Skyhook Hammock Stand

[Sirenobie]

Wouldn't it be nice to have a couple of skyhooks to suspend a hammock from? Well, since skyhooks are almost impossible to find , I thought that perhaps a slightly more conventional approach might work....

The idea was to create a system/ stand that would allow me to suspend different styles/ sizes of hammock from the ceiling using cheap and readily available hardware materials. As I have always been a fan of the TurtleDog stand's load-bearing ridgepole, I thought that a mash-up of that ridgepole with a custom suspension system might be in order. So, here is what I came up with:

The Skyhook Hammock Stand:





In these images I have my Eureka! Chrysalis Hammock hanging from my garage ceiling. My 130lb son is inside in one of the photos. Here is the hardware I used:

Ridgepole:

• two pieces of 6.5ft long, 1 5/8 diameter Douglas Fir dowels, coupled together with
• one piece of 24 inch long, 2 inch diameter PVC pipe

Attachment to the ridgepole:

• one 3" diameter welded steel ring
• two 3" steel spring snap hooks
• two lightweight climbing carabiners (for the hammock to hang from)
• two pieces of 36 inch long 7/64" Amsteel (to hold the rings in position on the pole)

The 36" Amsteel is attached to the steel ring and then fed through a hole I drilled in the end of the dowel. Then the Amsteel is wrapped over the working end of the Amsteel and the dowel, with the standing end finally tucked under the working end of the Amsteel that was originally fed through the hole (this setup could be replaced with a cleat, but the advantage of this method is that it is easy and cheap).

Here are close ups of the ridgepole attachment setup:





Suspension:

• two pieces of 18ft long 7/64" Amsteel (18ft was the amount I needed for my setup)
• four 5 inch long, 3/8" diameter steel screw eyes (screwed into the ceiling- used to run the Amsteel through)
• two steel cleats (to tie off the Amsteel)

Here are a couple photos of the suspension set up:

The Amsteel runs from the steel snap hook up to the first steel screw eye in the ceiling beam, across the ceiling, through another steel screw eye screwed into the ceiling beam close to the wall


and then down the side of the wall to a steel cleat, where the Amsteel is reeved and tied off.



PROS:

• Easy to build
• Easy to set up
• Cheap to buy the hardware and materials needed (Lowes, Home Depot, etc carry everything needed)
• The whole rig can be hoisted up to the ceiling and out of the way when not needed (and you can leave the hammock attached, if you wish)

CONS:

• The Amsteel is slippery and you need to make sure the Amsteel is reeved tightly on the cleat. If it is not tightly reeved, the rope will slip/creep as weight is applied to the rig. Maybe another no-stretch rope with a less slippery outer sheath might be better, but I simply used the rope I had on hand.

Other ideas:

• Maybe an outdoor application... I might try to set this up outside between two trees that have branches large enough to support the setup.
• Also, this rig can also be suspended from a regular TurtleDog tripod stand (see below)

[100 Ton]

Very interesting! Definitely a space saver compared to the 1.25" Pipie stand in my basement!!!

[oldpappy]

Looks like you have yourself an indoor 'hammock lab' now
Try this outside using 1 tree and 1 turtle dog stand. It is much stabler than a stock TD.
https://www.hammockforums.net/galler...mageuser=27438

[Danalex]

this is a great idea, when I travel to a friends I hang in the basement but hanging from the ceiling joists makes the suspension very long and the hammock doesn't hang properly.

Besides you and I is there 'anyone' else who uses a Chrysalis?

[OlTrailDog]

I use a very similar design with a combination of parachute cord loops and carabiners for the shorter 90* hammocktent ridge line that the suspension straps feed through. I believe the stress distribution is much better with a suspended pole than with individual anchors. I like your adjustable rings for using with a shorter ridge line and plan on incorporating them into my system. I have mine attached to the steel trusses with garage door pulleys so that I can hoist it all out of the way or quickly adjust for height above the floor.

[jcksparow]

Very cool setup. The weak point is probably those welded steel rings. Rolled descending rings would yield a much greater safety margin.

Is there a reason you opted to use dowels rather than conduit?

[TominMN]

I'd say the welded rings ought to be plenty strong. The various lengths of Amsteel seem like overkill. Plenty of cheaper adequate cordage available. Why not use ALL steel snap hooks? I can't see anything about this set-up that needs to be particularly lightweight so why not go for inexpensive yet strong?

The overall concept is solid. The biggest improvement I see as compared to other, similar set-ups that have shown up in the forum is the adjustable attachment point for the hammock and the suspension of the pole. Now THAT'S a great idea!

[jcksparow]

I'd say the welded rings ought to be plenty strong.

I've seen too many rings fail at the weld (especially the cheap junk sold at big box stores) to ever really trust them. At best, those rings are probably rated between 500-900 lbs, which is probably functional but doesn't yield a healthy safety margin. For around $3 apiece, the SMC descender rings (rolled aluminum) are rated to 14 kN (>3000 lbs).

[leiavoia]

Welded rings from the hardware store have a surprisingly low capacity if you read the labels. They do work in a hammock suspension, but you’re flirting with safety margins.

[Outdoorsman]

Another option to the dowel or conduit is military camouflage net poles. They come in 4’ sections so I use 3. I pay $3 apiece for them. They are made in fiberglass or aluminum. The aluminum are best.