Hammock Stand Suggestions

**hacktorious** · 06-19-2007, 10:03

Originally Posted by sk8rs_dad

Just to reiterate what I said on another thread. I use a setup very similar to that suggested by Jazilla except that I use 2 1" ash staves lashed together and a 16" orange garden spike and have had no problems with it yet. I weigh 230 lb and have an HH explorer. The soils around me are heavy loam/clay composition. In a more sandy soil I'd be looking to use the dog leash screws.

For those of you with a bit of physics/MechEng backgrounds, angling the base of the uprights (staves, 2x4, whatever) toward the hammock equalizes the lateral force on them and reduces the shear that they experience.

Adding a truss member would greatly reduce the force on the 16" peg.

As with all thing of this nature, your mileage may vary.

As for the 1 pole method, physics says it should be quite stable. You have to move your mass a fair distance off-axis before the horizontal forces applied to the pole exceed the vertical component (the topple point), probably further than you could actually manage to swing it with any normal amount of gyration.

So do you just clip your fly on the hammock like you would normally do?

**sk8rs_dad** · 06-19-2007, 10:08

I hook the fly on the HH prussiks provided when using the stand.

**BillyBob58** · 06-19-2007, 10:45

Originally Posted by HandsomeRyan

Cannibal, thanks for the link!

wowie wow wow...

I don't think you'll see me sleeping with just one pole anytime soon but it does look like a cheap/easy meethod if you are in a pinch.

i wonder if you could add guy lines (hammock tenters LOVE guy lines) to the post to give it a little more lateral stability?

my highschool physics experience tells me that system wont work, the pictures show it does work. *brain explodes!*

HR, this is exactly what I have been reporting on in previous posts on this thread. Both with the one pole as Risk shows, and even better with 2 poles, one on each end, and then DOWN to my trees. Works for me.

Of course, if you don't have a tree or post or something to finaly attach to, even if pretty far away, and you have to use stakes, then you have an entire additional variable which will need solving. But it has enabled me to use my trees which are a little too far apart and a little too skinny to be used without the 2x4s helping out.

Thus it worked for me, to my surprise. And apparently it worked for Risk, to his great surprise. I no longer need my hammock stand.

Bill

**BillyBob58** · 06-19-2007, 10:49

Originally Posted by sk8rs_dad

As for the 1 pole method, physics says it should be quite stable. You have to move your mass a fair distance off-axis before the horizontal forces applied to the pole exceed the vertical component (the topple point), probably further than you could actually manage to swing it with any normal amount of gyration.

And so far, in my limited experience, that seems to be the case, even when using 2 poles- one on each end.
Bill

**rptinker** · 06-19-2007, 18:59

Originally Posted by HandsomeRyan

Cannibal, thanks for the link!

wowie wow wow...

I don't think you'll see me sleeping with just one pole anytime soon but it does look like a cheap/easy meethod if you are in a pinch.

i wonder if you could add guy lines (hammock tenters LOVE guy lines) to the post to give it a little more lateral stability?

my highschool physics experience tells me that system wont work, the pictures show it does work. *brain explodes!*

There is a stealth camping guy in canada who who use the single pole method. this is the link http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?...c_id=1857&v=6s . I havent tried it myself but i believe it will work.

**BillyBob58** · 06-19-2007, 19:48

So I ran out this evening and tried to set things up for picture purposes. In a big hurry. It didn't seem to work nearly as nice. I don't know what the variable was, the angle of the 2x4s, or I didn't get the rope tight enough. Or maybe it's because last time I did it I started with just one pole and the other rope tied straight to the tree, I got that stabilized and then added the 2nd pole. Also, it had finally rained a bunch and the ground was soft. Whatever, some variable or another. It didn't seem as stable, but it still worked. Though it SEEMED to sway more, it still wouldn't turn over. I'm going to try and upload pics now. If it goes thru, you probably can't tell, but I am actually swinging a good distance on purpose in the hammock, in the second pic. Just for test purposes. But it stayed up regardless of some serious swinging. I would have much less side to side movement during normal hammock use. Another reason I was in a hurry was because the bugs were starting to chew on me! Worse yet, they were starting to attack my wife, who was already irritated because I dragged her outside to take this pic!

So, this was just a quick demo to get the pics posted. It worked and stayed upright with much movement, but I think with a little more adjustment it would be a little more steady.
Bill

**slowhike** · 06-19-2007, 19:57

hey, thanks. now i'm going to have to give it a try.
BTW... nice looking yard BB.

**BillyBob58** · 06-19-2007, 20:14

Originally Posted by slowhike

hey, thanks. now i'm going to have to give it a try.
BTW... nice looking yard BB.

Thanks, SH. All it lacks is trees the right size and right distance apart for hanging. But now I can use my skinny, kind of far apart trees!

OK, I went back out, played around with the placement of the uprights are: distance between hammock end and tree ( that is, 2x4 further from or closer to the tree), got the 2x4 closer to straight up, and managed to tighten the spectra a little more, with much less sag resulting. This time I got in, and all was bliss agiain. Also,I guess I was able to get a good bit more sway going using it as a chair/lounger. When I layed in it in the normal fashion, or even sat with my feet dangling out the bottom, it was once again as stable as I remembered it being the 1st time. Any amount of movement inside the hammock would barely cause the 2x4s to move. While dangling my feet out the botom, I on purpose got some serious left to right swing action going. I was really paranoid and ready for collapse, because I could not see the 2x4 to my back. But the one in front would go over 6 or 8" to the side, at least 25-30* off center. I was sure it would now dump me, but every time it would just pop back to the center. Who'd of thunk it? Not me!

BTW, I have never been able to use these trees before, no matter how high I put the tree huggers or how tight I pulled the spectra, without my butt hitting the ground. Plus, I was always worried about damaging the trees due to their excess flexing. No problemo now!

**blackbishop351** · 06-19-2007, 20:42

That's amazing...now that I think about it, it actually makes sense too. Had to pull out my mechanics text and flip through the messy vector analyses for rotational motion. I suddenly remembered why I didn't like that class

Nasty, nasty stuff.

So BB - how tall are your 2x4's? How far apart? Are you still tying to trees and just using the boards as interim support, or have you found a stake that works?