What's happening Now Gear Blog

The Dope On Rope

4/25/2015

So many ropes, so many uses, so much so that rope can get confusing. Recently I have read and heard from many folks that are getting very confused about the ropes that are available for hammock camping and what they are used for. Over the last few years as new suspension techniques have come about there are getting to be so many choices for different uses, be it hanging your tarp or hanging your hammock, then picking the correct rope for the job has become more and more difficult. I figure its time to work on a comprehensive guide to all the ropes we stock here at Arrowhead Equipment so that you can select the appropriate rope for each hammock camping task.

Let us start with suspension grade lines and work down.

With the advent of constriction based suspensions in 2009 and the advent of the Whoopie sling, Amsteel Blue came to the forefront of many hammock campers' vocabulary. Amsteel Blue, not to be confused with but often abbreviated as it's brother Amsteel is a Single braid rope made from DYNEEMA®...Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). In plain English that means its really strong synthetic fibers braided into a rope. It's splicable to form a whoopie sling that can be used for an adjustable hammock suspension. For hammock suspensions, the 7/64" size is most commonly used and has an average breaking strength of 1600 pounds. Some folks though like a little more overkill and go up the next size to 1/8th inch with a breaking rating of 2500 pounds.

7/64 Amsteel: Available in a 7 colors

The next step in size would be to move down to Dynaglide. Dynaglide is manufactured from the same type of fiber but is woven with 10 strands and the fibers have been pre-stretched to condition them into a tighter weave, the braid is a bit tighter and a polyurethane coating is applied as part of the color treatment to help with high friction tasks. Dynaglide is suitable for suspensions for hangers under 225 pounds with a rating of 1000 pounds and a size of just 1.8mm. Dynaglide is also suitable for other semi suspension tasks like hammock ridge-lines, be them fixed or adjustable. Some folks will also use Dynaglide for tarp lines though it is far and beyond overkill for tasks like this. Dynaglide is available in two colors: Bright Green and Bright Orange.

Moving down from there the next step would be to Lash It and Zing It. These two products though they bear different names are at their core the same beast. Lash It comes in grey color while Zing It is available in Yellow, Red or blue. Beyond that they are identical in construction and use. Both come in two size options, either 2.2mm with a working rating of 600 pounds or 1.75mm with a working rating of 400 pounds. At present the red color of Zing It is only available in the 1.75mm size. These are the work horse rope of hammock camping. The 1.75mm size is probably the most common size used for all tarp suspension systems. From your tarp ridge-line to your guy-lines. The 2.2mm size makes a great line for building hammock ridge-lines, is used in our Bear Bag system, and is a good utility cord for many camp tasks.

From there you get into more varied options. We currently offer a number of other cords that work great for tarp guy-lines and other utilitarian tasks. Our 1/16th" Guy-line cord is made from Polyester, has a tight braid and is very durable for a small rope. Our range of Micro cords give another option in a range of colors and options for those seeking the smallest and lightest cords available anywhere. At just 1.2mm and options that include reflective, glow in the dark and solid colors in a wide range the Micro cord is a very popular option. We also offer 3mm reflective cord that will work with the popular Line Lock 3 line tensioner.

Then of corse there are also ropes and cords that serve other purposes to hammock camping. Shock cord is commonly used in the suspension system for Under Quilts. 3/32nd" is useful for tasks like cinching the ends of an under quilt to close of any air gaps and help to form the quilt around the shape of a hammock. 1/8th" is more commonly used to actually suspend the quilt and snug it to the hammock. Shock cord can also be used to make self tensioning guy-lines.

Not exactly rope but one of the most critical components to hammock camping is your webbing used for tree straps. We stock both 1", 1.5" and 2" polyester webbings that are rated to 1000, 2500, & 3500 pounds respectively for the webbing itself. It's available for DIY by the foot and finished straps made custom to your length needs. Using good straps to protect the tree from damage is extremely important. Dispersing the load over a larger area than using bare rope around the tree can help to insure that the growth layer of the tree is not damaged. Doing so will help to insure that hammock campers are showing they are good stewards of the land, hopefully providing for the continued access and use of trees for all hammock campers to enjoy.

One final note on ropes that are useful for hammock camping. You will notice that all of the ropes listed are made from a material that does not stretch, be it DYNEEMA® fiber or Polyester. Nowhere listed for sale at Arrowhead Equipment will you find Nylon based ropes. They stretch, quite badly when wet. Stretch in your hammock suspension will change everything that you have set over the course of the night. The tarp that is tight will get loose and flap in the breeze. The hammock that is just right and comfortable will droop and end up dragging you on the ground by morning. Climbing webbing and ropes while readily available and perfect for climbing tasks is not a suitable choice for hammocks. 550 Paracord while great for bushcraft and braiding survival bracelets has no and I mean ZERO use to a hammock camper. Which is why you will not find any of those types of rope and cord here.

I hope this guide has been useful to you and helps you to select the proper types of rope for your hammock camping needs. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions about rope and their uses in hammock camping.