Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Member attrezzo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Tulsa, OK
    Hammock
    Hammock Bliss Double
    Tarp
    Gear Guide 12x12
    Insulation
    ENO Ember and Bag
    Suspension
    DIY whoopies strap
    Posts
    72

    Dual A-Frame and earth anchor hammock support

    I need some answers from experienced diyers.

    What kind of material do you think would be capable of supporting an a-frame type backpack-reasonable hammock hanger?

    The system i'm talking about is the one where you have two a-frames and two earth anchors with a hammock (and me) in the middle?

    I was thinking aluminum tubing would be a cost-effective and light(ish) solution.

    I want to avoid, carbon fiber, titanium, kevlar, and gold or platinum as options. So other than those...

    The ultimate goal here is a backpackable hammock stand for those uni-tree or no tree situations.

    What about smaller gauge aluminum with an epoxy core. AKA take a smaller diameter pipe and fill it with epoxy or a hardening filler that would help hold it's shape. You could go to extreme here and mix the epoxy with glass bubble, or chopped fiberglass filler. Other ideas?

    What about shape? Square or cylindrical tubing? I have a gut feeling square would do better in this application. You want more a more rigid material.
    Last edited by attrezzo; 01-13-2010 at 19:25.

  2. #2
    MacEntyre's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Trouble Ranch on Troublesome Creek, NC
    Hammock
    Molly Mac Gear
    Posts
    7,617
    Images
    6
    When this came up before, someone suggested bamboo.
    - MacEntyre
    "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
    www.MollyMacGear.com

  3. #3
    Senior Member TiredFeet's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    MD
    Hammock
    TeeDee Bridge Hammock
    Tarp
    Customized JRB
    Insulation
    Down or IX
    Suspension
    Whoopie Slings
    Posts
    1,099
    Images
    34
    1" Al tubing should work fine - no need to fill with anything.

    Your biggest problem would be making the tubes short enough for backpacking and able to fit 2 or more together to make a longer support and still take apart in the morning. Swaging would probably not work. A plug in one end that mates with an unplugged end in the mating tube section maybe?

  4. #4
    Senior Member pedro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Wilmington, DE
    Hammock
    DIY Speer-type
    Tarp
    modded SG 12' x12'
    Insulation
    CCF and DAM
    Suspension
    whoopie slings
    Posts
    816
    Images
    2
    Filling the tubes with epoxy will not significantly increase the strength of the poles for the amount of weight increase. Much better to move to a larger diameter tubing. Slightly increasing the diameter dramatically increases the the strength in column and flexure with very little weight penalty, all things considered. That being said, you can use aluminum ski poles, they make a sturdy, lightweight bipod. Another option which will get you higher off the ground is a collapsable aluminum crutch. I have hung from both of these several times. I finally came to the conclusion that the weight is better spent on a decent knife and pocket pruning saw. Much lighter, and I can use them to cut limbs to fashion a stand if I have to, as well as a bunch of other uses.
    "Interesting! No, wait, the other thing.....tedious!"- Bender Bending Rodriques

  5. #5
    Member attrezzo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Tulsa, OK
    Hammock
    Hammock Bliss Double
    Tarp
    Gear Guide 12x12
    Insulation
    ENO Ember and Bag
    Suspension
    DIY whoopies strap
    Posts
    72
    I see your point pedro, and I had thought about that as well. For those trips where I *may* have to cut up some trees to fashion an a-frame I completely agree. The risk/weight doesn't factor out.

    My main reason for doing this is kindof double sided, I want a solution for car camping, a solution for plains and prarie camping (we have some incredible great plains prairie here) and a solution for kayak touring. Mainly for the kayaking. I don't usually ever have much trouble finding trees on a kayaking trip down a river, the problem comes in underbrush.

    It's typically really thick at any suitable distance from the water and the guys I go with pick the camping spot and they're groundlings. I figure if I take one of these gizmos it'll get me up in the air before the groundlings start complaining about me bushwhacking instead of helping with other camp things and for that matter I can camp right along side them. With the right set up I may even be staked out and set up before they can break the poles out.

    The bamboo is a brilliant idea though. That stuff IS stupidly strong and light. I can't imagine a good way of creating mated sections to make it collapsible though.

    I was thinking the same with the aluminium piping. Chopping it into reasonable sections then inserting a sized down piece of aluminium as a plug. They make aluminium piping with mated tubes to create telescoping stuff for things like bimini tops and stuff like that.

    I think at first I'll buy two sets of pipe for an a-frame. If that works ok I may scale it down to one straight pipe on each side but guy it down with anywhere from two to three earth anchors. The ends for those things are far lighter than another pipe. I guess some experimentation is in order.

  6. #6
    MacEntyre's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Trouble Ranch on Troublesome Creek, NC
    Hammock
    Molly Mac Gear
    Posts
    7,617
    Images
    6
    Quote Originally Posted by attrezzo View Post
    They make aluminium piping with mated tubes to create telescoping stuff...
    Make sure the joints are strong enough for the compression loads. Test one first.
    - MacEntyre
    "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
    www.MollyMacGear.com

  7. #7
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Muskegon MI
    Hammock
    G-Bird II/Bridge
    Tarp
    Ogee tarp
    Insulation
    DIY TQ DIY Down UQ
    Suspension
    whoopies
    Posts
    6,686
    Images
    45
    We have discussed this at length before and if you do a search of 'treeless hang' you can find some of those ideas and thoughts.

    Bamboo can be sectioned together with a steel or alum. sleeve, (think cane fishing pole) epoxy the sleeve to your bamboo. Waxwood is a material that needs more looks as well. Martial arts folks use waxwood staffs for years, for it strength and durability. You could easily fashion this with threaded coupler. Use two sections for hiking, carry two on your pack, thread them together at camp for a A-frame.

    Pack weight and actual packable size have always been an issue. There will be a tradeofff..The biggest problem with this whole setup is making it functional on lots of different terrain. Soil conditions vary location to location and from day to day. What works in one area may not in others. Rocks, tree rots, sand, swamp, gravelbeds, frozen tundra of Minnesota...you get the idea. Relying on stakes to hold is not an all around answer.

    Build a speader bar with 2 A-frames, more stable, more usable in varying conditions, IMO. Packable? Probably not. Car camping or canoeing, sure you could haul it around.

    If you in an area with lots of underbrush, use the trunk area for tying off to. I tried pulling out some juniper bushes this summer,. We dug down and cut thru everything we could find. Yanked and pulled and yanked and cussed and...We ended up getting a 4wd truck and some straps and thought, 'man, you'd better look out', but that didn't even budge the root ball!!? Dug for another hour or two and cut thru more roots, and finally with the help of the truck, got the **** bush to move. It took several more pulls from different directions to get this thing to work free..
    Long winded story, but the point is, the brush can be a suitable anchor point. Throw a strap around the trunk area, near the ground. It will work.

    Waxwood staff

    Good luck experimenting. Love to see what you come up with.
    Ambulo tua ambulo.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Knotty's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Denville, NJ, USA
    Hammock
    DIY Stretch-Side
    Tarp
    DIY Cat Cut Hex
    Insulation
    Phoenix and Nest
    Suspension
    cinch buckles
    Posts
    4,377
    Images
    227
    Yup. Once you've found suitable supports you're half way there. Getting your tie out stakes to stay can be very difficult as they'll have a couple-few hundred pounds of load on them. There are a number of older message threads on this subject.
    Knotty
    "Don't speak unless it improves the silence." -proverb
    DIY Gathered End Hammock
    DIY Stretch-Side Hammock
    Stretch-Side "Knotty Mod"
    DIY Bugnet

  9. #9
    Senior Member dejoha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    So. Utah
    Hammock
    Most
    Tarp
    Sea to Summit
    Insulation
    Down
    Suspension
    Becket Hitch
    Posts
    2,184
    Images
    207
    What about aluminum/fiberglass painters pole?

  • + New Posts
  • Similar Threads

    1. Short Intro to Myself and My Hammock Anchor Suspension
      By HammockFan in forum Other Vendors and Services
      Replies: 148
      Last Post: 10-16-2017, 08:05
    2. Comparing Hammock Anchor and Speed Hook
      By Yojimbo in forum Suspension Systems, Ridgelines, & Bug Nets
      Replies: 80
      Last Post: 04-14-2015, 11:54
    3. hammock bipod anchor stake....
      By CamoDeafie82 in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 0
      Last Post: 01-17-2014, 18:51
    4. Anchor points for Amsteel Supported Hammock Stand
      By WonderMonkey in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 19
      Last Post: 10-04-2010, 14:09

    Tags for this Thread

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •