Take Care of Your Gear. Itโll Take Care of You.
Hammocks are simple pieces of gear, but they still deserve regular inspection and sensible care. Fabric, suspension, stitching, hardware, and connection points all experience wear over time.
A quick check before each hang can catch small problems before they become big ones.
Before Every Hang
Give your hammock system a quick inspection before putting your weight in it.
- Inspect the hammock body for cuts, tears, punctures, or unusual thinning.
- Check seams, end channels, and reinforced areas for loose or damaged stitching.
- Inspect tree straps and suspension for abrasion, cuts, glazing, or damaged fibers.
- Check buckles, continuous loops, Amsteel, and other connection points.
- Make sure trees are healthy, solid, and large enough to support the load.
Safe Hanging
A good setup protects both you and the trees.
- Always use tree-friendly webbing straps around live trees.
- Hang only from healthy trees or properly rated structural anchors.
- Keep the hammock reasonably low to the ground.
- Keep the area below and around the hammock clear of rocks, roots, sharp objects, and other hazards.
- Avoid excessively tight suspension angles that place unnecessary force on trees and gear.
- Never exceed the published weight rating of your hammock or suspension system.
Suspension Inspection
Suspension components carry the full load of the hammock system and should receive extra attention.
๐ชข Webbing
Look for cuts, heavy fuzzing, melted or glazed areas, damaged edges, pulled stitching, and abrasion where webbing contacts hardware or trees.
๐ Amsteel
Light surface fuzzing can occur with use, but deep abrasion, cuts, flattened areas, damaged splices, or broken fibers deserve closer attention.
โ๏ธ Hardware
Check buckles, clips, hooks, and other hardware for cracks, deformation, sharp edges, unusual wear, or anything that could damage nearby cordage or webbing.
๐งต Stitching
Inspect bartacks, end channels, loops, and load-bearing seams for broken threads, separation, or fabric damage around the stitches.
Cleaning Your Hammock
Keep It Simple
Most hammock fabrics do not need aggressive cleaning. Dirt, sweat, and trail grime can usually be removed with cool or lukewarm water and a small amount of mild detergent.
Good Practice
- Hand wash or use a gentle machine cycle when appropriate.
- Use mild detergent.
- Remove detachable hardware when practical.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- Air dry completely before storage.
Avoid
- Bleach.
- Fabric softener.
- Harsh stain removers.
- High heat.
- Putting gear away damp or wet.
Storage
โ๏ธ Avoid Long-Term UV Exposure
Ultraviolet light slowly weakens many synthetic fabrics and fibers. Store hammocks and suspension out of direct sunlight when not in use.
๐ง Store It Dry
Make sure gear is completely dry before long-term storage. Damp fabric can develop odor, mildew, staining, and material damage.
๐ฆ Give It a Safe Home
Store gear away from rodents, chemicals, sharp tools, excessive heat, and anything else that could damage fabric or suspension components.
When to Retire or Replace Gear
When in Doubt, Donโt Hang on It
Outdoor gear eventually wears out. If a load-bearing component appears significantly damaged, replace it before using the hammock again.
Replace or repair when you find:
- Tears, cuts, or holes in load-bearing hammock fabric.
- Seam separation or significant broken stitching.
- Deeply abraded or cut webbing.
- Damaged Amsteel or compromised splices.
- Cracked, bent, or damaged suspension hardware.
- Damage you cannot confidently evaluate.
Consumable Components
Suspension pieces often wear faster than the hammock itself. Tree straps, continuous loops, soft shackles, guylines, and other replaceable components should be treated as service items and replaced as needed.
Catching wear early is cheaper than replacing damaged gear after a failure.
A Few Common-Sense Rules
Never hang higher than necessary.
Never use visibly damaged suspension.
Never exceed the rated capacity of your gear.
Never hang over hazards you wouldnโt want to land on.
Inspect unfamiliar or borrowed gear before use.
If something looks wrong, investigate before climbing in.
Not Sure About Something?
If you notice unusual wear or damage and arenโt sure whether a component should still be used, send us a message. Photos are helpful, and weโre happy to take a look.
Contact Us