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Does anyone have experience making a travel or collapsible hula hoop?
I just found out I will be going to the keys for a week and staying at a private beach house. I have been consistently working out and don't want to have to stop for a week but I also don't want to feel like i'm exercising on vacation. There is no way to take a full size hoop on an airplane. I saw that hoopnotica has them for only 40 dollars but I don't want to support them. Their hoops are overpriced in my opinion. Especially when I can make a better one at home! Now a collapsible one idk if thats doable. Has anyone tried?
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27 Replies
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I make them! They're super easy. You can actually take hoops on planes, I have friends who have, but if you're only taking one a collapsible is easier. So first, are you familiar with making hoops already? If so it'll be super easy to tell you how to do it. 🙂
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Here are the "standard" hoop making instructions, theres a good section on collapsibles at the bottom:
http://www.jasonunbound.com/hoops.html
Here is a forum on the topic (since you can make them in sections Hoopnotica style, or the infinity style) http://www.hooping.org/groups/hoop-making/forum/topic/infinity-style-hoop-instructions/
You can also buy them from places other than Hoopnotica. I know BodyHoops makes them. http://www.bodyhoops.com/Infinity_Travel_Hula_Hoops_s/23.htm TrooHoops: http://www.troohoops.com/products/decorator.php
Here is one from etsy thats $20 plus shipping: http://www.etsy.com/listing/88626769/glimmering-sunshine-collapsible-hoop?ref=sr_gallery_3&sref=&ga_includes%5B0%5D=tags&ga_search_query=infinity+style+hoop&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=
Good luck!
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Oh great! Thanks sparrow! I am familiar! I have the piping and connectors and stuff in my basement. Do you use the figure 8 folding way or the bungee cord way? I did a little research since posting this. I still want to know your process!
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That link combined 🙂
It was supposed to say Body Hoops:
http://www.bodyhoops.com/Infinity_Travel_Hula_Hoops_s/23.htm&
And Troo Hoops lol
http://www.troohoops.com/products/decorator.php
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Thanks for the links Dwiizie! If I fail my attempt at making one I will definitely look into those.
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Yep, I do the figure 8 and it's great and soooo simple. The bungee way always seemed too tricky to me for some reason. Good Luck!!
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They're really easy to make, I'm sure you won't fail. I personally think the infinity style is easier if you're using 3/4 inch tubing. Its basically just 2 connectors instead of one. We wrap the "swivel part" really carefully so it has nice finished edges too. (I was a hooper before I was a poler. I <3 the hoop! So I can get a bit enthusiastic at times hehe)
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I feel like folding it like that would warp it. Does it not? And it doesn’t separate at all? I guess if it separated you could push it back together. I kind of like the idea of the bungee cord way but I do not have a power sander at the moment.
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I feel like folding it like that would warp it. Does it not? And it doesn’t separate at all? I guess if it separated you could push it back together. I kind of like the idea of the bungee cord way but I do not have a power sander at the moment.
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Well, they say use gaff or vinyl on the infinity styles, because prism/mirror/reflecty tapes don't have as much give, so they don't do the twist and untwist as gracefully.
The hoop may need a little "reshaping" if its been folded up for a while, but I've never seen real warping (and if there is a slight wobble, nothing a few hours laying flat in the sun won't fix)
The more prominent issue I see is people kinking the tubing while folding them down, but as long as you're paying attention and not stressing the tubing too much, it should be fine. And no, the "connectors" never come out, the tubing just swivels at the connector. Theres a little animation on that body hoops link of the girl coiling and uncoiling it.
The bungie ones are cool, but I don't like doing pop buttons and multi pieces myself.
As for power tools, you never know who of your friends on Facebook has what you need. A public shout out for a saw, drill, or sander, and you could probably borrow one if you really wanna go that route.
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I haven't found the prism or glitter tapes to kink crinkle on the infinity hoops. The only issue I've had with that is with making mini twins, the tubing is just so small and so is the circle you're taping.
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I've never actually used sparkle tape on them. HoopsieDaisy said this once:
"The gaffer tape handles the repeated twisting the best. All the sparkly tapes I’ve used wrinkled after collapsing the hoop just once. It’s not a huge deal, but it was a bit frustrating because I made sure that the sparkly tape was nice and smooth and then with one twist, it was all wrinkled. It’s not totally wrinkled all over like avocado skin, but just something to be aware of."
I typically trust what she has to say on things, she's been around the hooper world a while, and has yet to lead me astray 🙂
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What about the connectors? I have the regular bluish ones from Home Depot but I read you should use lasco or lasko? Idk brand connectors they’re black and bigger than the ones I have. Sorry for all my questions. I only have enough pipe left to make 1 so I want to do it right 🙂
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What about the connectors? I have the regular bluish ones from Home Depot but I read you should use lasco or lasko? Idk brand connectors they’re black and bigger than the ones I have. Sorry for all my questions. I only have enough pipe left to make 1 so I want to do it right 🙂
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What about the connectors? I have the regular bluish ones from Home Depot but I read you should use lasco or lasko? Idk brand connectors they’re black and bigger than the ones I have. Sorry for all my questions. I only have enough pipe left to make 1 so I want to do it right 🙂
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I got a really inexpensive DIY travel hoop from Tru Hoops and decorated it myself. Not sure how much hoop tubing is to make a travel hoop of your own but you might want to look into their selection if you're looking for a hoop you can break down with connectors. It was fairly inexpensive to buy one of theirs.
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The etsy hoop has sparkle tape. 🙂 I don't know how hoopsie daisy tapes hers–I don't use JUST sparkle, I use that plus electrical plus gaffe and it works really well.
Queenie–the connectors I use are gray and from Lowe's. I don't know the brand. They're the ones in the jason unbound hoop directions.
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I've never had any connectors other than lasco available to me, so I never know about the "options" people encounter there. I think the main "thing" behind saying to use lasco is that they're thought to be more sturdy as far as holding the tubing together, but still able to swivel. Many people sand down the little ridge in the very center for easier swiveling. I never sand my 'lumps" and mine swivel and stay connected just fine. If you just have one length of tubing, you don't have a lot of room for trial and error. You could buy a new roll and sell extras…
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Yeah, I don't know how HoopsieDaisy does it either. Because yes, I've seen many a collapsible with sparkle tape. I just don't want to have someone do an awesome tape job only to have the folding mess it up. I saw one method that used o rings and a bolt system inside a cut in half connector. I've never been able to find the instructions again. They said it swiveled easier than the straight forward way of making them…
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Thanks everyone! I think I’ll try to make one tonight
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Thanks everyone! I think I’ll try to make one tonight
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I have one last question. Do you cut the tape where the connectors are?
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I have one last question. Do you cut the tape where the connectors are?
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Also sorry my phone keeps double posting everything.
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You can slit the tape and use one piece of tape on each side of the connector to make nice finished edges. If you just slit slanty wrapped tape, it will probably peel up at the joints.
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