bipod stand design/advice/usage please for newbie

[willywombat]

Hi folks ..forgive my laziness as no doubt the info I need will be somewhere on the site but if I may ask you more experienced hangers a few questions to help me with a bipod design/usage that I intend to use when cycle touring .

A while back whilst looking for something suitable for a diy build ( tensa kit is so expensive to import to UK ) I came across a chap using a SUP ( stand up paddle board ) paddle as a one pole solution . It worked well , was easily split down into 3 pieces , rather lightweight and cheap ! They were even reduced in a sale at Decathlon so I bought 2 and removed the blade part and that's where I am now .

I am wondering about the best way to join the "handles " at the top ...Is there a suitable knot or method / soft shackle etc or other method that is particularly good ? obviously I will need to attach 2 guylines ..probably quite long to allow for varied ground or other anchors further away . On that point what would be a good choice ..webbing/cordage or ? I'm not bothered by a few extra grams !

I have also noticed that whenever folk use half a tensa as a bipod they have it considerably angled away from the hammock end ..almost 45 degrees ? in some cases . Is this the best way to use a bipod if you attach the feet to the guypoint to stop slippage ? I believe it reduces the pull on the anchor considerably ? A lot of people often appear to have the bipod fairly upright also ... is this simply to reduce the feet slipping when not anchored themselves ?

Finally it's basic I know but what angle guylines are best if room is no problem ..is there a particular angle as far as the distance apart that is optimal ?
I have read that longer guylines also reduce the likelihood of anchors being pulled out ?

A lot of questions I know ..hopefully someone can help me on some of them ! Your views/ideas/ comments and help is much appreciated . Photos below . Cheers , Bill in UK
IMG_20230604_141811594_HDR.jpg

IMG_20230604_141820456_HDR.jpg

[Shug]

You can see angles and staking in my video below. About 6' apart. But depending...many factors can come into play.
Shug

[LowTech]

I can't speak specifically about bipole setups as I haven't gotten it them, yet, but I will address a couple things.
If using a bipole setup you will only need one guyline as the two poles make the other two parts of the three needed. W/ a one pole stand you would need two guylines.
As far as the angle, the closer the pole(s) are to 30°, like the hammock suspension, the more the force is applied down the length of the pole and not just trying to pull it over. W/ a bipole you need the base of the poles to be spread "enough" for stability. Not using the bipole setup I haven't experimented w/ that aspect of the setup.

Though I do have to ask, if you want this setup for bikepacking/touring then why go w/ two poles instead of one? It's more to carry and I know that space, and weight, but mostly space is always an issue on bikes unless you're credit card touring.

"Sent w/o me knowing"

[LowTech]

In my opinion this person has mastered the bipole setup.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/top...ink_source=app

"Sent w/o me knowing"

[JollyRoger70]

Putting on my Scoutmaster hat for a second, if you want to join them at the top I’d recommend a diagonal lashing, with exceptionally tight frapping. Based on experience, I’d also put some duct tape around the paddle sections where you’ll be lashing, to avoid slipping. There may be other factors about a bipod stand that I don’t know about, though — I’ve only ever used a monopod Tensa Solo (which I *really* like).


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[Latherdome]

I can't speak specifically about bipole setups as I haven't gotten it them, yet, but I will address a couple things.
If using a bipole setup you will only need one guyline as the two poles make the other two parts of the three needed. W/ a one pole stand you would need two guylines.
As far as the angle, the closer the pole(s) are to 30°, like the hammock suspension, the more the force is applied down the length of the pole and not just trying to pull it over. W/ a bipole you need the base of the poles to be spread "enough" for stability. Not using the bipole setup I haven't experimented w/ that aspect of the setup.

Though I do have to ask, if you want this setup for bikepacking/touring then why go w/ two poles instead of one? It's more to carry and I know that space, and weight, but mostly space is always an issue on bikes unless you're credit card touring.

Amplifying what you say: Yes. Only reason I see to use a bipod instead of monopod is if your pole(s) aren't strong enough to use only one. For any given material and profile, a monopod will always be lighter than a bipod, both capable of bearing the same load. The lower leg of a bipod on a slope can be subject to as much load as if a monopod, though, so you'll want the bipod to be substantially overbuilt to handle this use case. A bipod does allow use with only a single guyline/anchor, but because anchor failure is the #1 problem with either design approach, normalizing the use of 2, as a monopod requires, nearly halves risk of fail. Finally, pitching a tarp centered over a monopod setup is inherently much simpler/lighter/cheaper than over a bipod.

So if those oars are strong enough, I say use one per side. As for guyline/anchor geometry, let ground conditions or natural anchors like the bases of woody shrubs guide. In hypothetical flat, featureless, uniform soil, you'll get best anchor hold (of 2 anchors) with the anchors only as far apart from each other as lateral stability of the pole requires (say 6'), and as far from the pole as guylines allow. Viewed from above, a tall narrow V instead of a squat wide one. And yes, leaning the pole away from the hammock, even quite sharply as long as hang height remains adequate, relieves anchor stress but requires more pole strength.