hammock shelter

**dakotaross** · 01-25-2013, 13:28

I'm just wondering out loud here, but I was thinking... what if you wanted to build a trail shelter, like those on the AT, specifically to accommodate hammocks... what would that look like? Could existing shelters be retrofitted to accommodate hammocks - not inside the shelter, but as some sort of addition... what would that look like?

Over on WB, it becomes a discussion of whether shelters are good or bad, and why are hangers so special that they need accommodating. Looking to keep this discussion more technical in nature, or philosophical in terms of design only.

Anybody got anything down, or maybe just been rolling through ideas in their head? Most back sides of shelters are dead space, and my thought is that hooks or eyelets could be installed on the back wall with a minimal covering/roof and posts to complete the hang. Sometimes I feel as a hanger, that I'm a little separatist when it comes to camping around others - not always a bad thing, but if I could hang at the shelter with others, there are times that I would.

And actually, what got me thinking about this (again), was that I want to build something in my back yard... something sheltered yet open, and something that looks like a purposeful structure, not just a roof and posts. Any ideas?

**Isheian** · 01-25-2013, 13:51

Some one, long ago, once posted a pic of a hammock hostel. It was very cool with open construction so you had a roof and a view.

**OldRagFreeze** · 01-25-2013, 13:51

A shelter with a tall back wall, with eyelets on either side staggered a few feet apart as they go up the wall vertically, could be outfitted with a ladder to make a 'bunk hammock' kind of situation in the back of the shelter... I don't think it'd be terribly practical but it sure would be cool.

**Zombieforce** · 01-25-2013, 19:19

in the smokies the shelters make an big U shape put hooks on the short sides and the middle and hang up after the grounders get into the bunks

**Risk** · 01-25-2013, 20:07

Ed Speer once suggested a central post and multiple spokes radiating out from the post.

I've always thought that a shelter roof with six supports that would hold 5 hammocks would work nicely. (three perpendicular with the side with three posts, and two diagonal from the center to the outside corners.

There is a shelter on the AT along the Blue Ridge that has such a separate picnic table shelter. A hiking partner and I slept under that shelter one night in hammocks.

**GeezerScouter** · 01-25-2013, 20:11

At the Scout camp we typically go to in the summer they have one or more open shelters for picnic tables / chuck box / cover from the weather. The posts are 6x6" with similar stout framework. Our boys hung their hammocks from one side to the other with very good results.

As you can tell there is no privacy or protection from a blowing rain. The guys enjoyed being side by side. These are all ENO hammocks and they have Slap-Straps. This was before I found the Hammock Forums and learned that Dyneema was a much better way to go.

GeezerScouter

BTW - the red items in the picture are cups. Each person was given a cup at the beginning of the week. Each person was required to put their name on their cup. After you finished using your cup, it had to be put back on the string that was hanging between the poles. If you lost your cup, you did without for the rest of the week. We found that it saved us a lot of time and money not having the boys constantly throwing away cups and going for another one. Cups and other personal articles that were left laying around were put on the Scoutmaster's Line of Shame. That wasn't my idea, but it helped greatly in keeping the camp site picked up.

**nothermark** · 01-25-2013, 22:54

It occurs to me that the easiest way to make a leanto type shelter hammock friendly would be to put up several cross beams that could be used like a turtle stand. Walls are good under compression (down) loads while the beams would keep from pulling the walls in. To me that would be a good shelter as it would also block the weather from 3 sides. ;-)

**jmoffatt** · 01-26-2013, 05:55

Heres my Hammock Bliss hanging in my dock house,

**old4hats** · 01-26-2013, 08:21

The biggest problem I have with shelters is the mice that stay in them and the feces/urine that is inevitably mixed in with dust. Filthy, nasty creatures, chewing up your gear. This is one thing that made hammock hanging away from the shelter very attractive to me. Just my two cents.