How To Set Up A Hammock On A Tree

"One Scout Troop in Pennsylvania has competitions to run into who can set upwards their hammock the fastest. Their troop holds the hammock setup record at 38 seconds."

Higher up: Tom demonstrates setting upwardly the hammock on a sunny twenty-four hour period.

Remember...

• Center
  
• Level
  
• Chair Height

Of import

There are many ways to tie upwardly a sleeping hammock. The way that I recommend does not crave whatsoever expertise with fancy knots, In fact, it's not a knot at all, it's a lashing. A lashing is a wrapping of rope in a simple repeat blueprint. The beauty of the lashing is that information technology volition never jam as a knot often will. Even after a dark of tightening from your weight, you tin untie it easily in the night, in the rain, with one mitt with your eyes closed. Once you take a few minutes to learn this lashing, you will never have a problem setting upward or taking down your shelter.

Altitude between trees.

The recommended distance between trees is 12' to 25' feet / 3.5 to vii.5 meter for the Trek Asym and Ultralight Backpacker Asym models and 13'-26' / four - 8 meters for the Explorer and Safari models.

Tiptop for tying up the hammock.

Your sleeping hammock should exist tied at a acme that allows the hammock archway to be at chair acme when you sit down down. The farther autonomously the trees, the college up on the tree yous'll have to attach your webbing straps.

Recommended Lashing to Secure Webbing Straps.

Above: Tom's recommended lashing technique. Easy, quick, information technology never jams, and it protects the rope.

Watch u.s.a. tie the lashing by viewing the video higher up! If you learn this lashing you'll never have a jammed knot, your ropes will final a long time, and you'll salvage fourth dimension. Wrap webbing straps one or more than times effectually the tree and bring loops together in line with the opposite tree. Laissez passer rope ends through webbing loops. Adjust the hammock until it is centered and the ridge line is level and nether light tension. Wrap the loose rope finish completely around the tensioned back up rope and and so drop rope stop downwards into the space betwixt the webbing loops and the tree.

Tighten any slack in the lashing. Repeat lashing at least three more times in this "figure 8" pattern and tie it off with two half hitches leaving at to the lowest degree 6"/xv cm of rope. Entrance should exist at chair height under tension of your weight.

For foul atmospheric condition, adjust your rainproof hammock width by changing the angle of side elastics.

Other Methods of Tying Upward the Hammock May Crusade Harm to Suspending Ropes

Tom has been following with interest all the cool new ideas on the forums like the rap rings.

He has sailed a big sailboat for twoscore years and knows what makes ropes wear out and suspension. When he designed the Hennessy break organisation, he had to consider many factors such equally long term life of the ropes and the safety of HH customers. The HH system avoids any metallic parts.  This reduces weight and cost, and eliminates corrosion. Whatsoever organisation which point loads the rope creates a point of failure. Tom prefers to spread the load with multiple wraps in a figure eight design. Attachment of the ropes directly to the soft webbing straps too eliminates chafe to the ropes. One HH client hiked the Appalachian Trail twice with his piddling dog Pumpkin and slept in his hammock at domicile every dark for 8 years. The ropes were still OK!! Tom  traded him for a new one and put the old hammock in the HH museum.

As a designer, Tom is e'er looking for the simplest, cheapest, lightest, fastest, and safest mode to do anything. He expects to improve the HH whenever possible but the present lashing system allows for some mistake and still works. The last thing he wants is for 1 of his customers to autumn. Some of the new systems are great for the DIY guys and Tom wants to encourage them to keep on innovating — especially when information technology comes to finding ways to make their systems a little more foolproof.

Tom is also fascinated with the idea of clam cleats which he had used on his boat. He rejected them because of their tendency to point load and weaken the rope. Some people are looking for an adjustable attachment so that they don't have to untie the lashing and retie it. Tom has played effectually with double or triple taut line hitches — two seems to exist plenty.

If yous look at the website set-upwardly videos you lot will run into a video showing the lashing that Tom recommends to adhere the rope to the webbing straps. The beauty of this organization is that the rope is tied to the soft webbing which prevents wear because it allows multiple wraps confronting the smoothen surface of the webbing straps.

Tom also likes the idea of carabiners and wanted to sell them as hammock accessories; withal, when he inquired nearly purchasing them for auction on the HH site, he was told by the manufacturers that they would simply guarantee them for climbing purposes and they wouldn't sell them for whatsoever other purpose because their insurance wouldn't encompass them. Inexperienced people using carabiners can utilise them in the incorrect way which would be unsafe. If the carabiner is set up sideways instead of pulling in the correct direction, the gate could rip out and the hammock could fall.

Awning Set Upwards

Tom's directions: Align asymmetrical fly to friction match hammock shape. Clip the plastic "O" rings at each end of the canopy to the stronger plastic hooks on the sliding knot tensioner tied to the primary support ropes — making sure to get out this adjustment untensioned until last. Next, clip the lighter plastic hook fastened to each stop of the awning onto the main support rope. Center the canopy width-wise past attaching the side adjustment cords equally tight to nearby tree branches or ground anchors at whatsoever angle seems correct for the conditions. Lastly, push each sliding knot tensioner along the primary back up ropes until the canopy is centered lengthwise and fairly tight. In wet, windy conditions, attach a weight or rubberband to side corners of wing to maintain tension.

Tips for getting the fly tension correct

New tip: Tie the fly separately to each tree first so you can set up the sleeping hammock in rainy conditions without getting the hammock wet. This ways that when the weight goes on the hammock it does not lower the rainfly and consequently slack the wing tension. Some other new tip is to tie the cord at 1 end of the fly,  take it around the tree and dorsum through the same ring all the fashion forth the underside of the fly, through the band at the opposite end of the fly and then all the way effectually the tree and back through the band at that end. This does iii things — it keeps the fly taut, removes wrinkles in the top of the wing, and helps to prevent whatsoever water collection in the wrinkles of the wing. Another actually good tip is to tie the side tie outs for the rainfly as far every bit out as possible, either to the ground or to bushes or branches and hang a weight right at each side corner.

When the fly gets moisture and stretches, instead of getting loose and saggy, the weight will automatically lower the wing for storm conditions and maintain the same rainfly tension as when it was dry out.

Care and Maintenance

Dry and repack clammy gear to avoid mildew, mold, or color bleeding. To clean, mitt wash using mild detergent, warm water rinse, and air dry. Inspect for damage after each utilise. Children nether 12 years must be supervised. Do not smoke, cook, or lite fires inside the camping ground hammock.

Source: https://hennessyhammock.com/pages/set-up-instructions

Share this post