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This might be slightly off topic from your original 'design', but I've done a lot of work with masts and antennas (I'm a ham radio operator, hence the username). I have a whole bag full of surplus aluminum tent poles that I string together for an antenna or a mast to support an antenna, they've been used as supports for larger tarps as well. I've thought about using a couple for a hammock support as well - take 2 and stack them for both sides.
If you've ever seen a telephone pole where the wires turn 90deg at the pole - there are guy lines that pull the pole in the opposite direction as the force vector of the wires. Imagine the force vector of the wires being the hammock load - it is both a vertical force (pushing down on the poles) and horizontal force (pulling the poles in towards each other). To support the horizontal component the guy lines need to be at a shallow angle. If the anchors are too close to the poles the force on the anchors is magnified and my guess is they won't hold. The flatter the angle and further the anchors are the less force transmitted through that guy line = easier for it to hold.
A ridge line between the two poles would make set up a lot easier. This way you can set the poles up before you put the hammock on, and the poles will stay standing when you get out of the hammock. The ridge line will keep everything taut when theres no load on the rigging (you in the hammock).
If you have a need for just one support, as in using the truck for the other, you can do the same thing. Another thought is to have a plate on the bottom of the pole/mast so it doesn't sink in the ground (thinking a rainy night with the pole on dirt...). You will still want a ridge line to hold the pole up while you're not in the hammock. Unless you make everything impractically heavy duty - expect this whole set up to FLEX. That means you need to pitch the hammock taut so when you get in it the load pulls everything to where you want it.
Be careful of the stake holes in your truck bed. Don't extend any support up over that too far. You are going to be putting a ton of stress on that as it is, the higher you get the more force will be on the stake hole = you can bend things out of shape.
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I don't know where the load calculator is, but here is a link for a pretty simply hanging method when you don't have enough trees.
http://hennessyhammock.com/articles/scouting/
Scroll down to the picture with 4 hammocks in a row and read the description. I know it's not quite as cool as a hitch attachment, but maybe a little more versatile?
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I'm going to keep working on my original design, think of two trapezoids spaced 3 feet apart at the bottom leaning against each other at the top, no middle bar on the ground to fall on.
I am curious about the scouting method mentioned above, I was trying the same thing with my high lift jack as one side and my "buffalo bar" as my wife calls my brush and light bar as the other (it ISN'T going to bend). Now, with a hitch mounted vertical, and a couple of the setups in the picture referred to above you could hang two or three hammocks off the vertical hitch mount (can be made sturdy enough) for a small group hang.
I'm also thinking about an earlier post suggesting a pole as a ridge line with the hammock hanging from it. If I could put together a modified "Y" coupler that would let me connect the ridge bar and two legs at each end, then it could all go together with 6x5 foot pieces of 1 1/2" EMT, a coupler for the ridge bar center, and two Y couplers for the end. Hmmmmmmm....
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DGHPTS
This should help.
fildogg
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I also will be watching this thread
as you progress please post pics
Thanks
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According to the chart above, as far as I can tell if you have an 80% ridgeline you should have around a 30 degree suspension angle so your weight is on each end.
At least I think that would be a safe estimate. 250# body weight x 5 safety factor 1250# or x 10 safety factor 2500#.
I have never even looked at any sort of calcs or charts and have just gone by what everybody else here says so I could be wrong.