Best Hammock Strips
Christal Rasband
Any exposed portion of your tarp or hammock suspension can convey water during a rain storm (or other precipitation). Using a water break or drip line will help prevent water from seeping down your suspension line and soaking your hammock.
In my testing, I found that most hardware devices are not 100% effective as I had originally thought. I was a little disappointed to find that some hardware devices were only good in certain conditions, and if there was a slight twist, even small amounts of water flow easily past the water break and continue down the suspension.
The only thing that worked 99.9% of the time was a simple string tied to the suspension. The best method was to tie a Prusik or Klemheist knot, which provided a firm connection to the suspension and helped divert the water the best. My recommendation is to add a simple string to your suspension, regardless of what suspension system you use.
If you use a continuous ridge line to tie up your tarp, you have the option of running the line over or under the tarp. In times past, I have recommended running the line under the tarp in certain adverse conditions. I now do not recommend this at all. I highly recommend always running a continuous ridge line over the tarp for the best drip protection, among other advantages.
Last year during a very wet and rainy camping trip, I awoke with a start after feeling a drip of cold water on my face. Feeling around in the dark, I also felt pools of water on my sleeping bag. Camping with the Boy Scouts, I half expected to see my scouts trying to play a prank, but I was stunned to see a large quantity of water forming under my tarp that was dripping constantly on my sleeping gear.
At first, I worried my tarp had a leak, but after inspecting the tarp, I found that water was running down the tarp ridge line and then flowing under the tarp, adhering to the ridge line that was also running under the tarp. Unwittingly, I had provided a conveyance for the water, and as it hit certain low points on the tarp, it would cohere and then drip down the inner part of the tarp.
Thankfully, the water break on my hammock suspension did its job, but I realized that I also needed to do something similar with my tarp. By running my continuous ridge lines over my tarp, I have solved nearly all those issues. I also prefer to use simple hardware devices such as the LoopAlien or the Dutchware Stingers that provide a hardware water break as well.
I live in a similar climate. The monsoon season in Arizona is pretty predictable. Still, getting caught in a deluge can really batter your gear. It was fun to do all the testing, challenging even my own preconceived notions.
Derek:
Still not fond of your method. There are 2 reasons why I use a full ridge line UNDER a tarp: First, is to be able to have better control of the center height of the tarp while hung. Secondly, and what I consider most importantly, is to take the tension off the tarp grommets so that the tarp will not tear in heavy wind or rain. Your set-up puts all the tension on the grommets.
Let me know what you think.
I still have some more testing to do on straps. They provide so much surface area when used as suspension lines that the carry a significant concern. If you use a hardware break, such as the descender rings or tri-glides, they will provide some protection and then add a drip line after that for more complete protection.
I tend to tie off the loose end of the woopieslings with an overhand knot between the hammock and the bury. Havent been in heavy rain but this gives two spots where the water can follow the low path, once where the line comes out from the bury and hangs downwards and once where that loose end is tied to the cord that connects towards the hammock. Hope thats understandable. ?
Andrew, thanks for the question. Yes, I am working on an update to the book. It is pretty significant and is taking a lot of time. Lots more illustrations, more content, more details, more, more, more. The publication plan is the end of 2014.
Derek, I had a thought about drip lines. What about using a LoopAlien? My current configuration is a continuous loop with strap an Becket Hitch. I am envisioning making a bit with the continuous loop and going through the large eye of the LoopAlien and over the medium peg. My LoopAliens have not arrived yet, so I cannot try it.
I attached 4 strips on either side to the ceiling, making a loop at the bottom. I then used some clothes line and 2 carabiners to attach the hammock. The whole setup can hold my 200 lb friend (he fell asleep for 4 hrs in it). Under that stress each strip is holding around 25 lbs (assuming the weight was equally distributed, which I did my best to do).
Congratulations! You are in, and just received your roommate and dorm room assignment. Living in the quad at Clarkson University is a great place to meet other first-year students new to the campus and college living just like you! The Quad is comprised of four residence hall buildings that are all connected. Whether you are in Ross, Brooks, Cubley, or Reynolds, you will have the same room layout on the first three floors with the top floor of these buildings being a bit different.
Before you begin to think about decorating your dorm, you need to understand what you already have in your room. The last thing you would want to do is bring a big work desk, only to find out you already have one in your dorm. The Quad features double rooms, meaning you will share with your roommate. Each person per room is provided with a bed with the ability to loft, a desk, a chair, some built-in shelving, a closet, and a wardrobe with a mirror above.
Now that you know what is provided, you can better understand what you need to bring to fit your needs. For myself, I found that I needed to bring extra storage for all my clothes, along with a table to put my microwave on.
The next step is to connect with your roommate! You can do this by reaching out to them through their email. You can find this on your MyCU homepage under student housing. Reaching out to your roommate is a great way to divide up who brings the fridge, microwave, TV, and coffee maker. This is also a great time to figure out a theme for your room if you wish. My roommate and I decided on a color scheme of pink, white, and grey so that our room would look cohesive.
A great way to get to know your roommate and help figure out your room design is to create a collaborative Pinterest board. This way your roommate can show you things they like and you can do the same. Pinterest is filled with great decorative and organizational tips. Pinterest also has great examples of packing lists that you can use to formulate your own.
With a list of what you need to bring and what your roommate is bringing, you can begin shopping. I suggest making a master list of everything you want to bring, but before you go packing your candles and air fryers, make sure you read up on what to bring and what not to bring as provided by the office of residence life. Triple check that you are not bringing anything that is a fire risk as you could be fined.
The first thing someone sees when going to your dorm is the door. The best purchase I made for my dorm decorations was a small whiteboard that was attached to the outside of our door. During the first week of classes, my roommate and I would make surveys and polls on our whiteboard, this encouraged us to meet and interact with other students in our building. We found that all the people walking by would interact with the whiteboard but also with us, and this was a great way to make friends and learn more about our floor mates.
We affixed our whiteboard to the door using command hanging strips. This provided a strong hold without the fear of damaging the door. We also used the backside of the door to hang up a full-length mirror and a few organizational command hooks to keep our keys on.
Command wall hanging strips are perfect to hang up all your posters, signs, tapestries, and other decorations. I used Command hanging strips to hang up my picture board. This board was a great place to pin up pictures of my family and friends, and also different campus event posters.
The quad dorm walls are cement meaning that regular tape and tacks will not work to hang posters or pictures. There is a strip of blue cork board along each wall just above the side of the bed which works perfectly to pin whatever you like along it. If blue is not your color, I have seen people who cover their boards in the fabric that matches the color scheme of their room.
Lighting is also a very important thing to take into consideration. The dorm comes with one overhead light and a window that provides a lot of natural light. In addition to these, I had a desk lamp that had USB ports on top of it. The lamp was great for when I wanted to study late at night but did not want to keep my roommate up with a bright light. We also purchased LED light strips that we wrapped around the window. This was great at night to add some color to the room. LED lights are allowed in the rooms but must not be above the doorway, attached to the ceiling, or next to combustible materials. Before adding any decorations be sure to double-check the fire code rules.
One thing that my roommate and I always got compliments on was how nice our beds looked. In addition to the mattress that comes with the room, I added a mattress cover, and topper to make the bed extra comfortable. My comforter was a plain color that matched the rest of the room, and on top of that, I added a few throw pillows that added pops of contrasting colors, textures, and patterns. One pillow I really suggest bringing is a bedrest pillow. Bed rest pillows are perfect for doing homework while sitting in bed or just relaxing.
If you are like me and like to have your phone near me at all times, the USB lamp I mentioned previously is great for when you are in bed and need to change your phone. My desk was next to my bed and the charger was the perfect length to go from the desk to the bed.
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