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  1. #1
    New Member Zeusrex's Avatar
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    Making the Move to Full Time - Some Questions/Concerns

    So I've been lurking in these forums for a few years, since I first discovered hammock camping. But I haven't really felt a need to post since just about everything I ever think to ask has already been answered a dozen times in as many threads. And the question I have now has probably already been answered, but I'm struggling to find exactly what I'm looking for. It's a two-parter. I'll try to be organized

    So here it goes:

    Scenario:
    It's time to retire the mattress my wife and I have been sleeping in for the past 18 years (I know, it's been time for a new mattress for a long time, don't judge!). She and I both sleep in hammocks when camping (Me: WB Eldorado; Her: DW Chameleon), and I've talked her into becoming full-time hangers at home. I've rigged up wall-mount hardware (ENO Deluxe Hammock Hanging Kit), which is relatively cheap and good for getting the 'bed' out of the way if we want/need extra room for activities.

    Part I: Technical Question
    I did a test-hang yesterday to check the hardware, and I swear I heard one of the 2x4 studs make a sound like it moved or shifted under my weight. It was disconcerting.

    A number of posts in the forums suggest that there is no concern if you hit the center of the 2x4 (which I'm positive I did... I have lots of pilot holes to prove where the edges of the stud are ), as you're pulling not on just the stud, but the entire frame that the stud is a part of. This makes sense, as long as you don't have any sudden shock that might dislodge the 2x4 from the frame. I did read somewhere, that it's better to attach near the top-plate. Currently that particular connection is at ~5' (determined by the UH calculator). I could reposition the hardware near the ceiling, but then the strap angle will be closer to 70º than 30. I know that will take a lot of shearing force off the 2x4, but what will it do to the load on the hardware? Is it safer/better to leave it where it is and trust the house-frame? or raise it up and trust the hardware?

    Part II: Functional Question
    I don't want to use my WB as my daily sleeper, but I've never been able to get comfy in my ENO DN, so it's out of the question. I'm 6' and the DN was my first hammock before I knew anything about anything (and was still trying to talk my wife into letting me spend oodles of money on stuff we didn't know if we'd even like). I'm leaning heavily towards getting us a pair of Brazilian hammocks, but I have no experience with them. I know a lot of folks here in the forums use them daily so I'm hoping I can get some good feedback on how they compare to camping hammocks as far as they lay goes.

    Additionally, there seems to be a general consensus that there is no consensus about adding a ridgeline to a Brazilian. Argument 1: If the hammock never moves, and is mounted with the correct angle from the start, no need for a ridge-line. Argument 2: If it's a hammock, it should have a ridge-line.

    Because of my concerns regarding the wall-mount system, I'm considering getting a stand for the Brazilians. I've been looking at a particular design that is about 9.5 feet long. The cordage/clews wrap over the end brace and hook about half-way down the brace. Does this affect the lay? In my mind, what makes shorter hammocks uncomfortable is the fact that the 'gather' begins before my legs or shoulders end. with the Brazilian style hammocks, I feel like the gather doesn't really begin till you get to the clews, so the stand may be okay. But having no experience with them, I really don't know.

    In case my description was insufficient, here's an example of the stand I'm talking about: https://www.hammockuniverseusa.com/c...g?v=1685374408
    HammockUniverseStand.jpg

    --- EDIT ---
    The more I think about it, the more I think that the 'gather' begins wherever physics requires it to in order to go over that fork in the brace... So I'm thinking that stand, at only 9.5 feet, is going to dramatically reduce the useful bed of the hammock. I'd probably want a full-length stand (15') or just go with the wall-mounts. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
    Last edited by Zeusrex; 01-31-2024 at 06:26.

  2. #2
    joe_guilbeau's Avatar
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    Use something like these, drill a pilot hole at the correct height for the hammocks that you have on the vertical 2x4. Cut the sheetrock so you can get a hand inside the wall to put on a washer before tensioning the nut. Replace the sheetrock or place a covering over the hole.

    https://www.amazon.com/AIVOOF-Hammoc...0872969YS?th=1

    It would help to have the distance between your mounting locations, those Brazilian hammocks have a recommended distance of 11-feet between mounting points.

    Problem solved, therefore the Part II question becomes irrelevant.

    That stand that you linked is only 9.5-feet in length according to the specs section.

    Lay your mattress under the hammock until you trust your workmanship, and no worries.

    Loading up a hammock will have the studs in the home making some creaking noises.

  3. #3
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    Is hanging from ceiling joists an option? I have a setup in the garage for testing my hammocks and I have it wrapped around the joists. They don't move and seem fairly secure.

    I have a stand similar to the one you're looking at. I find it far too small and I'm actually looking to sell it locally once the weather gets better. I'd much rather have a full sized stand or I may just make one.

  4. #4
    New Member Zeusrex's Avatar
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    Thanks for the reply, Joe.

    Quote Originally Posted by joe_guilbeau View Post
    Use something like these, drill a pilot hole at the correct height for the hammocks that you have on the vertical 2x4. Cut the sheetrock so you can get a hand inside the wall to put on a washer before tensioning the nut. Replace the sheetrock or place a covering over the hole.

    https://www.amazon.com/AIVOOF-Hammoc...0872969YS?th=1
    Whoo-boy, that's a bit of extra work for sure. Not really up to cutting out and replacing sheet-rock.

    Quote Originally Posted by joe_guilbeau View Post
    It would help to have the distance between your mounting locations, those Brazilian hammocks have a recommended distance of 11-feet between mounting points.
    Distance isn't too much of a concern...sort of. The bedroom is something like 10'x14'. One long wall has 2 windows, one short wall is big closet, so can't really be used for hanging, but I've got some options for hanging diagonally across from long-wall to long-wall or short-wall to long wall. My current test is long-to-long (over the bed). The ENO fits with plenty of room left over. I'm going to string up the WB today to verify this could work with a longer hammock. But we're thinking we might go short-to-long, one of us connected to the window-wall, the other connected to the opposite wall (making a V) so we don't disturb each other coming and going (I'm an early riser and my wife is decidedly not. And that would give us more room to hang.

    I found a free online blueprint tool just now... it's not great, and these dimensions are approximations at best, but it shows the room and kind of the planned layouts.

    Long to Long
    long-to-long.png

    Short to Long
    short-to-long.png

    Now just need to understand if hanging the mounts higher is more dangerous, less dangerous, or equally safe.

    Quote Originally Posted by joe_guilbeau View Post
    That stand that you linked is only 9.5-feet in length according to the specs section.
    Right... I'm not sure what I was thinking


    Quote Originally Posted by joe_guilbeau View Post
    Loading up a hammock will have the studs in the home making some creaking noises.
    That's actually reassuring. Thank you!

  5. #5
    New Member Zeusrex's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mattnin View Post
    Is hanging from ceiling joists an option? I have a setup in the garage for testing my hammocks and I have it wrapped around the joists. They don't move and seem fairly secure.

    I have a stand similar to the one you're looking at. I find it far too small and I'm actually looking to sell it locally once the weather gets better. I'd much rather have a full sized stand or I may just make one.
    Hi Mattnin, thanks for the response.

    Sadly, ceiling joists aren't an option in this room. Ceiling is dry-wall, and above that is crawlspace/insulation-fluff.

    Thanks for confirming my doubts about the hammock stand. I won't waste money on it. They make a longer one that would be great... but it's 15' and would be a terrible fit. Especially since we'd need two.

  6. #6
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    There are also some other options that could work. I'm looking at this myself because I also need a way to hang in the house and a stand is pretty big and so something on the walls would be nice. I'm also seriously considering doing this and getting some L-tracks. There is some hammock shop that sell L-tracks but I'm not able to find them and I don't remember the shop that sells them, but I remember them not being too expensive. Here is a forum link to a thread about this though, https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...4-foot-L-Track
    Maybe install these and spread the load over a couple studs?

  7. #7
    Phantom Grappler's Avatar
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    Before you and your wife take this momentous leap—YouTube Hammock Sutra

    Focus focus you must maintain focus

    Length of hammock: Short hammocks like ENO Doublenest are comfortable for lounging, but you might find more comfort for overnight sleeping if your hammock is 11x5 or even 12x5.5
    This will allow you to sleep on the diagonal. So instead of sleeping like a banana in shorter hammocks, you can get a “flatter” lay.
    The lay will not be completely flat, instead it is completely comfortable, similar in feel to a deluxe recliner laid all the way back.

    While I don’t currently possess an engineering license, I recommend again checking out YouTube for some Rube Goldberg solutions to common engineering challenges. I’m sure you will be inspired.

  8. #8
    New Member Zeusrex's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mattnin View Post
    ... Here is a forum link to a thread about this though, https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...4-foot-L-Track
    Maybe install these and spread the load over a couple studs?
    Oh wow... he got detailed. I love that option. I'll have to run this build past my wife to get her approval, but this is definitely something worth considering just for options. I'm not familiar with L-Tracks at all, so I wonder how they hold up to lateral pull. typoman's build looks to be straight across, wall-to-wall. I'd have to hang at an angle, so if the L-tracks might bend/twist/warp with lateral torque it wouldn't work for me.

    Though you mention possibly hanging it across multiple studs (I'm picturing a horizontal build rather than the vertical build like typoman's). Which would be 100% lateral pull. If that works, that's kind of an ideal possibility.

    Thank you for the food for thought. I'll keep you posted if I go this route. Let me know if you do the same and how it turns out!

  9. #9
    New Member Zeusrex's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phantom Grappler View Post
    Before you and your wife take this momentous leap—YouTube Hammock Sutra

    Focus focus you must maintain focus
    HAHAHAH! I ran across that book recently when trying to convince my wife that giving up the bed for hammocks would not have detrimental repercussions.

    Quote Originally Posted by Phantom Grappler View Post
    While I don’t currently possess an engineering license, I recommend again checking out YouTube for some Rube Goldberg solutions to common engineering challenges. I’m sure you will be inspired.
    lol, I love a good Rube Goldberg machine as much as the next guy... but my wife will insist on "simple solution". She's very Occam about these things.

  10. #10
    New Member Zeusrex's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mattnin View Post
    ...There is some hammock shop that sell L-tracks but I'm not able to find them and I don't remember the shop that sells them, but I remember them not being too expensive...
    I found them on Dutch's site. He calls them "Adjustable Wall Anchor" rather than L-track, so that's probably why you haven't been able to find them
    https://dutchwaregear.com/product/ad...e-wall-anchor/

    Or maybe you saw them in a different shop.

    The more I read up on these things and see other full-timers using them as I scour the forums, the more I'm thinking this will work for me. Continuing to dig.

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