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  1. #1
    Senior Member Detail Man's Avatar
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    Spreader Bars for Hanging Double

    My 10yo daughter loves her hammock and wants to start backpacking with me. So here's what I came up with so we can both hang under the same tarp. We could use three trees, but that doesn't always present itself handily. This way only two trees are needed. This is a prototype, and there's already a list of improvements to make on the next set. I just wanted to see if this would work. Using trekking poles were not suitable for us because I use mine in conjunction with the side tieouts.

    In the pics, you can see where the bar is not at the same position on both suspensions, due to the hammocks being different lengths. The tail of the whoopie sling of the shorter hammock is tied around the bar to keep the it from slipping when we get into the hammocks. The other end of the bar is kept in place by placing it in the fixed eye of the whoopie sling of the longer hammock.

    Dimensions are 0.75" x 1.5" x 26". The hole is 0.5" diameter, 1" on center from the end. The slot is 0.25" wide.

    The next set will have rounded edges to protect the tarp. Ideas are cooking on aluminum or carbon fiber spreader bars.
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  2. #2
    Dutch's Avatar
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    That is great. Your daughter was really into trail days. I enjoyed meeting the both of you. I am going to copy your spreaders.
    Peace Dutch
    GA>ME 2003

    www.MakeYourGear.com
    http://dutchwaregear.com[/URL]
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  3. #3
    Senior Member Redoleary's Avatar
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    Cool idea, those are really neat.
    Good luck,
    RED

    My Youtube Channel

    Deep peace of the running wave to you.
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    Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
    Deep peace without end to you.
    adapted from - ancient gaelic runes

  4. #4
    Senior Member NorseAmerican's Avatar
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    Planning summer hang with my 2 kids in NJ. I just made this hammock for my 11 yr old Julia. Still need to put the net on. My first attempt. We hung it on first level of the bunk. She sleeps in it every night!!!! I may try your spreader, as I plan on having her hang with me under my tarp.
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    "It's like a giant net for catching lazy people"
    "You never see anyone crying in a hammock" -Jim Gaffigan on Hammocks
    NorseAmerican

  5. #5
    Senior Member Detail Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dutch View Post
    That is great. Your daughter was really into trail days. I enjoyed meeting the both of you. I am going to copy your spreaders.
    It was great to meet you too. Permission granted. I must confess I made a copy of your Dutch Clips just to see if I could with my limited machining equipment. Four hours later I had something that works well, but am embarassed to post pics of it. Your version is worth every penny.


    Quote Originally Posted by NorseAmerican View Post
    Planning summer hang with my 2 kids in NJ. I just made this hammock for my 11 yr old Julia. Still need to put the net on. My first attempt. We hung it on first level of the bunk. She sleeps in it every night!!!! I may try your spreader, as I plan on having her hang with me under my tarp.
    That's great your daughter loves her hammock. Mine requested a "pretty" hammock to replace her bed. She says she sleeps better in a hammock. Hanging side by side makes for some great daddy/daughter time. Hope it works well for you.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Timberrr's Avatar
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    I think the HF motto should be something like "Do you think that'll work?"
    I love the thinkin' and tinkerin' that goes on here.
    I'm picturing your spreaders in action and I visualize the heavier of the the two hammockers lifting the lighter one. So if your daughter weighs 40 or 50 lbs and you're coming in at 3 or 4 times that, wouldn't she end up directly over top of you with the spreader in a vertical position?
    And if the weight of the two hammockers is closer or even the same, wouldn't one person getting up significantly shift the other hammock?
    Do you both have to get in and out at the same time?
    Would a guyline from each end of each spreader (4 total) be enough to stabilize the whole rig?
    Also how strong does your suspension have to be? A couple is going to be 300+ lbs.
    I'm asking because hanging two hammocks from two trees under one tarp is something of a holy grail for my wife and me (and others). So I'm really interested in your practical experience.
    Thanks!
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    So many trees, so little time...


  7. #7
    Senior Member NorseAmerican's Avatar
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    Yes, I am blessed she likes the hammock and backpacking idea. She is quite the cuddle bug and the hammock is perfect. Plus, our dog will be below us. I would love to do a pink one as this is my first time sewing. I figured I would practice on this nice expensive Joanns fabric green before I try to find the pink(which I have found fairly reasonable). I even found matching green webbing for suspension at west marine and some amsteel for myself. Have a great time in the outdoors with your girl!
    Last edited by NorseAmerican; 05-31-2011 at 22:00.
    "It's like a giant net for catching lazy people"
    "You never see anyone crying in a hammock" -Jim Gaffigan on Hammocks
    NorseAmerican

  8. #8
    Senior Member Detail Man's Avatar
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    Timberrr, Good questions. The hammocks do shift when one person gets in or out, whether or not the other hammock is occupied or not. This is fine when both people are awake. If I get into my hammock after my girl is asleep, then I try to do so gently. She sleeps like a log in her hammock so it's never been an issue so far.

    When both hammocks are occupied they are pretty close to level. I'm 160 and my daughter is 60lbs. I think that the physics would cause the bars to level out, except with extreme weight differences.

    Each hammock is hung independantly with its own suspension. In the pic, both whoopie slings attach to a common anchor, but in the woods I use separate tree straps/toggles for each hammock. When the spreader bars are in place, the suspensions are deflected so that neither hammock is along the centerline between the two anchor points. With only one hammock occupied, that hammock moves to the centerline raising the unoccupied hammock to a higher position but still off center. When the second hammock is weighed down by the second person, the hammocks balance each other to each side of the centerline, level with each other. Hope this makes sense. (I gotta learn how to edit and post video.)

    By "suspension" do mean the whoopie slings or the spreader bars? Each hammock is independant of the other so the suspensions are rated "normal" at 1200+ lbs. The spreader bars aren't supporting any weight, just the compressive forces of the two hammocks being deflected off the centerline of the anchor points. We'll need the math/physics gurus to provide us with numbers.

    The guyline is something I don't think would work, but it would be worth trying. I think the leverage exerted from having one hammock occupied being off center would be much greater than a guyline and stake could handle. Both people would have to enter the hammocks simultaneously if the spreaders were guyed out. If you try it, pay attention and go slow. I can imagine stakes taking flight.

    I know what you mean about sharing a tarp with a spouse. At the Hot Springs, NC hang a few weeks ago, Ed Speer (Speer Hammocks) and his wife used spreader bars in their setup and it worked great. My version is a little different than his, but the principle is the same.

  9. #9
    Dutch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Detail Man View Post
    I must confess I made a copy of your Dutch Clips just to see if I could with my limited machining equipment. Four hours later I had something that works well, but am embarassed to post pics of it. Your version is worth every penny.


    I made my first dutch clips with hack saw, dremel and files. Took like 4 hour per clip.
    Peace Dutch
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  10. #10
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dutch View Post
    I am going to copy your spreaders.
    Titanium spreader bars??

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