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Hammock Failures

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    • Hammock Failures

      A few weeks ago, my daughter and I went to the park and hung up my hammock. I lay in it for a while then she wanted to try it out. As soon as she sat down, a tree strap tore, the hammock fell to the ground, and she landed on her butt. Thankfully she wasn't hurt but now I'm a little leery of the hammock. The strap should not have torn, it's rated up to 2200 lbs (I believe).

      Any ideas why this happened?
      Images

      • image.jpeg

        230.43 kB, 800×600, viewed 660 times
      Lost in the right direction.

    • I use really lightweight straps, not nearly as heavy as what you appear to be using and never had a problem, sometimes the straps will get crooked in the buckle if not pulled straight and might cause the edge to wear a little but shouldn't break, I have had the strap end turned wrong causing me to be lowered to the ground slowly but no breakage.

      "Never hang higher than you're willing to fall".
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • I've never seen a strap break. Camped with a guy whose hammock ripped in half longways dumping him on the ground in the middle of the night. He was camped over a bank and said he rolled down the hill almost into the creek.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      I've never seen a strap break. Camped with a guy whose hammock ripped in half longways dumping him on the ground in the middle of the night. He was camped over a bank and said he rolled down the hill almost into the creek.
      Would've made for an epic video.
      Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

    • Grinder wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      I've never seen a strap break. Camped with a guy whose hammock ripped in half longways dumping him on the ground in the middle of the night. He was camped over a bank and said he rolled down the hill almost into the creek.
      Would've made for an epic video.
      yep. It happened at Dick's Creek on I guess what was the 2nd or 3rd night on the trail nobo from springer. What a way to start your hike lol.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      Grinder wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      I've never seen a strap break. Camped with a guy whose hammock ripped in half longways dumping him on the ground in the middle of the night. He was camped over a bank and said he rolled down the hill almost into the creek.
      Would've made for an epic video.
      yep. It happened at Dick's Creek on I guess what was the 2nd or 3rd night on the trail nobo from springer. What a way to start your hike lol.
      2nd or 3rd night would have meant he was averaging over 20 or 30 miles a day.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Grinder wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      I've never seen a strap break. Camped with a guy whose hammock ripped in half longways dumping him on the ground in the middle of the night. He was camped over a bank and said he rolled down the hill almost into the creek.
      Would've made for an epic video.
      yep. It happened at Dick's Creek on I guess what was the 2nd or 3rd night on the trail nobo from springer. What a way to start your hike lol.
      2nd or 3rd night would have meant he was averaging over 20 or 30 miles a day.
      I think dick's creek campsite is before Blood Mtn, but then again I am Dazed and Confused.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Grinder wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      I've never seen a strap break. Camped with a guy whose hammock ripped in half longways dumping him on the ground in the middle of the night. He was camped over a bank and said he rolled down the hill almost into the creek.
      Would've made for an epic video.
      yep. It happened at Dick's Creek on I guess what was the 2nd or 3rd night on the trail nobo from springer. What a way to start your hike lol.
      2nd or 3rd night would have meant he was averaging over 20 or 30 miles a day.
      I think dick's creek campsite is before Blood Mtn, but then again I am Dazed and Confused.
      Perhaps Lance Creek at 24.3. :)

      Dicks Creek Gap is 69.6. (remember because that was the last section my son did with me)

      I apologize if I distracted from your funny story :/
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Grinder wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      I've never seen a strap break. Camped with a guy whose hammock ripped in half longways dumping him on the ground in the middle of the night. He was camped over a bank and said he rolled down the hill almost into the creek.
      Would've made for an epic video.
      yep. It happened at Dick's Creek on I guess what was the 2nd or 3rd night on the trail nobo from springer. What a way to start your hike lol.
      2nd or 3rd night would have meant he was averaging over 20 or 30 miles a day.
      I think dick's creek campsite is before Blood Mtn, but then again I am Dazed and Confused.
      Perhaps Lance Creek at 24.3. :)
      Dicks Creek Gap is 69.6. (remember because that was the last section my son did with me)

      I apologize if I distracted from your funny story :/
      lance creek woulda been the place to do it. if he was rolling down the hill at dicks creek he coulda rolled onto US 76. that wouldn't have been very funny.
      2,000 miler

    • I sent my photo to Dutch of DutchWare and he wasn't sure what went wrong. He offered to replace the clips and tree straps but I declined because I'm sure it was user error.

      I've come up with a theory...the edges of my DIY hammock are a little taut. It's possible the clip wasn't seated correctly and possible that my daughter sat right on the edge of the hammock, putting too much strain on the strap on that side.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      I sent my photo to Dutch of DutchWare and he wasn't sure what went wrong. He offered to replace the clips and tree straps but I declined because I'm sure it was user error.

      I've come up with a theory...the edges of my DIY hammock are a little taut. It's possible the clip wasn't seated correctly and possible that my daughter sat right on the edge of the hammock, putting too much strain on the strap on that side.
      Perhaps we are missing something here.... What can Dutch and others do to help you? There isn't enough detail to understand how to fix this.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • I'm a bit lost also. That is a buckle suspension and it didn't break, but it is damaged. I suspect the damage allowed it to release and slip? Getting some of the suspension cross wise and such can damage it. I'm using some of Dutch's Kevlar straps now and the TI Clips do wad up the kevlar and such. But, so far, all is good (only a few nights out). I don't use buckle suspension, but use UCR's and there is slight "loose" threads in that but everyone says "normal....no worry".
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork

    • I've been considering getting some 12' kevlar straps from Dutch and giving them a try, I understand that kavlar would slip through the buckles if used in a normal manner but it looks like you could fold it back over the buckle and put a quick release knot in it so it would not slip.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • I use his TI "clips round the tree. I always have the clipped side on the straight leg of any of my tree straps (hope that half made sense.....Ultimate Hang has a drawing). I use the kevlar with a MSH with toggles and the Kevlar looks all wrinkled in the morning, but it is fine by evening. Works well (so far). So I don't know about using with a buckle set up.
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork

    • TJ once repaired.....Find a small mattress and set it up over it in the back yard. Put the heaviest family member in the hammock and check it for safety. I use a basement test area for this... I have boat hardware mounted to the ceiling for these tests. The hardware is a lag ring with for huge screws for the joists. Most lag rings are tested for 600 pounds.

      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • I never replaced the strap that tore last year and have been taking my hammock out to the lake when I bike or swim.

      The strap was fixed so the tear was on the part that was hanging without any tension.

      Yesterday, I was hanging at the lake and it tore in another place. EverythIng was checked thoroughly prior to the tear...the strap was straight, the clip was seated correctly. Thank goodness I didn't hit the ground like my daughter but it left me feeling wary about hammocking.
      Images

      • IMG_6494.JPG

        44.91 kB, 450×600, viewed 372 times
      Lost in the right direction.

    • TJ,

      I do not know why that strap is failing, could it have been contaminated with some substance that has weakened the fabric?

      On my Warbonnet I use the standard webbing that came with the hammock and have no failure or fraying with a fair amount of use. I would buy some quality tree straps if I were you.

      I have on occasion had a strap slip in the buckles if I have not left them set correctly. That is more of a slow motion sag type situation than a fall.

      Still, it is probably wise to never hang higher than you are willing to fall on your keister.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

      The post was edited 1 time, last by IMScotty ().

    • There was a terrible accident in Boston last week where a woman hanging in a hammock was seriously injured when the chimney the hammock was attached to collapsed on her.

      See news story here...
      boston.com/news/local-news/201…iracle-if-she-walks-again

      Just a reminder that a hammock is a mechanical system that can create forces much greater than just the weight of the person in the hammock.

      The horizontal shear force created in a two point hang = 1/2 weight / tan (angle of the hang)

      At low angle hangs the forces can be quite large. A two hundred pound person hanging at an angle of 5 degrees would produce 1143 pounds of horizontal sheer force at each off the two attachment points. Please be sure the structure you are attaching to can withstand these type of forces.

      A 30 degree hang produces a much safer sheer force of 173 pounds for a 200 pound person.

      Be careful out there, I think I will cross post this at that other place.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • IMScotty wrote:

      TJ,

      I do not know why that strap is failing, could it have been contaminated with some substance that has weakened the fabric?

      On my Warbonnet I use the standard webbing that came with the hammock and have no failure or fraying with a fair amount of use. I would buy some quality tree straps if I were you.

      I have on occasion had a strap slip in the buckles if I have not left them set correctly. That is more of a slow motion sag type situation than a fall.

      Still, it is probably wise to never hang higher than you are willing to fall on your keister.
      I've heard of DEET having a reaction with gear, but have not seen it myself.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • IMScotty wrote:

      There was a terrible accident in Boston last week where a woman hanging in a hammock was seriously injured when the chimney the hammock was attached to collapsed on her.

      See news story here...
      boston.com/news/local-news/201…iracle-if-she-walks-again

      Just a reminder that a hammock is a mechanical system that can create forces much greater than just the weight of the person in the hammock.

      The horizontal shear force created in a two point hang = 1/2 weight / tan (angle of the hang)

      At low angle hangs the forces can be quite large. A two hundred pound person hanging at an angle of 5 degrees would produce 1143 pounds of horizontal sheer force at each off the two attachment points. Please be sure the structure you are attaching to can withstand these type of forces.

      A 30 degree hang produces a much safer sheer force of 173 pounds for a 200 pound person.

      Be careful out there, I think I will cross post this at that other place.
      Thank you for the reminder. While I try to hang my straps high on the tree, I did not remember why.

      My straps are from Dutch ware and no chemicals were spilled or sprayed on them. Since I'm not hiking with the hammock, the next straps will be sturdier.

      My method for hanging is to pull on each strap using all my weight, then grab the end of the hammock and pull again (separately for each end), so that I'm testing where the hammock and strap join. Then I put my hands in the center of the hammock and push down, putting weight on the fabric. Lastly, I gingerly sit and stay in a seated position for a while as I'd rather fall on my butt than my back.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • NoAngel wrote:

      IMScotty wrote:

      TJ,

      I do not know why that strap is failing, could it have been contaminated with some substance that has weakened the fabric?

      On my Warbonnet I use the standard webbing that came with the hammock and have no failure or fraying with a fair amount of use. I would buy some quality tree straps if I were you.

      I have on occasion had a strap slip in the buckles if I have not left them set correctly. That is more of a slow motion sag type situation than a fall.

      Still, it is probably wise to never hang higher than you are willing to fall on your keister.
      I've heard of DEET having a reaction with gear, but have not seen it myself.
      Uh OK this is a really easy test - take a knock off or old tent that you want to loose and set it up now in the back yard. the pin holes will appear from sunlight in a month. Deet will melt the plastic...Make a test spot.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Three girls showed up with their eno hammock and proceeded to hang it, must have been their first time.

      At one point, one edge of the hammock was flush with the tree.

      I thought about asking if they want help but decided they could figure it out.

      They did, for the most part, and seemed to have a good time.
      Images

      • IMG_6527.JPG

        278.55 kB, 800×600, viewed 370 times
      Lost in the right direction.

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      Is it bad that I duck taped my ripped hammock straps?
      Yes... Tj now blushes, Understandably - Duck tape is such a huge social faux pas... only used by the very few who call themselves "Hiker Trash" gif.014.gif


      Here we observe folks that did not use Duct Tape and had a similar experience.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Wise Old Owl ().