If you plan to use a tarp, and you probably will, the ridge line length of your tarp will determine the distance between your poles...13' will accommodate just about any tarp you're likely to use.
Your poles should extend below the frost line, extend as high as you can reach, and be set in gravel, not concrete. Connect the tops of the poles with an overhead beam, and you're good to go.
Dave
"Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self."~~~May Sarton
Just a suggestion.... Don't go setting the poles before you own a hammock. Especially not in concrete.
Most makers will have a suggested distance between poles, or trees. Once you have the hammock, then you know for sure. Also...Those "landscape timbers" that look kinda like a 4X4....stay away from them. They're crap. I had one snap off on me at an embarrassing moment.
If you moved up from 4x4's to 6x6's, would the braces still be needed? Provided you sunk them at least 3 feet in the ground with concrete?
This makes sense to me. Concrete will merely pool water and they will rot off.Originally Posted by oldgringo
I had that happen with a couple of corner posts on a fence. The beam would also eliminate the need for braces. The beam is the ultimate ridge line.Hang all kinds of crap on that. My wife will love it. She can hang her billy bass christmas lights on it.
“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
awesome setup jwillyg, what is the distance between the two top ends...8 foot 12 foot 15 foot? and what is the top height from ground to top of the board you tie to? I already have 2, 8 foot 4x4's a 16 foot 2x4 and lots of assorted lumber, as well as assorted large nuts and bolts. I love to build projects...I will probably do a similar set up and just add a top brace to enforce it...I look to be heftier than you...
thanks again...hangin...
The possitive friction created by the interaction of two or more energizes us to grow.
In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourself and be still.William Penn
All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit quiet in a room alone...Blaise Pasqal
A good rest is half the work...Yugoslavian Proverb
There should be in the soul halls of peace, avenues of leisure, and high porticoes of silence...Jeremy Taylor
well, lots more great advice on the next page that I didnt see...gravel I hadn't thought of, I was going to do the cement below ground by 6 to 12 inches with earth or gravel on top of it...with a top brace gravel may do...I agree, wwas going to try and do the hang tofay or tomorrow then pick up my hammock in april but makes sense to get the hammock first...and I hadn't thought of the freeze line either...I will take all that into consideration, going to make a portable and a stationary one as well, my daughter says she wants to hang too....thanks all...
The possitive friction created by the interaction of two or more energizes us to grow.
In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourself and be still.William Penn
All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit quiet in a room alone...Blaise Pasqal
A good rest is half the work...Yugoslavian Proverb
There should be in the soul halls of peace, avenues of leisure, and high porticoes of silence...Jeremy Taylor
Hey, I work over in Granite City... Across the street from the USS blast furnaces... Anyway, I have noticed that quite a bit of GC is pretty close to the water table. Seem to see sitting water for weeks after a rain. If your yard is like this you might want to go deeper than 3' (frost line over here is 32" by code). Don't forget to call JULIE (they will come out and make sure you don't have any wires/pipes where you want to dig.
Ski
i set mine 3 feet deep about 15 feet apart, with concrete, and the concrete broke with barely any weight on it
You'll need to know what length your hammock is, but had you thought about something like this Hammock Stand from Cabellas or similar? I know it's $120 but you're probably going to be spending about 30 for 4x4's anyways, you'll still need gravel and labor. I imagine in the end that will be less then the stand but you'll be able to move or store this stand and shouldn't have to worry about it rotting. I'm trying to see if I can find something similar or if this breaks down and can be mounted to my trailer to take camping to Oshkosh this year. Probably going to be shy a few trees up there.
If you're looking at 6x6x12, they're 30 bucks a piece.
Last edited by MrClean417; 03-31-2011 at 23:46.
Thanks neighbor, I will call JULIE and dig deep enough for frost line. MrClean that looks really weak even though it says it holds 500lbs, let me know how sturdy it is...we're heading to cabellas next week anyway, love their keen oxfords. Ours doesn't carry alot in store for hammocks though so I am sure I won't get to see it there.
The possitive friction created by the interaction of two or more energizes us to grow.
In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourself and be still.William Penn
All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit quiet in a room alone...Blaise Pasqal
A good rest is half the work...Yugoslavian Proverb
There should be in the soul halls of peace, avenues of leisure, and high porticoes of silence...Jeremy Taylor
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