THE TACO Inflatable Big Wall Hammock! Videos, tutorials and review link in description.

Would this be a good choice for a third person underneath a D4?

mbkwrote:

Would this be a good choice for a third person underneath a D4?

It's a single point hammock so not underneath a portaledge attached to the ledge. Those setups require two point hammocks and generally aren't advisable unless you understand how the stress on the frame changes as multiple people get on and off the ledge

But hangs require you to be inventive. Drop a fixed line from the anchor to below the ledge and set it up anchored to that fixed line? Yup it'd  be great just like any ledge would be great. Climb a few placements into the next pitch and create a gear anchor to use for the 3rd person's ledge? Yup it'd be great just like any ledge would be great. 

In my picture above there wasn't a bolt that was far enough away from the corner to set the ledge up in a convenient spot. So I tensioned our rope between two bolts and then hung the ledge from the tensioned line with a sling to one bolt to keep the ledge from sliding down the rope. It's bigwall, take out your thinking cap and go to town. 

Fail Fallingwrote:

Super comfy night's rest with my Super Taco (just over 2 lbs!) on Squeeze Play last month. Light and small just like me!

looking at the hammock's suspension in this pic is confusing. Specifically the adjustability. Is there only one buckle used for adjustment for the outside suspension straps? Wall side straps look to be wrapped around a 'biner in order to raise it? 

anyone have a better pic of the suspension system and it's adjustability?

jcs 

Fail Fallingwrote:

Super comfy night's rest with my Super Taco (just over 2 lbs!) on Squeeze Play last month. Light and small just like me!

jackscoldsweatwrote:

looking at the hammock's suspension in this pic is confusing. Specifically the adjustability. Is there only one buckle used for adjustment for the outside suspension straps? Wall side straps look to be wrapped around a 'biner in order to raise it? 

anyone have a better pic of the suspension system and it's adjustability?

jcs 

The suspension is similar to the G7 Pod with no adjustability of independent straps. The Taco has a buckle to allow you to raise or lower the air side (or wall side if you flip it) straps as a unit. 

Biner wrap was done to raise one side of straps over the other due to the low hanging anchor point.

The more I think about it, the more I can’t think of a legit reason for chaining inflatable ledges together. Ledge flies do not work in this configuration, or at least not currently! I made the Taco with the intention of hanging another one underneath, but creating another masterpoint in the rope below the first portaledge/Taco is all that is required, and could even be the same rope for your lifeline.  

On the flip side, It just occurred to me that with a small modification of a rigid ledge, you could suspend a Pod/Taco/singlepoint hammock underneath without going from the corners, but through the ledge center with tubular/dyneema and suspending underneath. Probably need to guy out 2 points to keep it from spinning around. The only reason for this configuration is probably expeditions?

Threw together the first prototype fly, it would work OK but not the way Or weight I want it to be. Got all the new dimensions and features, just need to put it together in the burner fabric first. Yes, the cone is sewn directly to the fabric. I have a trick up my sleeve to possibly eliminate the dogbone and inside carabiner.

The redesign estimates about 16-18oz or so in 1.5oz sil nylon, I will have to futz with it.

I decided to make ALL PINK models, hot pink thread, pink webbing, binding tape. They are ridiculous, and I keep selling the ones I make for myself/gf. If you wanted one it would take a little longer to get to be sure I have all the materials to make them.

After making TONS of Tacos, I dragged my complete bigwall novice friend Karl to the Valley to do the Nose. He was an AMGA rock/alpine guide for years, so he’s an experienced climber. I was extremely tired of seeing everyone else use the ledge I make while I haven’t actually used one on a wall. After a 5 minute tutorial, he was able to adjust and set up his Taco perfectly in a few minutes.

The Taco is everything you could want for a route like the Nose. All the tiny ledges are perfect for it, even no ledge bivys like the corners above Stovelegs were pleasant. Camp6 was taken when we got there, but the lower piss-soaked flat spots were palatable since the Tacos hung above all that. The 130lb haul was easy from day 1, spending 5 days on route.

I wonder if you could include fiberglass stiffeners similar to the flat ones you see on a windsurfing sail?  If you had those running the short direction you could use a pad with the baffles running the other way and possible be able to stand on it?  

Isaiah aka Zay Foulks wrote:

130 lbs for 5 days, how much water did u bring?

9 Gallons, we brought no stove, sleeping bag, jacket, two Tacos and some small personal equipment. Critical bit was during the hottest part of the day I turned the Taco as a sun tarp and we took naps, takes a couple minutes to break out and set up. No pad in obviously. Packed wag bags inside a rafting dry bag. Three stubby haul bags. On the way down I strapped the 3rd bag to mine using the lower out line. It was nice to haul 1:1 from the start.
75lb water, 5.5 lbs Taco Ledges, ~6lbs sleeping bags, 2lbs jackets, ~15lbs haul bags, 1lb misc. Inreach, sunscreen, battery, etc. ~13lb food ~2lb lower out line.  I guess it was closer to 115lbs but all the extra rack went in the top bag when we were not using it.

Isaiah aka Zay Foulks wrote:

Dude way to go. Im pretty convinced. Now i just need enough money to justify buying a taco! 2 to 1 hauling sucks

I am allergic to work, but it always seems to find me. I am happy my usual climbing partner has started drinking the Supertaco Kool Aid, so when we do the disaster-style routes at least we aren't carrying a full double ledge around.

Colonel Von Spankerwrote:

I wonder if you could include fiberglass stiffeners similar to the flat ones you see on a windsurfing sail?  If you had those running the short direction you could use a pad with the baffles running the other way and possible be able to stand on it?  

The fact that you can stand on the G7 Pod is amazing. I personally have never been on a route that required standing in between pitches and/or I wear a wall harness, use a belay seat, or stand in ladders, but I can certainly see the utility of doing so for hard free pitches. What the Taco would work for in that scenario is recliner mode, likely the most comfy belay seat possible. You could even tag it up for the leader while you seconded the pitch. But it there's absolutely no ledges anywhere I suspect you are either not bringing a Taco to send 5.12 Bigwalls with no ledges, or you are using the Taco with a massive approach and going totally spartan and standing is not absolutely necessary for success.

 The issue with standing on a Taco is that you are using a sleeping pad, and I wouldn't stand on one. If you want sleeves for fiberglass stays in yours to try I'll make it. Just send me a PM and I will quote you for one.

Kyle

I've never seen one but just wanted to stop in and cheer you on Kyle. Good on you for getting after it and working on design things! Like Middendorf says above, Forrest, who designed some amazing things, never got it so that the hammock didn't scrunch one up to the point of pain. It seemed to start out comfortable enough. Good job if you've solved that issue, and the light weight part is fantastic! 

Keep on keeping on !

High Mountain Gearwrote:

The fact that you can stand on the G7 Pod is amazing. I personally have never been on a route that required standing in between pitches and/or I wear a wall harness, use a belay seat, or stand in ladders, but I can certainly see the utility of doing so for hard free pitches. What the Taco would work for in that scenario is recliner mode, likely the most comfy belay seat possible. You could even tag it up for the leader while you seconded the pitch. But it there's absolutely no ledges anywhere I suspect you are either not bringing a Taco to send 5.12 Bigwalls with no ledges, or you are using the Taco with a massive approach and going totally spartan and standing is not absolutely necessary for success.

 The issue with standing on a Taco is that you are using a sleeping pad, and I wouldn't stand on one. If you want sleeves for fiberglass stays in yours to try I'll make it. Just send me a PM and I will quote you for one.

Kyle

I don't big wall often but when I do...

For me it's more about managing gumby cluster-f's.

Colonel Von Spankerwrote:

I don't big wall often but when I do...

For me it's more about managing gumby cluster-f's.

The team behind us while faster kept having issues with ropes/bag getting stuck, namely pulling the rope after the King Swing and far hauling sideways to Camp 4. We assisted in both with varying levels of fixed lines and swinging on our lines to free them.

Interestingly I half-read Sloan’s beta for the Nose and did something that made sense to me, and in the end it worked way better. Sloan says for the follower to drag the haul line from 16 to 17 to 18, rap down the lead line to 16 and release the bags. What I did was leave the entire rope and bags at 16, climbed to 18, lowered Karl down on the lead line. He attached lead/haul line together, I fixed haul line and weighted the lead line back down to Karl with a #5 cam on a locker using the haul line to tram it back to him. 

All this is sort of moot if you’re staying at Camp 4, which would involve a whole other method of ridiculousness. 

One thing I appreciate about the G7 is that you can take one pod with you as you push for higher ground and want to have a comfy belay at all the hanging belays. For free climbing it's a relatively great hang for 2 people who are working a crux pitch and trading belays, or just resting between tries. I don't see that really being an option on your taco. Am I wrong? 

Fan Ywrote:

One thing I appreciate about the G7 is that you can take one pod with you as you push for higher ground and want to have a comfy belay at all the hanging belays. For free climbing it's a relatively great hang for 2 people who are working a crux pitch and trading belays, or just resting between tries. I don't see that really being an option on your taco. Am I wrong? 

If you want a belay ledge that two people can stand on inbetween trading pitches then you're correct. 

If you want a comfy belay seat for the belayer while the leader is out leading then you're wrong. 

Fail Fallingwrote:

If you want a belay ledge that two people can stand on inbetween trading pitches then you're correct. 

If you want a comfy belay seat for the belayer while the leader is out leading then you're wrong. 

I meant the former. It's not a very useful ledge for free climbing imo if it can't comfortably accommodate 2 people. 

Fan Ywrote:

I meant the former. It's not a very useful ledge for free climbing imo if it can't comfortably accommodate 2 people. 

Most things aren't useful when you want them to do things they aren't built for or marketed to do. This isn't built to act like a rigid frame ledge nor is anyone claiming that it's a replacement for rigid frame ledges in any situation besides biving at the end of the day or chilling in it like a belay seat.