Lets try this another way. Here is the image for my line setup.
Lets try this another way. Here is the image for my line setup.
Ok, so atleast that seemed to work.
The concept goes like this,
1. The stake under the support pole has a ring (red circles) or attachment point for a fixed length line with another ring.
2. Another fixed length line goes out to the stake
3. The acual tension line connects at the top and then to the central ring.
My idea is that the bodyweight in the hammock helps hold the middle attachment point/stake in the ground. Attaching the tension line to a center ring or point will force the angle of attach on the stake or anchor to be lower and therefore increase the holding strength. This is somewhat like the "claw" device only much wider and helped along by my bodyweight at the one leg.
I get ya. What I found on my rig using the claw -
1. two Claws were more than plenty support per pole. I drove the stakes in with a hammer thinking that there would be a lot of pressure on each stake - that turned out to be false. When I went to pull up my rig the next day I could pull out each stake by hand. I may have been able to slide them all the way in by just pushing them in. I was amazed by the Claw.
2. I eliminated the need for all that bottom rigging with the countersunk bottom block with a spike. I read a book on circuses where they used such a thing under the main poles and called a gumshoe. Your weight in the hammock helps keep it down and in place. Anyhow, my thought on this was to use the least amount of rigging lines possible to prevent a bunch of tangles and trips.
3. I did find that instead of tying off the tarp to the pole, it was better to run the line for the tarp over the shoulder pin and down to a stake in the ground. That way, if there was some sag to the center when you get in, it doesn't cause your tarp to sag. The tarp line stays tight because it just slides over the shoulder pin as it moves. I want to make something like an eyelet to run the tarp line through instead of just running it over the shoulder pin.
4. I was thinking I would have to do a bunch of measuring and make measuring ropes similar to your ground ropes. But instead I did a pace count estimation when I drew it out and that worked like a charm. The ridge line rope can be used to measure the distance between the poles during set up as well. For me it was 4 paces out from the poles to the center of the Claw, and 5 paces between the Claws on the ends. It was easier than setting up an Army pup tent.
5. I was thinking I might want to make the ridge line adjustable, that said it turned out I didn't need to. Adjusting it was as easy as picking up the end of one pole and moving it until the top line was tight, then planting it again and tightening the end Whoopie Slings. I've decided that less adjustment points is better for me than more adjustment points.
6. I also found my estimation of the shoulder pin holes was a little low. Not by much mind you. I estimated that 54" up was right for my hammock, it turned out 56" was better. I plan to add some more shoulder pin holes at 2" intervals at 58" and 60"
I'll disagree that what you are making is anything like the claw. The claw works because it cannot be pulled straight out in any direction without pulling earth as the 3 stakes are inward at an angle on a ridgid frame. Yours being line and 3 anchors going out doesn't work the same...
But with that said, it looks like you're trying to come up with ground anchors much like the guy in this video (http://youtu.be/URlnQWULzG8). Watch his whole series of videos to see how he progresses with strength, weight, install, removal etc. This looks to be exactly what you're trying to accomplish.
Yes, that is what I was trying to do last year when I was playing with this. I did end up fabricating an ultralight version using a titanium driver rod, brass slide hammer, and aluminum spikes. I didn't make more than one and only did a little testing, not nearly as much as WVassello, nor as scientific. What I found in wet Tennessee mud was it came out under body weight on one of these. I was thinking that I would probably have to put about 6 of them out there to make it work for one side.Originally Posted by JasonJones
Here is a good video showing a complete setup, it looks very stable... he's using a commercial ground anchor. While not the most ultra light, you could modify his setup to use lighter materials.
http://youtu.be/Mrt75nfh9EY
My DIY ultralight anchors are based off those he is using. I got a bag of those from a trapper supply place to play with, I still found using those that I needed about 6 to hold me up in the wet Tennessee mud that made up my yard that day. I figured that was about equal to holding force of some sands and other less than stable grounds. To make the ultralight versions I took some MSR stakes and cut them down to make a similar anchor system. I've got the darn thing somewhere around the house.
Anyhow, I figured to make it work I would need to use ski poles instead of collapsible trekking poles and use them together to form an A Frame on the one end. Then using dynaglide to make the lines, it would take about 6 of those strung to the trekking poles, a driver rod, hammer, and at least 6 stakes - with the probability at some point you might need at least one spare in case one got unretrievable. At some point in the experiment I lost interest because that seemed like an awful lot of stuff to carry in my pack.
Jason,
What this guy is doing is exactly what I am doing. Only I'm searching for something lighter and that works in much softer ground (and ideally useful in most all terrains). My overall goal is to build a backpackable free-standing hammock system. I know that the whole goal of hammocking is to lighten the load and hang where others can't, but I find myself in more state parks that prohibit anything on the trees.
Plus I figure that any improvements to a system might help somebody someplace.
Check out turtlelady's stand as another variation on this idea. TurtleLady's Bamboo Stand
WVassello,
I was thinking along the same lines. I think the anchor system that requires driving rods and hammers ads way too much weight in the end. That is why I was thinking the Claw might show the end solution to that end.
The next problem to solve is how to make a set of support poles that could stand up to that kind of regular use. I thought about carbon fiber, but then read a few horror stories about CF poles used in movie camera applications suddenly shattering and causing huge problems. I experiemented with a couple of aluminum ski poles as an A frame, but found the stress of the system was still causing them to bow.
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