Whoopieslings"
Minimal tree damage, strong, low/no stretch, quick & easy with no knots.
Works great for me.
Just my $0.02.

 

[mymom51]

This video is listed as private, any other suggestions?

 

[Mrknot]

Please do not use rope of any kind to wrap around the tree for your hammock suspension. Although the damage may not be readily visible, it will harm the inner cambium layer of the tree, worst case scenario, killing said tree...
A 1"+ polyester/polypropylene/Kevlar strap is recommended. I personally use 1.5" polyester straps, with loops sewn into one end, to hang my hammock. A local outdoor store sells the webbing for $.25/ft, so I was able to make two, 12' straps, (we have some big trees here), for ~$6...
I then simply thread the free end of the strap through the loop, tighten it against the tree, and use a marlin spike hitch, (simplest knot ever), to attach the straps to the carabiners at each end of my hammock.
Altogether this setup takes about a minute to deploy, has no stretch, and does not harm the trees at all.
I love paracord, it's a practically indispensable part of my kit, but it has no place in my hammock suspension. Tarp guy lines maybe, (a bit overkill for that though IMO), but not for hanging...

 

[ninjasurvivor]

You can also use 750 or 850 paracord, and use small sticks to place between the tree and the cord to keep the rope from strangling and cutting the tree.