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Cuben Fiber Hammock


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Viewing 17 posts - 26 through 42 (of 42 total)
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  • #1597720
    Bill Fornshell
    BPL Member

    @bfornshell

    Locale: Southern Texas

    My Cuben Hammock is over 3 years old and has a lot of use on it and I used the 0.47 ounce per squard Cuben.

    Bill's Cuben Hammock

    #1597725
    Lawson Kline
    BPL Member

    @mountainfitter

    Hey Bill,

    I saw your hammock a while back. Nice job on it…Do you like how cuben hammocks lay? Is yours hot? How many nights do you have in it? Do you have any abrasion? I promise im not writing a book haha..

    #1597748
    Bill Fornshell
    BPL Member

    @bfornshell

    Locale: Southern Texas

    Hi,

    Not sure what you mean by "Do you like how cuben hammocks lay?"

    I can get on my side if I want to or lay on my back. My Hammock was made out of Cuben when it was all 48" wide or so and was made as short as I could to keep it as light as possible. The newer Cuben is all wider, I think about 54" or so. I have 5 different weight Cuben Fiber but am happy with the 0.47 ounce Cuben I used.

    My weight stays about 156 or so which makes me a bit lighter then so folks so the lighter Cuben has held up great.

    I also use a knot on the ends of my Hammock. I think it is easier on the Cuben but you are using a heavier weight Cuben so time will tell.

    My first tree straps were some kind of webbing and it would stretch over night a lot and I would end up touching the ground or on the ground by morning. I started using a ground cloth which also gave me something to step on in my socks. I always where socks in my Cuben Gear.

    Ending up with part of my backside on the ground a few times never hurt the Cuben but I got ride of the webbing for other tree rope.

    I have slept in my Hammock 40 or 50 nights, maybe more. I have a way to hang my hammock in my garage and it stays up most of the time. I have several pet cats. They like to run and play with each other at night. They don't seem to have any concept of time. I go out to the garage on a lot of those nights.

    As with all my Cuben gear I try and be careful how I use it.

    #1597863
    Lawson Kline
    BPL Member

    @mountainfitter

    Since the cuben has no stretch you seem to lay really flat compared to nylon hammocks.

    #1598574
    Eric Beaudry
    Member

    @itbvolks

    I've got to admit, I'm not a hammock guy (yet) but man does that look comfy….

    So what would one be looking at for total weight of the hammock (lines, beeners, etc)?

    #1598623
    Lawson Kline
    BPL Member

    @mountainfitter

    I am not sure yet since I have been using paracord. I inquired a few days back about using Amsteel Blue which is a 100% Dyneema Cord and have been searching for lighter weight karabiners.. I think 6oz might be a reachable goal for hammock and rigging. It currently packs down to the size of a grapefruit with rigging..

    #1598640
    obx hiker
    BPL Member

    @obxer

    Hello Lawson,

    I really like your hammock!

    I am curious though ( but not skeptical! ) of what might be the best approach given the discussion on this thread and general experience with cuben to protecting against abrasion or saw-off on the end channels using the thin dyneema cord.

    On a related note I have found dyneema climbing slings that are apparently made of hollow or tubular tape so maybe a short stretch of that material might make a good protective Sheath.

    Also I have spent/so far wasted a bit of time trying to find a source of lightweight dyneema straps in the 1 inch width range. There are lots of climbing slings available but evidently they are all tubular to provide the guaranteed strength needed for climbing. I'm not sure that a lighter weight strap using or taking advantage of dyneema for a superior strength/weight ratio is currently being produced/manufactured but there certainly is the capability if the tubular sling material is being produced.

    This might be another commercial opportunity for someone who put in the time /$ to get an appropriately light/wide ( tree bark protection) dyneema strapping for use in hammocks

    Or is there such a thing and I haven't found it or the weight savings aren't that great?

    And another new thought. Wonder if you took say a four foot x 4 inch wide strip of cuben; folded and glued it into a 1 inch wide strip and sewed loops on the ends. What sort of load would that bear?

    #1598663
    Ike Mouser
    Member

    @isaac-mouser

    use 6 feet of tree hugger, attach whoppie sling on hammock to tree hugger via marlin spike hitch, using trail stick as toggle. No "beener" weight increase.

    #1598674
    Lawson Kline
    BPL Member

    @mountainfitter

    The only concern I have with a whoopie sling is how small of diameter the cord is.. I can break 300 lb test with my bare hands by using the line to cut itself.. I am afraid the 7/64" Amsteel Blue will act as a knife and cut the cuben fiber. I personally think a thicker cord, webbing or a karabiner at the ends makes more sense and would help save the ends.. ?????

    #1598678
    Ike Mouser
    Member

    @isaac-mouser

    lawson i can assure you, you cannot break amsteel with your hands, and woudl be lucky to with your car. It will not rip the hammock either. I have even thinner line on my hammocks (i weigh 150lbs), i use 2.2 mm dynalgide. But i also put a paracord sheath over it. The 7/64 will cause no damage at all, trust me. I used it extensively for over a year on my blackbirds, no damage at all. I even replaced my hammock ridgeline with dynaglide, when i removed the amsteel ridgeline, i looked to see if there was any abrasion where the line had been cinching down on the hammock…nothing. Everyone is using them, noone has reported abrasion yet. i do not put paracord sheaths over my amsteel, only the dynaglide. If your worried, find a rope with a larger diameter sheath than whatever your using, and sheathe it, problem solved. Or you can jsut double wrap it. IF your REALLY worried you can do also wrap a cusioning fabric around the outside of your bundle before you secure it, then sheathe it, then double wrap it. But that might be a bit excessive! I jsut can justify the biner weight, since the lightest one that is useable is around 23g, the nano 23.

    #1598712
    Lawson Kline
    BPL Member

    @mountainfitter

    Your right I could never break the Amsteel Blue 7/64" cord even with my truck, but I am afraid the cord could cut the much smaller fibers in the cuben… Maybe a tubular webbing would help out in the channel? But why spend the extra time and money to arrive at the same weight???

    #1598713
    obx hiker
    BPL Member

    @obxer

    Hi Lawson,

    On your photos it looks like you have a double length of a soft looking @ 6mm rope? That shouldn't cut or abrade the fabric

    With the smaller amsteel of even smaller dynaglide a sheath might almost certainly be preferable.

    Issac you had a conversation w/ Sgt Rock about using paracord with the central cord removed and the difficulty of getting the dynaglide threaded back through the resulting/remaining sheath. Wasn't that you? I was thinking that a length of like an 8 mm dyneema sling might be easier to "thread".

    And I'll ask again if anyone knows a source of flat rather than tubular dyneema tape/strap? And if it exists is it significantly lighter?

    Also back to the "cuben tree strap" sewn loops would fail and so would glued?

    #1598719
    Ike Mouser
    Member

    @isaac-mouser

    i can rip my nylon hammocks easier than i can my cuben materials.

    The weight will not be the same, adding metal hardware will increase it, when you could just sheath it.

    It was difficult initially, but once i discovered the proper method (use blue plastic needle or capri sun straw) worked in an instant to sheath the dynaglide.

    #1598731
    Ike Mouser
    Member

    @isaac-mouser

    #1598790
    obx hiker
    BPL Member

    @obxer

    Good work Issac!

    I found Sturges but not that page. I've emailed and requested info on the lightest strap they make with dyneema that is @ 1 inch wide.

    We'll see.

    I'm inclined to think a couple of light 2 foot straps might be a good regular set-up as tree huggers if they're light enough with amsteel or dynaglide whoopies/ucr's as a backup if forced to use a larger tree.

    By the way isn't it whoopies as in making whoopie not whoppies as in a tale told about fishing?

    Oh wait; almost everyone of both sexes tends to tell whoppies about whoopie too don't they?

    #1610709
    Christopher Kayler
    Member

    @chriskayler

    Locale: Outside

    Any further insight into some lighter Dyneema tree straps?

    #1610745
    Ike Mouser
    Member

    @isaac-mouser

    I think they tore because of their structure, seem to remember reading that on hammock forums. Polypro are currently the lightest straps, unless you want to make an adjustable one with cut sections of polypro strap and whoppie slings, possibly using a nacrabiner as well.

Viewing 17 posts - 26 through 42 (of 42 total)
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