Dorm Room Question

**beckerm1** · 08-21-2010, 00:31

So I basically promised a girl that I would hang a hammock under a lofted bed that I'm going to have next semester. That being said, I am in way over my head and I'm sure almost every person on this forum is more knowledgeable than I. My main restriction is that it has to hang under my bed, whose dimensions and pic are below. I am also not allowed to drill into a wall or for that matter take any paint off the wall. My current idea is to hang the following hammock (also listed below) from two corners of the bedpost where the mattress will lie, and figure out a way to tie the rope around the wooden frame. I'm pretty sure this will work, but is there a better way to do this with my options? Thanks so much to anyone that replies!

Pic of lofted bed:
http://mstack.onlyic.org/agencies/furnish/loft_bed.jpg
H: Mattress will be 55' from ground
L: 86'
W: 39'

Pic of Hammock (Hammock is 58 x 89 inches layed out flat)
http://www.amazon.com/Byer-Maine-A10...ef=pd_sim_sg_3

**lizzie** · 08-21-2010, 00:57

Oh Beckerm, "I basically promised a girl that I would..." So many sagas start with those very words!

I can't wait to see the creative replies to this post. It looks like a pretty tight space to me. I suppose it might work on the diagonal, but I am no expert.

I'm curious... You will have a mattress on top, and the hammock on bottom? Ummmm. She plans to nap in the hammock?

**optimator** · 08-21-2010, 01:29

I'd say your probably in trouble dude

**beckerm1** · 08-21-2010, 01:56

I figured if it's hanging diagonally, then with pythagorean theorum (yes im a nerdy engineering student as well) it should have 94 inches to hang, which is more than the 89 inches of the length of the hammock if it lays out flat. In addition, I feel that if the hammock sags, it takes quite a bit of the length of the hammock away because the fabric or material of the hammock isn't completely taut. But I'm no expert either like I said, there's probably something I'm missing, or some potential problems I never would've thought of, I'm just trying to solve them before I try building it. Also, the ends don't necessarily need to be attached to the bedpost, just the general hammock has to lie under the bed. And to reply to lizzie, I laughed really hard at your response, and yeah pretty much, it looks to be a napping place in the daytime.

**amilykovic** · 08-21-2010, 03:32

ahh to be young again and say anything for the prize

**gargoyle** · 08-21-2010, 05:55

Originally Posted by beckerm1

Pic of lofted bed:
http://mstack.onlyic.org/agencies/furnish/loft_bed.jpg
H: Mattress will be 55' from ground
L: 86'
W: 39'

Pic of Hammock (Hammock is 58 x 89 inches layed out flat)
http://www.amazon.com/Byer-Maine-A10...ef=pd_sim_sg_3

Beckerm1.
Welcome to the forum.
Engineer eh?, nice.
For one that bed is huge 55 feet tall x 86 feet x 39 feet?

Sorry, I had to say that (an engineering student should know the diff between " and ' as symbols for inches and feet)

Two.
In a college dorm, a hammock becomes a swing with four people drunkingly trying to climb in at one time.....that wont work. Hammock breaks, bed breaks..somebody gets hurt. And don't tell me your the only responsible college kid left in the world.

Three.
Technically it may work but I think the dimensions for the fabric are 58" x 89", not including the ropes that extend out ward from those dimensions. Overall is probably closer to 10' or 120".

Four.
I can't speak for the construction of the bed. It hold people sleeping, but a hammock pulls diagonally (assuming you'll have to hang the hammock diag.), so possibly more bracing is needed?

**Harpo63** · 08-21-2010, 06:17

How far apart do the instructions say the mounting points for the hammock need to be? If the diagonal corners of the bed are too short, then be an engineer, and re-engineer the bed to expand it to the size you need.
Otherwise get a hanging chair.

**digrat** · 08-21-2010, 07:51

You could probably trim several inches off each end by turning it into a gathered-end hammock instead of using the stock strings, and using very short suspension lines.

And I second Gargoyle's 4th point: You might want to wedge in a 2x4 to run diagonally above your hammock to prevent your rectangular bunk bed from turning into a diamond-shaped bunk bed.

**coolkayaker1** · 08-21-2010, 09:06

Hanging a hammock with any weight at all (even one person--let alone the college kids jumping into it, as garg said) will twist that bed to ka-sh*ts in about one week. A loose, creaking, noisy mess of wood is what you'll have. It won't work, not because of dimensions, but because hangers on HF have hung on a lot more sturdy structures than that and still buggered them up, like, wicked bad.

Suggestion: get a small futon and put it under there for chair-sleep options.

String up your old lady's hammock from trees outside one a sunny day and play her a tune on a harmonica and you'll be back inside testing that futon before you can say, "Hammock love!".

**stormcrow** · 08-21-2010, 09:27

My kids used to use a hammock suspended from the diagonal of their bunk bed. It is a pretty short hang indeed. I think it might be a little comical to see a grown person try it. But, that is the kind of stuff kids do in college so....good luck, and take pics!

Here is how it looked when we did it.

~Stormcrow