Thanks for this, I bought a second hand henessy hammock that was modified with continuous loops. After some research I decided to get whoopie slings for suspension, then thought I may have made a mistake because people complain about how much distance you need from trees. This works great as a back up if I can't find trees speaced far enough apart. Just use my tree huggers directly on the hammocks continuous loop. Its so simple it's genius.
Great video Derek! Not long after watching your hammock suspension video (in which you also show the becket hitch) I switched over to using a strap>mule tape>continuous loop suspension which uses the becket hitch Thanks to the new-to-me hitch I was able to drop my suspension weight down to 3.1oz. Thanks for taking the time to make excellent quality videos.
Yeah had to run out on deck and try this as I've been using a marlin spike hitch ( hammock carabiner into slipknot loop) Using diy Home Depot ratchet straps ( the cheap yet nice and thin and strong red ones) for my tree straps and love them This held me great so I'm convinced and Derek you just saved me some weight by getting rid of hammock carabiners Now I will be continuous loop into strap with becket hitch
Falconer's Dictionary of the Marine 1815 edition which predates Ashley by several years defines a bend as the knot by which one rope is fastened to another. He also says that a becket is any thing used to confine loose ropes, tackles,oars or spars in a convenient place: hence, beckets are either large hooks or short pieces of rope with a knot at one end and an eye at the other, or formed like a circular wreath. The term becket is also used for the rope handle of a bucket or a seaman's chest. From the above definition it seems that the loop around the tree can be called a becket and something tied to it is a becket hitch even though the knot shown is exactly the same form as a slipped sheetbend. As the sheetbend is known is some circles as the netting knot and also as a weavers knot the discussion misses the point that the important thing about a knot is how it is used and not what it is called.
I just got done with a two week hang using the Becket Hitch and it never slipped. Pulled out with just a little hesitation. DIY ratchet strap to paracord continuous loop, DIY hammock. ( car camping)
I have been using the becket hitch on my hammock, I have a amsteel continuous loop on my hammock ends, that goes to a tree strap made of a light weight accessory strap for rock climbing, it's like half the width of normal tree straps. so far it has worked to hold up my 210lbs ass. I went this direction to save weight, it allows me to have a long tree strap that is light, that can reach out far if i have trees that are spaced very wide.
Sure the Becket Hitch is very useful for a single attachment point. But now I also want to hang my tarp a bit higher up and hang my backpack of the ground below the hammock. That means 3 slings around the tree and 3 separate Becket Hitch. If I use a long rope/schling high around the tree as only attachment point that's around the tree I can use the Marlin Spike Hitch to tie my tarp high, my hammock lower, my backpack even lower and other gear using that one strap around the tree. I can even make a rope ladder with it. I can use wooden toggles I pick of the ground for all this although I do prefer to use carabiners for the hammock. I also gave the Marlin Spike Hitch a twist as I show in this video making it more secure. ruclips.net/video/zYrLGzTlFFU/видео.html
Hey Derek, I've been considering switching over from whoopies to mule tape but I'm worried that without a break between the mule tape and continuous loop on my hammock I would end up wet in a big storm. Do you think the becket hitch itself will be a suficent water break? If not would you just recommend adding a extra drip line? thanks in advance and happy hanging!
+YoBentley 0 Snarky or serious? Webbing tied to an Amsteel loop, whether it is a Whoopie Sling or continuous loop, will work and hold just fine. No slippage. No worry of hitting the ground. Of course, on the snarky side, _any_ hammock hang has the potential for hitting the ground; it's just a risk inherit to the sport :)
+YoBentley 0 yes, I can see if the strap is very wide (2 in) or thick and inflexible. In my testing, I've used up to 1.5 inch straps and been fine, but there is a lot of variability in material to make at least some safety caveats. :) Mule tape works perfectly.
+Derek Hansen good info. Beckett or Marlin. Can't wait to build my tablecloth hammock and fixings (guided in part by tons of your awesome vids) and try it myself!
Are you saying not to use Amsteel to BH to Amsteel, or that you shouldn't use Amsteel to BH to webbing (or visa versa)? IOW, can one component of the hitch be Amsteel at all, or is this not not compatible with Amsteel at all? Thanks.
+John Pennell An Amsteel loop is fine. I use this all the time. Tying with Amsteel, on the other hand, is tricky and not recommended. It _can_ work on some materials with a Double Becket Hitch, you'll just need to experiment. In my own testing, tying with Amsteel was prone to slippage. For me, one of the combinations I preferred was an Amsteel loop and a long webbing strap. The other combination I use frequently is a webbing loop an a thin sheathed Spectra line.
Goodbye Marlin Spike and toggles! They've served me and my whoopie slings well for the past few years, but the Becket Hitch is even simpler and lighter. I'll be using the whoopie as the loop and the tree strap webbing to tie the hitch with.
Brady Schickinger , don’t really see much advantage of the becket over the marlin, neither has any extra hardware, granted with the marlin you need the toggle but surely that’s a stick off the ground, a tent stake or something else you are already carrying! Horses for courses and whatever you are comfortable with, happy swinging 👍 regards from across the pond
Derek, I've found the initial side is very easy to do this with, but the second side isn't as easy because there is more weight there from the hammock. Any tips on how to best hold the line in place while tying the knot? Maybe I just need to practice this more to perfect it?
Hey Derek, I used the Becket hitch this past weekend while camping at Mammoth Cave National Park. I think I've perfect the "one handed technique" and it held like a champ! This is super awesome! Thanks again for showing me the light.
So why would anyone use anything else besides the becket hitch. Its simple, easy to adjust and the lightest weight option out there (no extra hardware in buckles or toggles)? I guess you'd need some longer straps to increase the distance you could hang between trees but that's the only thing I can think of that is a negative.
Wait.... that will only work if you trust your backpacking Buddies well enough not to pull that line while you're sleeping, sending you crashing to the ground. LOL
A couple points: 1. The hammock should have the loop and the rope attached to the tree, usually by a double wrap around the tree passing through a small figure-8 loop; 2. The single wrap will slip, best to go twice around the rope and then pull through the bite for a quick-release hammock knot.
It can work either way. I've done the Becket Hitch where the hammock has the long suspension line/rope/strap (e.g., Hennessy, Hammock Bliss) and tied the hitch on the webbing strap loop that is against the tree. And while I don't completely discount your observation on the hitch slipping, that is more a function of the material and diameter of rope used. A lot of folks use 7/64" Dyneema/Amsteel cordage for hammock suspension, but that is a very slippery material, and usually un-sheathed. It will slip with a single wrap. Other materials, like sheathed rope or webbing will work fine with a single wrap. However, I encourage everyone to always test their suspension systems thouroughly and become comfortable with the set-up.
lol ok, all this really is, is a slip knot. How ever its so painfully obvious, alot of people dont even think about using it. I just about fell out my chair because i use this knot when im camping but never in a million years thought to use this knot for my hammock.
A becket hitch is tied into an eye splice. (ABOK 1431) This is a slippery, or slipped sheet bend. (ABOK 1437) It's a great knot for this task, but you are misinforming people about its name.
Hmm. I'm not sure. I too am a ABOK fan and understand the nuance, and what I am trying to teach is the fundamentals. Many hammocks come standard with a fixed eye loop on the end. Whether it is spliced or tied or sewn makes no difference. A closed loop will mean a becket hitch instead of a sheet bend.
@@theultimatehang It's not really a nuance, there is clear distinction. A 'becket' is specifically defined as a spliced loop. Therefore to attach to a becket using this hitch creates a becket hitch. If you are not attaching to a becket - which you are not - it is a single sheetbend. In this case, slippery. If you accept ABOK for arbitration, page 316, article 1900 has the definition of the Becket Hitch. I am not trying to be a pedant, but as a teacher of knots, it is very important that everyone uses the same terms. With nearly 32k views, you have misinformed many and some of them may go on to misinform others. Hence the reason for me making my comment. Thanks for responding.
@@johnx9318 Thank you for your support and efforts at education. I believe we are both attempting to educate, and I'm certainly not trying to misinform. I think we may be getting too hung up on the book's highlight of "Eye Splice" rather than the material distinction between a bend (used in a sheet bend) and a closed loop (used in the becket hitch). I had this discussion with other adherents to the ABOK many years ago when I first illustrated this concept, but the argument was the other way around, that what I was calling a _sheet bend_ was more accurately a _Becket Hitch_. Since those original discussions many years ago I have been using Becket Hitch always when tied to a closed/spliced loop rather than a bend. I feel confident that the Becket is the correct usage here, as on p. 262 Ashley clearly defines what a bend is, as opposed to a loop. The _splicing_ aspect is material only insofar as it was the technique to create a secure loop and thus distinguishes it from a bend. I don't know if this answer will end the debate, but I do feel confident in my interpretation of ABOK, and those who have coached me, that I'm using the correct terminology.
@@theultimatehang If we accept Ashley as the authority - and I do - then his definition is absolute that a becket is specifically defined as an eye splice. He leaves no room for interpritation. Therefore; only a hitch connected to a becket can be defined as a becket hitch. Ergo, a hitch tied to a generic loop as you demonstrate in your video is a slippery single sheetbend. You cited references to your coaches as being part of your reason for your conclusion, and fail to see that my criticism was levelled exaclty for the reason when people, including your coaches, teach incorrect terminology, the students of those coaches propogate the misinformation, as in this case. My background is as a Royal Navy sailor, a civillian sailor, and having spent many years teaching cadets, outward-bound adventurers and emergency rescue services personel knots. I have also been employed as an expert rigger to salvage stricken vessels. I am trying to be polite, but I believe that you are wrong.
@@johnx9318 Thanks John, I appreciate your perspective and polite attitude, and I hope there is no ill-will. I really do appreciate feedback and I do endeavor to better understand and improve. In this case, I feel like I'm at an impasse. On one hand, I understand and appreciate your perspective and criticism about the sheet bend and your efforts to correct it. On the other, you represent a single perspective, and while referenced by a resource that is oft cited and beloved by both of us, I'm not yet convinced the narrow definition of "becket" is restricted to how you describe. In all the other supporting literature, beckets are defined as loops, not just the accessory aboard ship. Ashley speaks broadly about the a becket both as a loop (spliced) or as a stand-alone "hook" and loop. My efforts here are to help educate, but not get overly technical for my audience. The other "coaches" I referenced have similar credentials as your own, which is another reason I hesitate to make any significant change without further research and evaluation. I guess what I'm saying is that I am willing to go back to some of these respected authorities that can provide some clarity (are there any living Knot Prophets alive today?) and guidance. But, at some point, this becomes somewhat academic in nature. My greatest hope is that folks are using better techniques to hang a hammock, whether that is a becket hitch or a sheet bend at the end of the day, is less important to me.
Derek, I always get good tips and methods from your videos, no matter how aged they become. Thanks a bunch!
Thanks Jim! I appreciate that.
Thanks for this, I bought a second hand henessy hammock that was modified with continuous loops. After some research I decided to get whoopie slings for suspension, then thought I may have made a mistake because people complain about how much distance you need from trees. This works great as a back up if I can't find trees speaced far enough apart. Just use my tree huggers directly on the hammocks continuous loop. Its so simple it's genius.
I got my hennessy back from a "friend" minus the tree straps but I've a set of daisy chain straps so this will work perfectly. Thanks very much
Did anyone else notice the binder clip used to secure the mic to his shirt? That's awesome stuff right there!
I'm pretty low key :)
Your twice-around version with the smaller line -- send both passes through the loop instead. It's effectively a Double Sheet Bend.
Great video Derek! Not long after watching your hammock suspension video (in which you also show the becket hitch) I switched over to using a strap>mule tape>continuous loop suspension which uses the becket hitch Thanks to the new-to-me hitch I was able to drop my suspension weight down to 3.1oz. Thanks for taking the time to make excellent quality videos.
Yeah had to run out on deck and try this as I've been using a marlin spike hitch ( hammock carabiner into slipknot loop)
Using diy Home Depot ratchet straps ( the cheap yet nice and thin and strong red ones) for my tree straps and love them
This held me great so I'm convinced and Derek you just saved me some weight by getting rid of hammock carabiners
Now I will be continuous loop into strap with becket hitch
Great tip & very instructive video - like your books "The Ultimate Hang" I & II! ATB, Gereon
Thanks!
Great video. Clear, detailed, to the point. Thanks!
Thanks for this! Always looking for the better hammock knot!
Falconer's Dictionary of the Marine 1815 edition which predates Ashley by several years defines a bend as the knot by which one rope is fastened to another. He also says that a becket is any thing used to confine loose ropes, tackles,oars or spars in a convenient place: hence, beckets are either large hooks or short pieces of rope with a knot at one end and an eye at the other, or formed like a circular wreath.
The term becket is also used for the rope handle of a bucket or a seaman's chest.
From the above definition it seems that the loop around the tree can be called a becket and something tied to it is a becket hitch even though the knot shown is exactly the same form as a slipped sheetbend. As the sheetbend is known is some circles as the netting knot and also as a weavers knot the discussion misses the point that the important thing about a knot is how it is used and not what it is called.
Hi Richard - just saw this.
Thank you for taking the time to explain this earlier and wider view of the word 'becket'.
I just got done with a two week hang using the Becket Hitch and it never slipped. Pulled out with just a little hesitation. DIY ratchet strap to paracord continuous loop, DIY hammock. ( car camping)
Oh my gosh, why haven't I been doing this with my Hennessy? Time to fix that...
Much faster than the hennessey lashing
I never liked the knot Hennessey recommends but really like the becket with webbing so I'm glad you showed the becket works as well with rope. Thanks.
Great tip! Thanks a lot for sharing :)
- Martin
Good Video mate such a simple knot, thanks for sharing it
You're welcome!
This is very helpful thanks for much for making this. I am a noob at Hammocking and this is exactly what I needed to see
You're welcome!
I have been using the becket hitch on my hammock, I have a amsteel continuous loop on my hammock ends, that goes to a tree strap made of a light weight accessory strap for rock climbing, it's like half the width of normal tree straps. so far it has worked to hold up my 210lbs ass. I went this direction to save weight, it allows me to have a long tree strap that is light, that can reach out far if i have trees that are spaced very wide.
Fantastic Video! Thanks For Sharing!
That gets an awesome sauce rating
Can't wait to try this. 👍
Love your videos
Sure the Becket Hitch is very useful for a single attachment point. But now I also want to hang my tarp a bit higher up and hang my backpack of the ground below the hammock. That means 3 slings around the tree and 3 separate Becket Hitch.
If I use a long rope/schling high around the tree as only attachment point that's around the tree I can use the Marlin Spike Hitch to tie my tarp high, my hammock lower, my backpack even lower and other gear using that one strap around the tree. I can even make a rope ladder with it.
I can use wooden toggles I pick of the ground for all this although I do prefer to use carabiners for the hammock.
I also gave the Marlin Spike Hitch a twist as I show in this video making it more secure.
ruclips.net/video/zYrLGzTlFFU/видео.html
Hey Derek, I've been considering switching over from whoopies to mule tape but I'm worried that without a break between the mule tape and continuous loop on my hammock I would end up wet in a big storm. Do you think the becket hitch itself will be a suficent water break? If not would you just recommend adding a extra drip line? thanks in advance and happy hanging!
The knot helps a lot but adding a string dripcline after the knot is always a good idea.
So do you think one could tie a tree hugger to the end of a whoopie sling with the becket hitch? Instead of a Marlin spike?
+Chuck Streich Yup. That should work fine. Webbing strap through a whoopie loop should be fine.
+YoBentley 0 Snarky or serious? Webbing tied to an Amsteel loop, whether it is a Whoopie Sling or continuous loop, will work and hold just fine. No slippage. No worry of hitting the ground. Of course, on the snarky side, _any_ hammock hang has the potential for hitting the ground; it's just a risk inherit to the sport :)
+YoBentley 0 yes, I can see if the strap is very wide (2 in) or thick and inflexible. In my testing, I've used up to 1.5 inch straps and been fine, but there is a lot of variability in material to make at least some safety caveats. :) Mule tape works perfectly.
+Derek Hansen good info. Beckett or Marlin. Can't wait to build my tablecloth hammock and fixings (guided in part by tons of your awesome vids) and try it myself!
Ha! I do this all the time. Now I have a name for it :)
Ever try this with Kevlar or any of the fancy Dutch straps (blue, white/black, or white) ?
It works with all of those straps. No issues.
If I have amsteel dyneema on both the tree strap and the hammock, can I just double this and make it nonslippery? Or some kind of similar black magic.
Any strap (including a Dyneema strap) should hold when tying a Becket Hitch to an Amsteel loop, for example. Test first.
Are you saying not to use Amsteel to BH to Amsteel, or that you shouldn't use Amsteel to BH to webbing (or visa versa)? IOW, can one component of the hitch be Amsteel at all, or is this not not compatible with Amsteel at all? Thanks.
+John Pennell An Amsteel loop is fine. I use this all the time. Tying with Amsteel, on the other hand, is tricky and not recommended. It _can_ work on some materials with a Double Becket Hitch, you'll just need to experiment. In my own testing, tying with Amsteel was prone to slippage. For me, one of the combinations I preferred was an Amsteel loop and a long webbing strap. The other combination I use frequently is a webbing loop an a thin sheathed Spectra line.
+Derek Hansen OK got it. Thank you sir! BTW I'm looking forward to the new book!
Goodbye Marlin Spike and toggles! They've served me and my whoopie slings well for the past few years, but the Becket Hitch is even simpler and lighter. I'll be using the whoopie as the loop and the tree strap webbing to tie the hitch with.
Brady Schickinger , don’t really see much advantage of the becket over the marlin, neither has any extra hardware, granted with the marlin you need the toggle but surely that’s a stick off the ground, a tent stake or something else you are already carrying! Horses for courses and whatever you are comfortable with, happy swinging 👍 regards from across the pond
Since my comment two years ago, I’ve gone back to the marlin spike.
Merci beaucoup pour ton truc ! C'est très utile ! 🎩🎩🎩
This is what I wanted to know. Thank you.
Derek, I've found the initial side is very easy to do this with, but the second side isn't as easy because there is more weight there from the hammock. Any tips on how to best hold the line in place while tying the knot? Maybe I just need to practice this more to perfect it?
Practice will help. I usually just pinch a bend in my left hand while I wrap with my right hand. I've done this with loaded hammocks and been okay.
Yep, looks like I need to just keep practicing with one hand. Thanks for the advice!
Hey Derek, I used the Becket hitch this past weekend while camping at Mammoth Cave National Park. I think I've perfect the "one handed technique" and it held like a champ! This is super awesome! Thanks again for showing me the light.
Sweet!
So why would anyone use anything else besides the becket hitch. Its simple, easy to adjust and the lightest weight option out there (no extra hardware in buckles or toggles)? I guess you'd need some longer straps to increase the distance you could hang between trees but that's the only thing I can think of that is a negative.
great tip!...thanks
Awesome
Wait.... that will only work if you trust your backpacking Buddies well enough not to pull that line while you're sleeping, sending you crashing to the ground. LOL
SO TRUE! Actually, I've done that with my scouts before when they wouldn't get out of bed :)
Lol, I have been tying this for years But just hate bragging running end through the bend so many times. . Thanks.
Thanks again
Is this a slippery sheet bend?
4:17
Directly to the knot
Sorry, what are you implying here at this timestamp?
101 a way to make a knot...manual 2016.. For Scouts)
Strap + carabiner = profit. And no knots.
A couple points: 1. The hammock should have the loop and the rope attached to the tree, usually by a double wrap around the tree passing through a small figure-8 loop; 2. The single wrap will slip, best to go twice around the rope and then pull through the bite for a quick-release hammock knot.
It can work either way. I've done the Becket Hitch where the hammock has the long suspension line/rope/strap (e.g., Hennessy, Hammock Bliss) and tied the hitch on the webbing strap loop that is against the tree. And while I don't completely discount your observation on the hitch slipping, that is more a function of the material and diameter of rope used. A lot of folks use 7/64" Dyneema/Amsteel cordage for hammock suspension, but that is a very slippery material, and usually un-sheathed. It will slip with a single wrap. Other materials, like sheathed rope or webbing will work fine with a single wrap. However, I encourage everyone to always test their suspension systems thouroughly and become comfortable with the set-up.
lol ok, all this really is, is a slip knot. How ever its so painfully obvious, alot of people dont even think about using it. I just about fell out my chair because i use this knot when im camping but never in a million years thought to use this knot for my hammock.
A becket hitch is tied into an eye splice. (ABOK 1431)
This is a slippery, or slipped sheet bend. (ABOK 1437)
It's a great knot for this task, but you are misinforming people about its name.
Hmm. I'm not sure. I too am a ABOK fan and understand the nuance, and what I am trying to teach is the fundamentals. Many hammocks come standard with a fixed eye loop on the end. Whether it is spliced or tied or sewn makes no difference. A closed loop will mean a becket hitch instead of a sheet bend.
@@theultimatehang It's not really a nuance, there is clear distinction. A 'becket' is specifically defined as a spliced loop.
Therefore to attach to a becket using this hitch creates a becket hitch.
If you are not attaching to a becket - which you are not - it is a single sheetbend. In this case, slippery.
If you accept ABOK for arbitration, page 316, article 1900 has the definition of the Becket Hitch.
I am not trying to be a pedant, but as a teacher of knots, it is very important that everyone uses the same terms.
With nearly 32k views, you have misinformed many and some of them may go on to misinform others.
Hence the reason for me making my comment.
Thanks for responding.
@@johnx9318 Thank you for your support and efforts at education. I believe we are both attempting to educate, and I'm certainly not trying to misinform. I think we may be getting too hung up on the book's highlight of "Eye Splice" rather than the material distinction between a bend (used in a sheet bend) and a closed loop (used in the becket hitch). I had this discussion with other adherents to the ABOK many years ago when I first illustrated this concept, but the argument was the other way around, that what I was calling a _sheet bend_ was more accurately a _Becket Hitch_. Since those original discussions many years ago I have been using Becket Hitch always when tied to a closed/spliced loop rather than a bend. I feel confident that the Becket is the correct usage here, as on p. 262 Ashley clearly defines what a bend is, as opposed to a loop. The _splicing_ aspect is material only insofar as it was the technique to create a secure loop and thus distinguishes it from a bend.
I don't know if this answer will end the debate, but I do feel confident in my interpretation of ABOK, and those who have coached me, that I'm using the correct terminology.
@@theultimatehang If we accept Ashley as the authority - and I do - then his definition is absolute that a becket is specifically defined as an eye splice.
He leaves no room for interpritation.
Therefore; only a hitch connected to a becket can be defined as a becket hitch.
Ergo, a hitch tied to a generic loop as you demonstrate in your video is a slippery single sheetbend.
You cited references to your coaches as being part of your reason for your conclusion, and fail to see that my criticism was levelled exaclty for the reason when people, including your coaches, teach incorrect terminology, the students of those coaches propogate the misinformation, as in this case.
My background is as a Royal Navy sailor, a civillian sailor, and having spent many years teaching cadets, outward-bound adventurers and emergency rescue services personel knots.
I have also been employed as an expert rigger to salvage stricken vessels.
I am trying to be polite, but I believe that you are wrong.
@@johnx9318 Thanks John, I appreciate your perspective and polite attitude, and I hope there is no ill-will. I really do appreciate feedback and I do endeavor to better understand and improve. In this case, I feel like I'm at an impasse. On one hand, I understand and appreciate your perspective and criticism about the sheet bend and your efforts to correct it. On the other, you represent a single perspective, and while referenced by a resource that is oft cited and beloved by both of us, I'm not yet convinced the narrow definition of "becket" is restricted to how you describe. In all the other supporting literature, beckets are defined as loops, not just the accessory aboard ship. Ashley speaks broadly about the a becket both as a loop (spliced) or as a stand-alone "hook" and loop. My efforts here are to help educate, but not get overly technical for my audience. The other "coaches" I referenced have similar credentials as your own, which is another reason I hesitate to make any significant change without further research and evaluation. I guess what I'm saying is that I am willing to go back to some of these respected authorities that can provide some clarity (are there any living Knot Prophets alive today?) and guidance. But, at some point, this becomes somewhat academic in nature. My greatest hope is that folks are using better techniques to hang a hammock, whether that is a becket hitch or a sheet bend at the end of the day, is less important to me.