Aluminum Portable Hammock Stand

**Lost_Biker** · 07-10-2011, 13:58

I have been following Alomosa's portable stand with a great deal of interest. I have found my home-made aluminum hiking poles that I made about 12 years ago and decided to make them into multi-use poles - hiking poles and hammock stand. These will only be used in the back yard or when car camping but are lighter than conduit. They're made of 7075 aircraft grade, .125 inch, 1 inch diameter poles about 5 feet long. I made the stake booms from the same material - they are around a foot long.

I have not tested these yet (no hammock with me), but I will when I get home to Indiana tomorrow night. I made these up in my fathers shop (he has all the cool aircraft tools).
Anyhow, I thought this might help those making the portable stand get a little lighter set-up.

The first pic is the stake booms without the stake (looking for them now). I'm going to use aircraft bolts and loop my cords around them instead of tying them directly to the poles. The long poles will use the same type of bolts and the amsteel lines from my hammock will loop over them also. My father (licensed A&P mechanic) says that it should be plenty strong as long as it has proper guy lines. I put the poles together with one of the bolts so they don't get lost in transit.

**hippofeet** · 07-10-2011, 14:02

Lost Biker. We are gonna have to get together for a hang. I used to go hang gliding as a kid to some sand dunes in northwest west indiana, sand dunes state park? something like that. I could ride over there on the motorcycle.

**Lost_Biker** · 07-10-2011, 15:00

Sure, hippofeet. That would be great. I've been all over the state by bicycle and haven't really found any place that's that great for hanging, so if you know a place, don't be shy!

I have to go to the Expediters Expo in Ohio on the 22nd and then back to Ga. after the 27th to do some work for my parents. Keep in touch please!

**Alamosa** · 07-11-2011, 14:32

Originally Posted by Lost_Biker

I have been following Alomosa's portable stand with a great deal of interest. I have found my home-made aluminum hiking poles that I made about 12 years ago and decided to make them into multi-use poles - hiking poles and hammock stand. These will only be used in the back yard or when car camping but are lighter than conduit. They're made of 7075 aircraft grade, .125 inch, 1 inch diameter poles about 5 feet long. I made the stake booms from the same material - they are around a foot long.

Very interesting. Glad someone is giving the Stake Booms and portable stand a try.

I would think the aluminum would be lighter than conduit. Is that 1 inch ID or OD? Even using it for one of the poles, so it would still nest, would save some weight

Looking at the picture for the booms, what size holes did you drill for your stakes? They look like they are 1/4 inch. I used 3/8 x 12" stakes and had good gripping power and they did not bend

Also, is that the exit hole for the stake that can just be viewed in the top stake? If so, it looks like it does not go through the middle of the boom and may only be holding on a small part of the material. Also, it looks like you went for less than a 45* angle for the stakes. I found that if the ropes were not at least 90* from the head end that the stakes would try to pull up out of the ground. (I've never had one pull out by ripping through the soil yet).

It will be interesting to see how the aluminum holds up to the forces exerted on the boom. When I was testing with lighter steel material (thinner than .125), the front of the top hole and the back of the bottom hole began to rip, decreasing the angle until the spike pulled up out of the ground. That is why I ended up with such heavy booms.

**Lost_Biker** · 07-11-2011, 18:24

Hi Alamosa! Glad you like them. I wanted something light weight and I think your design is very good. I really made them from my left over hiking poles - I wondered how they would work as a portable stand. Yes, they are 1" outer diameter 0.125" thick walls about 5 ft long. I can suspend them end to end and stand in the middle (250 pounds) without them bending, so I know that they're strong enough.

The holes in the booms are 1/4 inch - good eye's you've got. I have to play with some stakes. I wonder if 8 or 10" gutter nails would work or should I use steel? Have you tried them?

No, the holes aren't properly centered or at a 45 degree angle, but I can redrill on some new pieces of aluminum pole. All my "experimants" start out as scrap and are not straight or pretty

Thanks for the specs and dimensions. I really like this set-up and want it to work.

I literally just got back from a 12 hour trip from Ga. I don't think I'll have time to set up today, so I'll do it in the morn and post pics if anyone's interested. Now that my old singer 201 checks out, it's time to ride over to JoAnnes to look at ripstop nylon and some poly thread tomorrow.. I have a whole list of projects in mind!

**Alamosa** · 07-11-2011, 20:34

Hi LB, I thought I would answer your PM here so others might chime in with their experiences.

I have not tried the aluminum gutter stakes yet. I have been thinking about making stake booms in different sizes and weights for different uses. Gutter spikes and smaller tubing for the booms may work very well for lighter loads.

The two things I would be worried about are their size and strength. For holding a hammock, I think you will need 12" spikes. I am not sure that the aluminum stakes (especially in 1/4") will not bend under load.

I got my steel spikes at the hardware store. It was the longest they had.

Those must be some poles you have, if you can stand on them like that.

Good luck.

**Lost_Biker** · 07-11-2011, 20:41

Thanks Alamosa - I'll see if I can dig up the pic of me standing on a 6 footer. Was many moons ago. I can do another with the poles I have. It is stout stuff and fairly light weight even for a thick hiking pole. Here's where I buy from http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...ube_6061t6.php

**Lost_Biker** · 07-12-2011, 12:41

OK - I have made the stand. It's not perfect and still needs work. I have found that para cord (7 strand) is not strong enough for the guy lines, too stretchy, so it will have to wait till I order some more amsteel. I used 16 inch 1/4 inch steel rods that I put a bend at the top. The boom stakes work very well - they dug in and didn't pull out. The poles didn't flex either. So aside from stretchy para cord (yes, I should have known), I believe I have a light weight portable stand.
Please note this is just for testing - the booms will be longer and the tie points will be better (just loops for now). So here's some pics without an occupant - the kids said "yeah, right!" and fled across the fence where I couldn't get them.

Thanks to Alamosa and others for the idea!

**burleyolebear** · 07-13-2011, 09:16

That is an awesome looking rig, although I understand the kid's trepidation. I would also consider some titanium tubing for something like this but I'm not sure of the cost. I have yet to go where there are no trees, but you never know...

**Lost_Biker** · 07-13-2011, 18:26

Thanks Burleyolebear. I'm a cycle tourist and have had to go to ground lots of times - mainly Kansas, Wyoming, some parts of Colorado and Montana. When you follow a cycling route like the Trans America Trail - your on back roads and with the pine beatles out west, they have devastated the trees on this particular route.
Titanium would be great for the lack of corrosion factor. I have several buckets of titanium bolts I use on my bicycles (and others).
I'm positive I can make the aluminum work - just need stronger guy lines.