What do YOU do when trees are too far apart?

[MikeCD]

Hi folks! I'm curious how you hang when your trees are less than ideally situated (too far apart) - do you climb the tree to get the straps high enough for that perfect 30-degree angle for your suspension? Do you tighten your suspension to a lower angle (20-degree, 15-degree, etc)?

I was playing with the Hammock Universe Hang Calculator to experiment with suspension lengths (do I need longer UCRs?) and realized that to keep a 30-degree suspension angle when the trees are more than 15-foot apart starts to get my straps pretty high up in the tree.

For example:
If tree distance is 15', then suspension height for a 108" ridgeline (the usual for 11' hammock) is 70"
If tree distance is 20' then suspension height goes up to 87" (just over 8-foot, I can probably just reach this standing on the ground)
If tree distance is 25' then suspension height goes up to 105" (almost 9-foot, I'm gonna need a step-stool or something)
If tree distance is 30' then suspension height goes up to 122" (just over 10 foot, at this point I either use less than 30-degree angle which dramatically increases tension on the UCRs, or I have to climb the tree)

So what do you do?

[iceman857]

My general method for finding trees is to spread my trekking poles out - one from each hand - to "measure" the distance between two trees, and I try to stay within a foot or two from the trees on either side. I have never needed to go higher up on the trees than I can reach when using this method. Also, keep in mind that you may want your head end slightly lower than your foot end, so the height for at least one tree height can be lower than the other. I've seen other guys measure out three paces as their method. I guess my general recommendation is to worry less about the math for situations you prolly wouldn't hang in. YMMV depending on what part of the world you're hanging in.

[ChinoUSMC]

I planted a tree that will serve as a tie down between two different trees.

I also bought a variety of hammock stands (Tensa, YOBO Gear), for hanging with no trees around. Haven Tent is good to hang as a hammock or lay on the ground as a bivey when no trees are around.

Lots of options to choose from.


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[MikeCD]

Thanks, y'all.

Unfortunately, as I live in Texas, this is a situation I do face. My primary place for camping is car-camping in south texas where my brother-in-law has some family land. The trees I usually use there are way too far apart, and I ended up building a stout tripod to serve as one "tree." But before then, I damaged a couple of my UCRs by hanging with the suspension too close to horizontal. Even to get that too-horizontal suspension I had to actually climb the trees and put the tree straps ~12' up or so. With that experience in mind, I am trying to plan for backpacking trips where tree options might be limited. Trekking Treez are an aspiration that I might save up for. I have dabbled with bamboo, but need a pretty stout pole to support me (I'm ~200 lbs). Hence checking with others about hang angle versus suspension height when the perfect tree distance isn't available.

[cougarmeat]

I measured the height that's comfortable for me to work with - say just above eye level. Then I used the Hammock Calculator to see the maximum distance apart the trees could be and still provide the desired slope at (or below) my comfort height. I suppose I could also consider hammock bottom height above ground and get a minimum distance too.

But wait, there's more. If you use a Structural Ridge Line (SRL) on your hammock, you can set it up at a shallower angle (less than 30°) and still keep the same ideal sag. It puts more stress on the tree and suspension, but not the hammock itself; and if you don't overdo it, you'll be fine.

However, there is more than just tree distance. You don't want a tree off to the side that will interfere with the tarp. And you don't want thick underbrush that could tear the hammock material. Also, The distance between the ends of the tarp is wider than the ends of the hammock. So the tree distance has to accommodate your tarp too.

That's our challenge. We get that instead of looking for level ground, free of sticks and rocks and roots, and pine cones, and snakes, and scorpions, and mice and ...

At some point, you'll consider a supplemental stand - something like a Tensa Pole. With that, you only need one tree (or other support). However, the lunch isn't free. Now you have to be aware of the anchoring requirements for the pole and deal with that. But some challenges are more fun than "work".

[Eclectic]

Short girl here. I often use my trekking poles to scootch the tree straps (and sometimes my tarp ridgeline) a bit higher. This is also sometimes necessary on uneven ground. Here in North Georgia, it is not uncommon to have ground level drop 2 or more feet between trees or even from one side of a tree to the other.

If I am car camping, I generally have a small, folding step stool I can use. Of course most of the time, when car camping, I just bring the Tensa so I can set up wherever I want regardless of tree spacing.

[st4hangin]

This Tensa Trekking Treez I never leave home without it

[sideshowraheem]

Yeah every once in a while I have to either live with trees slightly to close, or trees to far apart, and I think to myself I'll get a Tensa Trekking Pole one day.

[PopcornFool]

Sometimes you simply don't have a choice with trees and the only two trees available are too far apart. In this situation, you'll need to attach your straps higher up the tree to keep close to the 30 degree angle.

I've tried a variety of techniques (with varying levels of success) to get my straps higher on trees that are a bit farther apart than I would like. Most methods rely on creating a way for me to reach higher up the tree to push the strap up. The last technique below allows me to pull the strap up rather than push it up.

1) Trekking pole push: Someone already mentioned this earlier. Push the straps up with your trekking poles. It's the fastest, easiest technique that I try first and the one I use most often. Unfortunately, this doesn't always work easily, particularly with trees that have rough bark.

2) Natural step: I've used two methods most often:
2a) Find a wide, stumpy log or a large rock or other sturdy natural wonder to use as a step so that you can reach higher. Stacking a number of smaller logs or rocks can also work. Just know that the more you stack, the less stable your step will be. Unfortunately, these natural step ingredients are not always readily available.
2b) Find a THICK, sturdy branch about 3' long. Lean this against the tree at a 45 degree angle. Brace the bottom of the branch either by using a heavy rock or digging a bit of a hole for it to sit in (or both). The purpose here is to keep the bottom of the branch from sliding once you put weight on it. If the branch is thick enough, there should be room to put your boot at the top of the branch against the tree and allow for about a two foot step up. Unfortunately, you usually need one hand to hang on to the tree to keep your body close to the trunk, so that only leaves one free hand to adjust the strap height. This is my least favorite method because if everything isn't just right, the branch will slip and you can really hurt yourself. I'd consider this a last resort method.

3) Rope step. Amsteel is really useful for this. I almost always take a couple of Amsteel dog bones with me to extend my suspension when necessary and they can serve this purpose. Two approaches:
3a) Bear bag (over a branch) method: Attach something to the throw end of a long piece of Amsteel (a 'biner, a short heavy stick, a rock filled sock, etc.) and toss the line over a sturdy higher branch. Once it drops back down to you, remove the throw device. Tie off the rope using a non-slip knot so that you've created a large loop that hangs over the branch near the trunk of the tree and about 18-24" off the ground at it's lowest point. Use the large loop you've created as a step to reach higher. You can add slip hitches in the loop to make the loop shorter resulting in a higher step.
3b) Around the tree method: Tie a piece of Amsteel around the base of the tree about 3' feet off the ground. Tight, but loose enough to slide it up and down the tree trunk. Create a loop with another piece of Amsteel big enough to put your boot in. Affix this boot loop to the Amsteel on the tree to create a makeshift step. I usually just larks head it on. Once you step in the loop, there should be enough tension on the Amsteel on the tree to keep it from sliding down and it'll give you another couple of feet of reach. You can adjust the height by sliding the whole shebang up and down the tree trunk. (Not when you're standing in it of course.)

4) Bear canister step; Kind of obvious and the easiest step to use. But this only works when I actually take my bear canister with me. It is also a fixed height step. If it's not a tall enough canister, you won't be able to reach higher. I've also had challenges finding a stable place to put the bear canister when the tree roots are exposed near the trunk.

5) Pull it up: I use this technique most often with trees that are particularly far apart and a makeshift step won't give me enough reach. Start with the bear bag toss over a higher branch. When the line comes back down, tie it loosely to the strap, then simply pull the strap up. If you start with the strap already connected to itself and snugged up, this approach suffers from the same challenge as the trekking pole push when the bark is rough. But if you loosen the strap significantly before you tie off the pull line and attempt to lift it, you can usually get it in the place you want it fairly easily. Then you can simply pull your strap to tighten once it's in place. When I need to lift my strap above lower branches, this approach works particularly well. In those situations, I don't even hook the strap to itself until I have it lifted in place. Only then will I connect the strap to itself using a 'biner or dutch clip or a soft shackle (my usual preference) and tighten. There's an art to this approach and you have to experiment with exactly where to tie to the strap, how loose to tie the throw line to strap (the strap needs to be able to slide through the tied off throw line when you tighten the strap), how much of the strap ends hang down, how to hold the strap in place using the lift rope while you tighten the strap to itself. etc. It'll probably take you quite a few attempts to get it right the first time you try it. But it gets easier to judge with practice. You will also need fairly long straps for this to work if you must lift high up the tree. Huggers probably won't work well for this approach.

I'm sure there are other methods as well, but these are the only ones I've experimented with.

[MikeCD]

Thank, y'all! There are some interesting ideas for me to explore here. Really appreciate it!