My 3-Person Hammock Stand (ala Derek Hansen)

**Trail Trekking** · 08-14-2018, 18:22

My two kids really wanted to do some camping with me in the back yard before summer vacation ends. However, now that I hammock, I have no intention of returning to ground dwelling. I started looking at different DIY hammock stand designs and settled on the ‘3-person Hammock Stand’ on page 107 of ‘The Ultimate Hang’ by, Derek Hansen due to the $40 price tag and already owning many of the materials. It all went together fairly easily following Derek’s directions.
unnamed.png
unnamed.jpg
I tested the setup with my Warbonnet Blackbird to make sure it could support my weight. I slowly added the kids hammocks and it worked great. As Derek and others have mentioned I had to tighten the top rope several times as it stretched and the knots settled in. Sadly, the weather forecast had several days of strong thunderstorms and heavy rain. I was forced to take the hammocks down for a few days.
unnamed (1).jpg
This morning the rain finally let up and I spent some time trying out different tarp configurations. I attached the Chill Gorilla Fortress to the top line of the stand using a Prussik knot and a Nite-Ize mini S-Biner. I hung the tarps over the ridgeline because I plan on using it to hang the bug nets for the kids.
unnamed (10).jpg
I tied the outside door to the yellow horizontal structural line.
unnamed (6).jpg
I wrapped the inside door around the wood supports and clipped the tie-outs together with a Nite-Ize mini S-Biner.
unnamed (5).jpg
Finally, I connected the inside tie-outs on each side of the wooden supports to each other so that the walls of the tarp are pulled out.
unnamed (11).jpg
Once the tarp was done, I installed the ridgelines for the two bug nets. I attached each end to the mini S-Biner holding the tarp and wrapped it a few times around the red top structural ridgeline to minimize sag. Lastly, I hung the hammocks.
unnamed (9).jpg unnamed (8).jpg unnamed (7).jpg
Tonight’s storms should give us a good idea of everything is in working order! Trial by fire 🤪
unnamed (3).jpg unnamed (2).jpg unnamed (4).jpg

**TXGooner** · 08-14-2018, 18:42

Very cool! Gonna have to try that in my backyard!

**TrailSlug** · 08-14-2018, 18:43

Let us know how it works out but that just seems like a lot of off-set forces for 2X4's.

**jdy98p** · 08-14-2018, 19:14

Originally Posted by TXGooner

Very cool! Gonna have to try that in my backyard!

I just want a backyard large enough FOR this.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

**latriper** · 08-14-2018, 23:30

Looks great! I set up at a lot of outdoor festivals and usually it is big wide open spaces so this works great! I do use 1" polyester webbing (1500 lb breaking strength) for my struts tie outs instead of any type of cord or rope because I have a lot of webbing on hand.
3 hammock stand.jpg

**MAD777** · 08-15-2018, 06:59

That's a really neat setup. Knowing what we do about the forces involved in hammocking, it's amazing such a minimal setup handles it.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

**Gregori** · 08-15-2018, 15:49

Just this week looked at my 3 pole stand sitting in garage waiting for cooler weather in the next month. I started with 2x4 and migrated to steel fence posts, with rounded ends and eye-bolts thru pole. It works great!

Can't find my pictures from last year but will take some in the near future, hopefully this weekend. I used 1500# mule tape to secure everthing together, and 4' rebar posts simply don't move once you pound them in far enough. I top the rebar with swim pool noodles, brightly colored, so everyone can see and even if bumped won't hurt.

Last year at a September get together with family and friends I used a 20x20 heavy duty tarp over the top of entire structure with a center pole, worked just great in the wind and rain shower we had.

We had 6 people at a time lounging/sitting and it was rock solid. Of course I was constantly checking everything and needed to tighten some connections 1-2x times during the weekend.

The 8' poles just fit in the back of my truck on an elevated diagonal. Everyone loved it the couple weekends it was used last fall 2017.

Gregori

**SavageX89** · 08-17-2018, 18:12

I wonder how well it would work to set up the tarps so you have a "communal area" in the center that is covered.

Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk