Hammock Stand Suggestions

[headchange4u]

I like Warbonnet's hammock stand

I'm gonna be building one of those before to long.

[HandsomeRyan]

That hammock stand is nice but bulky. I designed and am in the process of testing a simple, cheap design.

I expect it to cost less than $30 and will require only a drill to manufacture with pieces from your local hardware store.

My design is for use when you have one tree/post you can tie to but need to tie off the other end of the hammock. although i guess you could build 2 of them and use one at each end?

i'll try to add some pictures when i get done building my 2nd prototype but until then heres some details:

Tools needed:

power drill with 3/8" bit
possibly hammer or screwdriver

Parts List:

2 2x4's 8' length
1 large 6" threaded eye bolt (rated to at least 200lbs, more is better)
2 washers for eye bolt (i like to put washers on both sides of the wood)
2 large "ceiling hooks" (like eye bolts but screw into wood instead of needing nuts/washers)
3' metal chain with links big enough that the hooks above can go through the holes in them.
10-15' steel cable with at least 150lb work load (i think i used 1/8")
4 cable clamps in correct size for cable you picked
1 heavy duty dog tie out (looks like a giant wine cork screw)

To put the unit together-

measure both 2x4's and drill a 3/8" hole @ 7ft (or 1ft depending on which end you measured from)
add a nut and a washer to the eye bolt, stick it through both 2x4's and then add another washer and nut.

stand the wood up and insert the hooks/chain so you have an A with the wood being the verticles and the chain going horisontally across to keep the legs from spreading any farther. the hooks allow you to adjust how far the legs spread.

with the A frame complete- take your cable and make a loop around the crossed section of the wood. add 2 clamps to keep the cable tight. on the other end of the cable, make a loop around the dog "tie out" stake. drive the tie out into the ground, and allow the cable to keep tension on the verticle A frame. now tie the hammock onto the eye bolt and sleep tight.

i know i did a horrible job explaining that so heres a crude picture:

[HandsomeRyan]

here are some better pictures of some of the parts.

if you have specific questions please ask. you can post here or email me directly. (email: my screenname @ caraudio.com)


Dog tie out


Eye bolt


Ceiling hooks


Steel cable


Cable clamps


Safe use of cable clamps


I wanted to add that this unit can be assembled/disassembled with minimal tools so you can just bring the (pre-drilled) wood and a bag of the other components and assemble it on site. i can fit the 8' long 2x4's in the trunk/backseat of my little car so anyone with a or truck/van should have no problem transporting this setup.

[lyleb]

Has anyone had luck just sinking a couple of cedar fence posts in the yard? I have no good trees spaced properly. Was wondering if they support the weight ok. Need to fill the holes with quickrete or something?

[blackbishop351]

I think someone tried a bipod/dog stake setup (or something really similar to it) and found that the stake wouldn't hold. I think for best results, you'd need a cross piece between the tops of the bipods, so the stakes wouldn't be subject to as much force.

[hacktorious]

I like Warbonnet's hammock stand

Please post a link if you have one. Thanks.

I was checking out the one Ed Speer made. It sounds great.

[HandsomeRyan]

I think someone tried a bipod/dog stake setup (or something really similar to it) and found that the stake wouldn't hold. I think for best results, you'd need a cross piece between the tops of the bipods, so the stakes wouldn't be subject to as much force.

the trick is to have the stake far enough out that the force pulling on it is sideways and not pulling it up out of the ground. (having heavy red clay mud here in east TN doesn't hurt either)

if you really don't trust the stake you could use rope instead of cable and tie it to a tree/rock/car/pole/etc. at any length away as long as you are not using dynamic (stretchy) rope. crude ascii of what i mean

[tree]----rope----A{hammock}[tree]

distance between 2 trees is too far to hang hammock directly but A frame allows use of hammock without excessive droop.

[Cannibal]

Hammock Engineer has some pics in his gallery of the stand at Trail Days.

[funbun]

I've seen something like that somewhere.

[HandsomeRyan]

I doubt i am the first person to come up with the idea of using an A frame. there is a flimsy commercial unit that uses 2 wood posts and a stake but i was only able to find one stock photo of it.
If anyone else has pictures or information on how other people have used a similar design i'd love to hear about it. I have to learn from the mistakes of others becasue i won't live long enough to make them all myself.