sleeping in hammocks

[O2BBubbleFree]

I was right! According to Wikipedia, hammocks were popular because of their ability to provide safety. By being suspended, sleepers were better protected from snakes and other harmful creatures. It also allowed people to avoid water, dirt, and other unsanitary conditions that existed in the early New World.

And they still are:

Here's some useful info on modern 'jungle' hammocks.

I imagine that also applied to ships which were rife with rats in the old days. Plus hammocks were very light and wouldn't cause weight issues that built in bunks might create.

I agree with the rats, but not the weight issue. At least with wooden ships. They had tons (literally) of rock ballast in the bottom. If built-in beds added weight, they would have just left out the ballast.

I think on ships it was more of a space / rocking issue, like someone mentioned above.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Wrong. If tie sloppy, it will slip and it will KILL you. Even in a hammock

Buy some 9/16" climbing webbing and use it to tie your hammcok up. Use the water knot.

Go to grog knots.com and it'll teach you all about knots. Its a animated site, so even the simple minded folks such as myself can pick up these knots.....

If you can learn to tie a water knot, you can learn to tie a bowline.

Actually, JahJah mentioned that he might use chain so that he could slip it on and off a hook. In that instance either a bowline or a figure-eight-on-a-bight would be good. I'd go with the figure-eight, just because it's easier to untie.

Point is that all knots have their purpose, and any can be tied 'sloppy.' Choose the knot according to the need, and tie it right.

 

[northen diver]

If you can learn to tie a water knot, you can learn to tie a bowline.

Actually, JahJah mentioned that he might use chain so that he could slip it on and off a hook. In that instance either a bowline or a figure-eight-on-a-bight would be good. I'd go with the figure-eight, just because it's easier to untie.

Point is that all knots have their purpose, and any can be tied 'sloppy.' Choose the knot according to the need, and tie it right.

Wrong:14:


1. It is harder to verify that a bowline is correctly tied than it is to verify that a figure 8 is correctly tied.

2. Thebowline is more susceptible to coming loose than the figure 8.

3. Thebowline can come undone if the loop is loaded in a pair of opposite directions off the axis defined by the standing part of the rope (for instance if you clipped a sling from an anchor to the loop.)

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Oh for pete's sake.

Wrong:14:


1. It is harder to verify that a bowline is correctly tied than it is to verify that a figure 8 is correctly tied.

2. Thebowline is more susceptible to coming loose than the figure 8.

3. Thebowline can come undone if the loop is loaded in a pair of opposite directions off the axis defined by the standing part of the rope (for instance if you clipped a sling from an anchor to the loop.)

1. Not if you take the time to know your knots.

2. Not if tied and used properly.

3. And, don't forget, cinches down if both the free end is loaded, making it very difficult to untie. If there is any possibility of the free end becoming loaded in such a manner, then I highly recommend a butterfly knot. As a matter of fact, in high-angle situations, I believe a butterfly knot should always be used when needing a fixed bight anywhere in the rope away from the ends. It's too easy for an unforeseen situation to tempt you to load the free end, or, as you pointed out, load the loop in a second direction.

In my opinion, your original recommendation that the OP buy climbing webbing, and learn a special knot to tie it, is absurd. The water knot is pretty much unique to climbers, because it's about the only knot that will hold in webbing, and still be easy to untie. If JahJah were a climber, he would already know how to tie it. If not, I suggest he learn a knot with more applications.

And, it's www.animatedknots.com, not grog knots.com.

He's hanging a hammock in a dorm room, for pete's sake. Not a porta-ledge on a monster wall.

JahJah, take the end of your cord (any old cord you have laying around, as long as it will support your weight, or buy some cheap clothesline), double the end back about a foot, and tie an overhand knot in the doubled cord. Simple, cheap, and will hold your butt off the floor for as long as you want to use it. You won't be able to untie it, but who cares? When you're done with it, cut it off and throw it away.

 

[Bubble Junky]

Wrong. If tie sloppy, it will slip and it will KILL you. Even in a hammock

I did say 'should' never slip ! If tied correctly, there's nothing wrong with a bowline. I use a bowline on mine and it didn't slip during the seven months I had my hammock up last dive season, and it was used extensively ie. everyday, and I ain't small.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Well, I should probably learn these knots, as climbing is something I would like to get into one day.

For our senior play, as Technical Director, I planned a little surprise for curtain call. We hung four eye hooks in the ceiling and made simple harnesses out of a loop of rope and a locking carabiner. As the other actors were coming out for their bows in front of the curtain, four of us techies climbed quickly up ladders, cliped the rope into the carabiner, got as high as we couldand had another techie take the ladder. When it was time for the techies to come out, the curtain was opened as four of us rappeled from the ceiling. It was pretty fun. And at college, there is a large climbing tower that I hope to use alot. I have done gym climbing in the past and it's fun if you do it often enough that you get the muscles in shape

But yes, I am hanging in a hammock, not off of a cliff, upside down, in 60 mph winds, and it's so far below 0 that my fingers all froze and fell off.

 

[Bubble Junky]

It is harder to verify that a bowline is correctly tied

It's easy - just look for the 'toilet-seat'.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Well, I should probably learn these knots, as climbing is something I would like to get into one day.

I recommend you start with the figure-8 family (basic, follow-through, etc.) and double fisherman's for cord and rope, and the water knot for webbing. Then the specialties like the prussik, etc. Learning how to tie a butterfly knot is tricky, but should probably be mastered at some point (for the reasons I stated above).

If you are going to learn the figure-8 family, then a figure-8 on a bight can be used anywhere a bowline can, so learning a bowline would be low on my priorites. Especially if you master the butterfly.

But that's just my $.02 as a former member of a Colorado high-angle rescue team (and knots and hitches counselor at Boy Scout camp a million years ago).

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

If you want to impress your nautical friends, tie it off with an eye splice. If you want to impress your engineering friends, tie it off with a trucker's hitch. If you want to impress the girls, tie it off with the overhand I recommended above, then cover it with a turk's head or monkey fist. Oh, and if you want to impress your climber friends, tie it off with a butterfly.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

For the moment, I tie alot of half hitches Thats pretty much th eonly knot Iknow, so it's the only one I use. 15 half hitches held me up the other night......

....but I'll still go learn those knots