Two Trees, Two Hammocks, Too Cool

After such a long quest…
Could the answer really be this easy?? :confused:
Surely someone thought of this before.

Here, for your consideration, is a practical (?) solution for hanging two hammocks, side-by-side, on two trees. :woot:
All credit for this idea goes to Gumbo. She is amazingly adept at seeing simple solutions to complex problems.

Attachment 24167
(sorry, I could only get a thumbnail pic)

The trick is to “attach” your bridge/spacer/spreader bar (I’m calling it a hanger bar in this application – shown here in red) to the tree, not to the hammocks, and not ‘floating’ on your suspension. Note: The hanger bar would have to be lashed very, very firmly (lashing shown in yellow). That lashing might need to be so tight that it could risk damage to the tree. Using straps instead of rope and taking several wraps around the tree would lessen the amount of potential damage, but even minor damage violates our LNT policy.

The hanger bar is further strengthened and stabilized by lines to each end – shown in green.
The hammocks are then hung with their conventional suspensions and ridge lines – shown in purple.

I’ve shown bridge hammocks because they have less ‘coccoonning,’ so you could better see each other and more easily reach over to the other person. Conventional cinched-end hammocks should work fine too, but having the fixed ridgeline is important.
This would allow each hammock to have its own bugnet and swing freely while still being together under a single (large) tarp.

Basically you’re putting up a continuous ridge line (one of the purples) that continues around to the other side of the trees (the greens) until it joins itself giving you a second CRL (the other purple) and forms a long loop. Then, to accommodate a hammock on each side, you widen the loop with a stationary spreader (the red hanger bar) on each end.

To all our mechanical engineers, experts, friends and like minded individuals… Your input is hereby solicited.
Known: The length of hanger bar needs to exceed the width of the hammock’s bridge enough to allow one hammock to swing without knocking the other and disturbing its occupant’s happy hammock dreams.
Unknown: What are the compressional/tensional forces on the hanger bars? Can they be contained? The dimensions of this bar will be a function of the material. What material and what size would you recommend? Could you employ a pre-existing piece of equipment like a hiking pole? (too weak me thinks)

The applications may be limited but they are significant.
Kids who want to be close to their parents (and vice versa)… :scared:
Couples who want to sleep together but not on top of each other… :eek:
Really anyone who wants to sleep close to another camper without sleeping on the ground could benefit from this approach.

The next challenge is to do a bugnet that encloses both hammocks.

Thank you in advance HF’ers for your thoughts, critiques, ideas and inputs!
:D:D

The typical problem which seems to be encountered with hanger bars is the disparity of weight. If the hammocks are equally balanced it seems to have promise. But that assumes neither one gets in or out individually. (midnight trips to water a tree.) I would be concerned the twisting of the bars would inevitably erode the bark no matter how lightly the bars are lashed. That would be an unacceptable consequence for me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ramblinrev

I would be concerned the twisting of the bars would inevitably erode the bark

---

I definitely share your concern.
The thinking is that movement in and out of one hammock would not move the hanger bar, and by extension, not effect the other hammock or the tree.
I haven't had the chance to field test this approach yet but I'll be looking for these types of issues.
No, we're not going out to chew up trees.
:D

This was my solution for my 5 year old son t be close to me. He loved it.:D

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/p...pictureid=7206

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by river

This was my solution for my 5 year old son t be close to me. He loved it.:D

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/p...pictureid=7206

---

Wow! Did he spend the whole night out there like that? Looks cold, but very cool!

Hanging one above certainly works for a child, but we are looking for a solution where we could still see and talk to one another once we are in our hammocks.

I don't know if this will work or not, but the general idea was that basically the bar would widen the tree girth enough to hang two hammocks side by side.

I do worry about the amount of force it would take to secure the bar to the tree and about the bars themselves handling the load. At this point I'm not worried about weight of the bars since I'm not a hiker (we kayak mostly).

Teri,
What about moving the spreader bar towards the hammocks and away from the tree? Each hammocks tree huggers used as usual with the bar holding them apart. A tie out could even come from the suspension at the point of the spreader bar. I wouldn't think there would be to much movement from hammock to hammock.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TFC Rick

Teri,
What about moving the spreader bar towards the hammocks and away from the tree? Each hammocks tree huggers used as usual with the bar holding them apart. A tie out could even come from the suspension at the point of the spreader bar.

---

This is a good idea.

We explored where those guy lines should go, and how many would be required to stabilize the hanger bar most effectively. We concluded that if the bar is not absolutely fixed in place, then getting in or out of one hammock will create an unacceptable amount of movement in the other.

The type of tree will also play into the equation. A palm or a cypress (hard wood with smooth bark :) ) should be fine. A yellow pine (soft wood with big chunky bark that breaks off easily :( ) would be a poor choice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Timberrr

The type of tree will also play into the equation. A palm or a cypress (hard wood with smooth bark :) ) should be fine. A yellow pine (soft wood with big chunky bark that breaks off easily :( ) would be a poor choice.

---

I feel the need to say something about this. I'm not calling you out, Timberrr, I just want to help everyone to be as educated as possible.
Many trees are different, but in general, the opposite is actually true. Thicker bark, whether it is soft or hard (think most pines, or most oaks) will actually cushion and spread out the force.
Thinner barked trees such as Bald Cypress, Beech, White Pine, and many Maples, while the bark may be harder, is still very thin, and can't cushion the force much at all.
That said, there are many variables. On many Oak trees, I wouldn't hesitate to use a cord around the trunk if I was in a bind, because of their thick, ridged bark. I try not to hang on White Pine or Red Maple, even with tree huggers, because of how thin their bark is. As an arborist, I have debarked whole sections of branch while standing in a crotch and just shifting my body weight! :scared: It doesn't happen that bad all the time, but it is a fairly common thing to inadvertently scrape some bark off of the inside of a crotch while pruning a Maple or Bradford Pear or White Pine.

Hopefully my rambling has made some sense, and I apologize if I sound critical. I only hope to educate so we can avoid hurting a tree through lack of knowledge.

Take care,
PF

Why not try a triangle bar assembly. This might limit the amount of shift to sleeper B when sleeper A gets up. Also it wil allow a single line to the tree.

How about change bridge bar to guy line, attached to suspension rope?

Here's an idea clove hitch the rope around both trees that way the rope is fixed I.e. Each of the two free ends of the rope is secured in a manner where you cound hang off one side without needing your partner as a counterbalance

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PuckerFactor

I feel the need to say something about this. I'm not calling you out, Timberrr, I just want to help everyone to be as educated as possible.
Many trees are different, but in general, the opposite is actually true. Thicker bark, whether it is soft or hard (think most pines, or most oaks) will actually cushion and spread out the force.
Thinner barked trees such as Bald Cypress, Beech, White Pine, and many Maples, while the bark may be harder, is still very thin, and can't cushion the force much at all.
That said, there are many variables. On many Oak trees, I wouldn't hesitate to use a cord around the trunk if I was in a bind, because of their thick, ridged bark. I try not to hang on White Pine or Red Maple, even with tree huggers, because of how thin their bark is. As an arborist, I have debarked whole sections of branch while standing in a crotch and just shifting my body weight! :scared: It doesn't happen that bad all the time, but it is a fairly common thing to inadvertently scrape some bark off of the inside of a crotch while pruning a Maple or Bradford Pear or White Pine.

Hopefully my rambling has made some sense, and I apologize if I sound critical. I only hope to educate so we can avoid hurting a tree through lack of knowledge.

Take care,
PF

---

PF you are correct to one of the variables which is the different thickness' of the bark but I think that the other More factor of what you are specifically talking about with the maples is the time of year that you are in the trees. In the spring all bark is more lose and easy to separate from the wood because of the new growth. It certainly not all year around.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by itsjustbusiness999

Here's an idea clove hitch the rope around both trees that way the rope is fixed I.e. Each of the two free ends of the rope is secured in a manner where you cound hang off one side without needing your partner as a counterbalance

---

This approach, or using branches on each side of the tree is always the first choice, but we're not always (actually, not usually) lucky enough to get two properly spaced, healthy trees of sufficient girth. The idea of the hanger bar is to give us the right distance between the hammocks that the tree trunks and branches can't.
:D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PuckerFactor

I feel the need to say something about this. I'm not calling you out, Timberrr, I just want to help everyone to be as educated as possible.

---

Hey, no worries! I found this very helpful.
:D

This allows 2 hammocks to hang from same tree...although there is obviously shifting when one gets out of their hammock. I'm also interested in someone coming through with an easy, good method for hanging 2 hammocks together. Field test it and then let us know how it goes and what changes need to be made. http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...eader+hammocks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DivaB

I'm also interested in someone coming through with an easy, good method for hanging 2 hammocks together. Field test it and then let us know how it goes and what changes need to be made.

---

Field testing is planned for early Fall. (when the temps start to get below 80 at night)

Completely understand that one! :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Timberrr

Field testing is planned for early Fall. (when the temps start to get below 80 at night)

---

If you use something the size of a jumbo mayan hammock, it easily fits two people side by side with extra hammock dividing between them...So it acts like two hammocks close together. To avoid shoulder-to-shoulder conflicts, sleep head-to-toe.

OK...with the understanding that I'm completely daft...

Rather than tie the bar tightly to the tree to keep it from spinning under uneven weights distribution, and potentially shred the tree because of the amount of force that would be needed to stabilize the bar, wouldn't it be simpler to add four short poles with a "Y" on the top to put the outside limbs of the bar into to stabilize it?

You may end up with some holes in the ground...not sure if you could find a way to keep them from digging in unless you had some sort of platform underneath the ends of the poles to disperse the weight.

They'd also have to be sturdy enough to support the weight of the hangers.

They'd also have to be carried in and out, along with the bars and whatever you put under them to disperse the weight on the ground.

But that seems like a better plan that potentially damaging the trees.

The way my fiance and I hung our hammocks last time we went out was to put the attachment points on either side of the tree. Facing the "head" tree, my Dutch clip was on the right side of the tree and hers was on the left side. This made it so our hammocks were hanging about a foot apart. The bigger the tree (diameter) the farther apart the hammocks would be. Obviously this wouldn't work too well on a smaller diameter tree.

Neat idea! Let us know how the testing goes... I'm def interested as me and my better half like to take trips together as much as we can.

What about using 4 slings & ridge lines?

Two slings above & two below where you want the spreader bar. Each end of the spreader bar connects to a high & a low sling at roughly 45 degree angle vertically (90 deg if you look from the side) and 60 degrees horizontally (if you looked top down). If you have ridge lines on both hammocks you shouldn't see (much) sag when one occupant gets out since the empty hammock's ridge line would go under tension and keep the full one from sagging and the low sling on the empty side would keep the full hammock from dropping toward the middle.

And you avoid needing poles along the tree.

Ed

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gt7599a

What about using 4 slings & ridge lines?

Two slings above & two below where you want the spreader bar. Each end of the spreader bar connects to a high & a low sling at roughly 45 degree angle vertically (90 deg if you look from the side) and 60 degrees horizontally (if you looked top down). If you have ridge lines on both hammocks you shouldn't see (much) sag when one occupant gets out since the empty hammock's ridge line would go under tension and keep the full one from sagging and the low sling on the empty side would keep the full hammock from dropping toward the middle.

And you avoid needing poles along the tree.

Ed

---

Good thinking Ed! This is actually very close to what this project has evolved into. I did a test hang a few weekends back with six slings on each end, and it worked. Well, it worked okay but not great. It did give me some clarity on where I need to tighten things up and where I need to do things differently. So I'm implementing those changes now. I know I'm getting close! Hope to get a field test test done in the next few weeks. I'll probably start a new thread at that point.

And hey... WELCOME TO HF!! :D

i may be wrong but why couldnt one set up their hammock then the other set up theirs above or below like one normally would then lock the spreader bar between the said whoopies to just spread the suspensions apart the trick would be to have a way to LOCK the bar into the said whoopies so as one gets out that the other end of the spreader looses tention it wont fall out now as one gets in or out the other hammock would keep a specified distance " the length of the bar" away at all times. but when someone gets in or out the corresponding hammock will raise or lower slightly but should be minable "approx 6-8 inches " and the larger in diameter tree the less it will be i think that this whole thread is a great idea and im sure that there is multiple ways to do this. another thing is the spreaders would have to be fairly strong depending on the weight of the occupants. and with this style if the occupants are not close to equal in weight then the heavier will sit slightly lower. and as far as the tarp setup you could just do one ridgeline to set the tarp on and then set it up like you normally would but it would have to be wider than normal the length would be the same but would need to be at least 4ft wider "id shoot for 6ft if i was to do this but then again i like more of a covering". and if the hammocks used are the side zippered design then just make sure both of the hammocks are set zipper out. depending on the hammock "footbox or not" you might be hangin head to foot but thats a minor problem.

anyway thanks for reading my idea on this subject

BT

Copied from another thread...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Timberrr

These are some preliminary shots from the first field test.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b...%252520085.JPG
First field test - Set up with Whoopies

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H...%252520088.JPG
Notice the three Whoopie Slings, one going up, and one down and one straight out.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4...%252520098.JPG
It works, but not as well as I am envisioning.

I can't get the whoopies tight enough once they are under load so I want to switch to straps.

---

We just don't have a lot of trees that are big enough and properly spaced to go without the spreader (spacer) bar.

:) Good god, that is a lot of tie-offs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by streamline

:) Good god, that is a lot of tie-offs.

---

Timberrr has slimmed down and perfected his suspension since 2011. Sometimes R&D starts with a complicated approach, followed by an "elimination of parts" process.