What is the purpose of a hammock ridgeline? A structural hammock ridgeline runs between the two ends of your hammock and helps you achieve the same comfortable amount of sag every time you set up. A separate tree-to-tree ridgeline can also support a waterproof rainfly, bug netting, lights, organizers and other lightweight camping gear.
Adding a ridgeline to your hammock setup can make your nights more comfortable and your setup far more consistent. Once you’ve found the sag you like, a structural ridgeline removes much of the guesswork every time you hang the hammock between a new pair of trees.
The confusing part is that hammock campers use the word “ridgeline” for several different cords. In this guide, I’ll explain the difference between a structural hammock ridgeline and a tree-to-tree tarp ridgeline, what each one does, how long they should be and what cord works best.
What Is a Hammock Ridgeline?
A hammock ridgeline is a length of cord used above or along a hammock setup, but there are two main types and they do different jobs.
A structural ridgeline connects the two ends of the hammock itself. It limits how far apart those ends can spread, which gives the hammock a consistent sag even when the trees are different distances apart.
A tarp or continuous ridgeline runs between the trees above the hammock. This gives you somewhere to attach or drape a rainfly, hang bug netting and suspend lightweight equipment.
The two are often discussed as though they’re the same thing, but keeping them separate makes the whole subject much easier to understand.
What Are Hammock Ridgelines Used For?
A ridgeline can make a hammock setup easier, more comfortable and more organized. These are the main reasons I use one.
Consistent Hammock Sag
If your hammock is pulled too tight, it becomes difficult to lie diagonally and you can end up curled into the classic banana position. A structural ridgeline limits how far apart the hammock ends can spread and helps reproduce the amount of sag that feels comfortable to you.
For gathered-end hammocks, around 83% of the hammock body length is a popular starting point rather than a magic number. Our guide to hammock ridgeline length goes into this in more detail.
Hanging a Rainfly or Tarp
A separate ridgeline tied between the trees can be used to support a rainfly or camping tarp. You can hang the tarp from the line, drape it over the top or suspend it beneath the line depending on the tarp and hardware you use.
Once the ridgeline is in place, adjusting the tarp becomes much easier. You can pitch it high and open in good weather or bring it much lower around the hammock when wind and rain arrive.
Attaching Bug Netting
If your hammock has bug netting, a ridgeline often keeps that mesh lifted away from your face. Separate bug nets can also be suspended from a line above the hammock.
Some integrated hammocks use their structural ridgeline for the net while separate nets may work better with their own suspension. The exact setup depends on the hammock design.
Supporting the Shape of the Hammock
This is where the terminology can get confusing. A structural ridgeline does not replace your normal tree straps and hammock suspension; it connects the two hammock ends and controls their maximum separation.
Your body weight is still carried through the hammock suspension and tree straps. I would not recommend stringing a single cord tightly between two trees and then hanging your hammock body from the middle of it as your normal suspension system.
Hanging a Headlamp at Night
Hammock ridgeline organizers are one of those little accessories you don’t realize you need until you’ve used one. They give you somewhere to keep a phone, head torch, glasses and other small items without them disappearing underneath you in the hammock.
A headlamp can also hang directly from the ridgeline and make a surprisingly good overhead light. Just make sure whatever you hang above your face isn’t heavy or sharp enough to give you a nasty surprise if it falls off.
What Cord Do I Need for a Hammock Ridgeline?
The right cord depends on what the ridgeline is actually doing. A tarp line only needs to support and tension lightweight fabric, while a structural hammock ridgeline needs to tolerate much greater tension without stretching significantly.
Weight and pack size matter too, especially for backpacking. Most modern hammock cords use synthetic fibers because they are lightweight, weather-resistant and much stronger for their diameter than traditional natural rope.
UHMWPE / Dyneema
UHMWPE stands for ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, not polyester. You will often see fibres from this family sold under names such as Dyneema and Spectra.
UHMWPE cord is extremely strong for its weight and has very little stretch, which makes it excellent for structural ridgelines. Small-diameter splicable cords based on these fibers are extremely popular with lightweight hammock campers.
Wide UHMWPE webbing can be incredibly strong too, but don’t confuse a structural ridgeline with the wide straps wrapped around the trees. Tree straps should spread the hammock load across a broad area of bark, while the structural ridgeline itself can be a much thinner cord between the hammock ends.
Paracord
Paracord is the go-to cord for countless camping and bushcraft jobs. It is inexpensive, easy to find and comes in a wide range of thicknesses and strengths.
For hanging lightweight items or improvised tarp setups, paracord can work perfectly well. Its main disadvantage for a precision structural ridgeline is that nylon stretches noticeably under load, so the length and sag can change compared with a low-stretch UHMWPE line.
I therefore wouldn’t make ordinary 550 paracord my first choice for a permanent structural hammock ridgeline. It is an incredibly useful cord to have around camp, but there are lighter, lower-stretch options better suited to that particular job.
If you’re interested in heavy-duty survival-style paracord, we have also tested TITAN SurvivorCord.
Standard Rope
Your tarp ridgeline doesn’t have to be made from exotic ultralight cord. Ordinary rope can work if it is strong enough, doesn’t stretch excessively and isn’t so bulky that it becomes annoying to carry.
I wouldn’t choose rope based on diameter alone because two 8 mm ropes can have completely different strengths and constructions. Check the manufacturer’s load specifications and intended use rather than assuming thick automatically means strong.
Cheap hardware-store rope is often perfectly adequate for car camping, but lightweight backpackers can save a surprising amount of bulk by using purpose-made camping cord.
Climbing Rope
Climbing rope is enormously overbuilt for an ordinary tarp ridgeline and far heavier than you need. If you already have climbing rope at camp, you can obviously use a length for general rigging, but I would never carry a full climbing rope purely to hang a hammock tarp.
Dynamic climbing ropes are also deliberately designed to stretch under load, which is useful when catching a climbing fall but not especially useful when you’re trying to maintain a fixed hammock sag. Purpose-made hammock cord is considerably lighter and simpler.
How Long Should a Ridgeline Be for a Hammock?
The length depends on whether you’re talking about a structural ridgeline or a tarp ridgeline. These are two completely different measurements.
Structural Ridgeline Length
A common starting point for a gathered-end hammock is a structural ridgeline around 83% of the hammock body length. For an 11-foot hammock, for example, that works out at roughly 9.1 feet.
The 83% figure is a starting point, not a commandment carved into a tree. Shortening the ridgeline creates more sag, while lengthening it allows the hammock to hang flatter and tighter, so experimenting with an adjustable ridgeline is a good way to find your own sweet spot.
Tarp Ridgeline Length
A tree-to-tree tarp ridgeline needs to be substantially longer than the tarp itself because you need enough cord to reach around the trees and tension the line. I would rather carry a few extra feet than discover the line is six inches too short when I’ve finally found the perfect pair of trees.
Tree diameter and spacing vary enormously, so there is no single perfect number. A longer ridgeline can always be shortened or wrapped around a tree; a short one can’t magically grow.
How Tight Should a Hammock Ridgeline Be?
A structural hammock ridgeline should not simply be pulled “as tight as possible.” It should establish the desired hammock length and become reasonably taut when the hammock is loaded, but there is no prize for tensioning it like a guitar string.
A useful rule of thumb is that when you’re lying in the hammock, you should still be able to deflect or bend the ridgeline slightly with your fingers. If it feels incredibly tight, your main suspension may be hung too flat and creating excessive forces.
A tarp ridgeline needs enough tension to prevent the shelter sagging and flapping, but again, tighter is not automatically better. Over-tensioning can put unnecessary strain on fabric tie-outs, cord and trees.
If the weather is rough, concentrate on a secure low-profile pitch, sensible orientation and good anchors. Our guide to camping in strong wind has more advice on dealing with exposed conditions.
Image Credit: Davis Drazdovskis headoutdoors.net
How Do You Hang a Hammock Ridgeline?
The method depends entirely on which type of ridgeline you’re installing. A tarp ridgeline is tied tree-to-tree, while a structural ridgeline attaches directly between the ends of the hammock.
Tree-to-Tree Tarp Ridgeline
There are countless ways to attach a line between two trees, but a simple knot-based system works perfectly well:
- Check that your ridgeline comfortably spans the two trees with enough cord left for wrapping and tying.
- Attach one end around the first tree using a suitable secure knot such as a bowline or your preferred ridgeline hardware.
- Run the line across to the second tree.
- Wrap the free end around the second tree.
- Use a tensioning knot or mechanical advantage to pull the line reasonably taut.
- Secure the free end with suitable finishing hitches.
If you’re attaching directly around live trees, avoid thin cord under heavy loads that can cut into the bark. For hammock suspension itself, use proper wide tree straps rather than wrapping thin rope around the trunk.
Trees are convenient but they aren’t the only anchors. Depending on where camping is allowed, solid posts, vehicle attachment points and secure rock features can sometimes work for the tarp line too.
End-to-End Structural Ridgeline
A structural ridgeline attaches to the two suspension points at the ends of the hammock. It can be fixed at one predetermined length or made adjustable so you can experiment with different levels of sag.
An adjustable version is particularly useful when you’re first setting up a hammock. Start around 83% of the hammock body length, sleep in it, then shorten or lengthen the line slightly until you find the position that feels best.
Depending on your suspension hardware, fixed loops, soft shackles or appropriate knots may be used to connect the line. A clove hitch can be useful in many camping rigging jobs, although I prefer a purpose-designed adjustable ridgeline for something I plan to use repeatedly.
You can also use sliding friction knots such as a Prusik loop for attaching and adjusting lightweight accessories along a separate ridgeline.
Can You Hang a Hammock Directly From a Tree-to-Tree Ridgeline?
You will occasionally see improvised systems where a heavy rope is stretched horizontally between two anchors and the hammock is then hung from points on that rope. I would not recommend this as a normal hammock camping setup.
The problem is geometry. A nearly horizontal line can experience very high tension when weight is suspended from the middle, and pulling the line tighter does not magically make the system safer.
Your normal hammock suspension should run independently from the hammock ends to properly rated tree straps or anchors. The structural ridgeline then controls hammock sag without acting as the primary tree-to-tree support for your body weight.
If you’re learning knots, the alpine butterfly is still an extremely useful knot because it creates a strong loop in the middle of a rope and can handle load from several directions. It just isn’t a reason to reinvent a perfectly good hammock suspension system.
Image Credit Davis Drazdovskis headoutdoors.net
Is a Hammock Ridgeline Necessary?
No, you can hang a hammock perfectly well without a structural ridgeline. If you consistently achieve a comfortable hang by adjusting the tree straps and suspension angle, there is nothing fundamentally missing from the hammock.
A structural ridgeline simply makes that comfortable amount of sag much easier to reproduce. Once you’ve found the position you like, the line acts almost like a preset measurement every time you move to a new campsite.
A tarp ridgeline isn’t mandatory either because many hammock tarps can be suspended using separate cords from each end. A continuous ridgeline is simply a very convenient way of positioning and tensioning the shelter above you.
A suspension angle of around 30 degrees is a commonly used starting point for gathered-end hammocks. Combine that with a sensible structural ridgeline and a diagonal sleeping position and you can get remarkably flat and comfortable.
Can You Hang Stuff on a Hammock Ridgeline?
Absolutely. Hanging lightweight equipment is one of my favourite uses for the ridgeline because there isn’t exactly much bedside furniture inside a hammock.
A head torch, organizer, glasses, socks and lightweight clothing can all live above you rather than disappearing underneath your sleeping bag. Wet clothes can also be hung farther along a separate tarp ridgeline where they aren’t dripping directly onto your face.
I wouldn’t hang a heavy backpack or boots from a lightweight structural ridgeline above me. Keep heavy equipment on the ground, suspended separately or attached to a purpose-built gear sling rather than loading up the line that determines your hammock sag.
Structural Ridgeline Vs Tarp Ridgeline
The easiest way to remember the difference is that the structural ridgeline belongs to the hammock, while the tarp ridgeline belongs to the shelter above it.
The structural line is relatively short, normally running directly from hammock end to hammock end. The tarp ridgeline is much longer because it needs to span between trees and usually extends beyond the length of the hammock.
You can use both at exactly the same time, and that’s probably the setup most people picture when talking about a fully equipped hammock camp.
Final Thoughts
A hammock ridgeline is one of the simplest additions you can make to a hammock setup, but it can have a surprisingly big effect. A structural ridgeline gives you consistent sag, while a separate tree-to-tree line makes pitching and adjusting your tarp much easier.
For a gathered-end hammock, I would start with a structural ridgeline at roughly 83% of the hammock body length and adjust from there until it feels right. For the tarp, use enough low-stretch cord to comfortably span your normal tree spacing with plenty left over for wrapping and tensioning.
Once you’ve got the setup dialed in, the ridgeline also becomes your overhead storage rail, headlamp holder and bug-net support. Not bad for something that weighs little more than a length of string.
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