Question; will a 6x6 wood beam hold?

[XTrekker]

If you use an Eye Bolt for your mount, then make sure to put a large washer on the eye bolt on both sides. And wrench the eye bolt till the Ring touches the washer. This will help keep the eye bolt from bending downward. Get a fairly hefty one too. I already bent one in half.

[Gideon]

Thanks for the good advice everyone. The ivy is a good idea. I'd love to get away with "NOT" using concrete. Once you concrete in a pole like that you end up with a boulder in the ground that's a pain to remove if you ever want to.

I think I'd enjoy sleeping out there sometimes and it would be a good place to mess with the gear. I think a 12', 6x6 ought to do just fine. Hadn't planned on an eyebolt, planned on suing tree strap and marlin hitch like I always do.

Thanks for the advice!!
Gideon

[Timberrr]

I think a 12', 6x6 ought to do just fine. Hadn't planned on an eyebolt, planned on suing tree strap and marlin hitch like I always do.

When you're done suing your tree straps, let me know how it goes. I've got some ENO Slapstraps I'd like you to take on.

12x6x6 is a heckova stick of wood but it will certainly get the job done nicely. I'd ask the guys at the lumber yard if they think you need concrete. It really depends on your local soil and they'll know.

Good luck.

[MDSH]

When you're done suing your tree straps, let me know how it goes. I've got some ENO Slapstraps I'd like you to take on.

12x6x6 is a heckova stick of wood but it will certainly get the job done nicely. I'd ask the guys at the lumber yard if they think you need concrete. It really depends on your local soil and they'll know.

Good luck.

Take it from an architect's son and one-time contractor, the lumber yard is in business to sell stuff ... even stuff that a person does not need.

You can hang from a toothpick if it was kept in column. The countervailing force of well-packed earth deep enough will keep a 4x4 in sufficient column.

A 12' 4x4 will bite you in the wallet. Wait until you see what a 6x6 costs!

For the difference you could make the down payment on a small low voltage light to your post as nicely suggested above or buy some Tiki lights to burn citronella oil for both light and mosquito suppression.

Mike

[HamMike]

three 4x4s two and a half feet in with quickrete. they have been there for a couple years. in retrospect i'd go atleast 3ft deep.

[Kyle]

I was in the same boat (closest trees in the back yard were like 28+ft apart). Couldn't afford to build a nice stand and didn't want to sink something huge in the yard... too much dang work, lol.

I don't make any claims to the security/safety of my solution, but it seems to work great for me. I took two 8' 2x4s, drilled a hole about 6" down from the ends of both, and put a bold through 'em. Spread out the bottom to make an A frame type thing. About 6" up from the bottom of each, I put an eye bolt on the inside of them and tied 'em together with some plain ol' poly rope to keep the legs from spreading. Tie a rope from one tree, to the top of your A frame dealy, then to the base of the next tree (use webbing and even carpet or something to really pad the tree). Use a trucker's hitch at the base of the second tree and yank that line as tight as you can get it, then tie it off. Now you can tie off your suspension on the first tree and the top of the A frame. I initially did this with just one 2x4, which worked, but it was wobbly. The A frame keeps everything rock solid. I've not had any issues yet, but I'm also a pretty small guy (~140lbs). Again, I make no claim to the safety of the setup, lol. YMMV. But it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a 6x6 or building a stand. Way easier, too.

[Trooper]

Its been a while since I've read these threads about sinking posts. While the advice you've recieved is good, the practice about a year ago was to sink the posts at an angle. An angle of 30°, with a 6 foot post above ground, gives a tremendous amount of versatility for different hammocks and suspensions, while taking up a minimal footprint. A WBBB needs about 15 feet between posts at the attachment point, but you only need to sink the posts about 12 feet apart and let the angle create the distance.

If I didn't have two pines in the backward:

Get a two 12' 4x6's of cedar and tar the first 3 feet.
Dig two holes 10-12 feet apart, and 3 feet deep, and at a 30° away from each other.
Trench a line about a foot deep between your holes.
Connect the bases of the two posts with a vinyl sheathed steel cable at a foot below the surface.
Sink your posts and bury the cable in pea gravel; no concrete necessary.
Chamfer the corners of the posts.
Hang and enjoy the hammock.

[MDSH]

Ayup, the angled and anchored post is an excellent idea, Trooper -- less difficulty in the digging. A four foot hole is very difficult to dig. Three can be done with a post hole digger. Three feet would be adequate to prevent falling to the side, again, if the soil was well tamped on the lateral planes, represented by the nominal 6" sides. Ogee notch the high and away corner of that post and it would look downright feng shui!

Mike

[Gideon]

wow, more good ideas. The A frame is interesting as is troopers. Not sure which way to go. Pole seems to be a straight up deal, not sure about tying off the top of the A frame to the nearest tree, that's would be about 30 ft of tie off. I like the idea of a hammock stand and recently saw a post on one I liked but it was quite a few 2x6's, bolts, etc. Even thought the whole would be a pain to dig the single pole would be simple and allow for the tarp as long as I have 8' above ground.

I think I'll try the pole w/a single bag of quickcrete at the bottom of the whole and just dirt at the top of the hole. That way, i can abandon it by digging around it and cutting off the pole and leaving the rest buried.
Sounds crazy but you have to think of things like that...

Thank you to all for the input!!!

[1066vik]

rather than using a 6x6, why not go to Atwoods (or other farm/lumber store) and see if they have any 10' long treated posts in the 6-8" range?