Boy Scouts Hexagon Hammock Stand

[richtorfla]

Saw this set-up at the World Jambo in England in 07. Hennesey had it setup there. Actually seeing the hammocks there is how I got my start into hanging. Wanted to duplicate this. Actually asked Tom H. how it was constructed. Thought it was great for multiple hammocks at an event.

[DavidWa]

... You could create an entire village, if that's what blows your dress up....

Way off topic. But I think the German/Austrian Scouts take the prize for building villages. Just do a google search on Scharzzelt Kothen or Kothe and you'll find many links to their system of Black Tents or Black Castles.

I think it's really and ingenious system. They take what are basically two shapes: a rectangular and a wedge shaped canvas. From this they can make several types of shelters which they take to the extreme of constructing two or three story cities, called Black Castles, at their larger events.

The wedge can be pitched as a diamond tarp, called a half boat. Two pitched together face to face called a boat or space them a little apart and connect them together with one of the rectangular pieces and called a full-boat. Sometimes I see these called by a different name, like locomotive something.

Or they construct Yurts. Using the rectangular parts as the walls and the wedge shapes make the roof.

Or they build Kothes, Kothen or Kothas - I see it spelled many different ways. Which are tipi shaped shelters with an open smoke vent in the top. They're not copies of tipis but rather copies the Sami/Laplander shelters.

The bits of canvas all join together by a nifty system. One edge has gromets the other edge has a vee edge or dual edge into which is sandwiched one of the single edges. This is then held together by a system of loops daisy chained down the edge or loops and toggles, to connect the many pieces into one larger piece to make larger shelters.

Here are a few links to give you the idea. However, it is a long way off topic of hammock hanging. I just think it is an amazing Scout activity to be scene by Scouting folks who have never seen it.

At least that's my impression of what they do. I can't read much German so I could be off a bit in interpreting their activities.

http://wp1131834.wp170.webpack.hoste...elt&Itemid=124

http://www.stamm-sachsen.de/sachsen/...rten/text.php3

http://www.jurtenland.de/de/node?page=36

There are about 41 pages linked at the bottom of this last link showing different constructions or models of different ways to assemble the basic panels. I don't think American lawyers would ever permit this sort of thing here.

BTW - traditionally they were always black , thus Schwarz , but more recently they seem to be venturing into other colors, but the traditional name of Schwarzzelt remains.

Oh, also I don't know what Hennesey calls the hammock hanging system , I just called it a hexagon because that is its shape, he may use a different name.

[jnc91]

This is how my troop did it at a scout event. And yes it rained the entire weekend. They were running canoes in the ditches, but we stayed dry in our hammocks.

We hung 8 hammocks from the center pole in a wagon wheel configuration. For support posts on the other end we used iron "t" fence posts.

Set up was simple. Tie foot end off to center pole. Tie head end to fence post. Always set entrance slit to outside so you can get into the hammocks without entering the maze of guy lines in the middle. Tye larks head in the middle of a 12 foot section of guy rope. Secure to guy stakes with "Drovers Hitch". Set up pole and tension hammock by adjusting drovers hitch.

We used a drovers hitch because it is easier to pull the tension needed than a taut line hitch.

All you need is a single tree or telephone pole for this setup.

If you don't have a convenient pole just use a fence post on each end as shown on the Hennessey Hammocks site.

That hex set up looks good but is probably pretty spendy. Remember, a Scout is thrifty.

[dejoha]

All you need is a single tree or telephone pole for this setup.

This looks great! What a fabulous idea. Now, was your telephone pole already there, or did you place it there?

[MacEntyre]

Those HH tarps look weird with their slack ridges...

[fuzzie]

I case the album link doesn't work here is one thumbnail picture which give a quick view of the hexagon hammock stand.

Any idea where we can get the plans for this?

[dejoha]

fuzzie - I don't know if there are any plans, but I posted construction diagrams to make a universal hub that would accept fence rail posts. In my research and quest to build a prototype, I found it way to costly to build. You would need some serious fundraising for something like this (the fence pipe was just too expensive). Or, if you have someone in your crew who would donate the welding and parts.

The wagon wheel design has promise and could be made without as much investment in hardware.

The other options I looked at that work and aren't as expensive include WV's Tensegrity stand, and the un-tensegrity/YATS stand I built a few weeks ago. The YATS stand easily holds up to 3 hammocks and is cheap to build ($36). Real estate is one limiting factor, and how many hammocks you need to hang.