GeoTrek Bamboo Hammock Stand

**XTrekker** · 05-19-2013, 15:49

So I loved the mobility of the TurtleLady's Bamboo hammock stand but I wanted it to be much more lighter so if, I had to haul my stand a few miles, I could do it with ease. I wanted something super light and compact enough to toss on my back and trek my way to the perfect spot on the beach or wherever I may need to go. The problem with the TurtleDog stand for me was the weight; the metal poles are very heavy and the 2x2's are also quite heavy with all the hardware. From my best guesstimates, the TD stands average between 20-30lbs. So I decided that I would try and cut that weight in half or even a third. In came the bamboo.

I was able to make the tripods out of bamboo quite easily but the ridge pole was a different story. I bought some aluminum poles and fashioned a ridge pole out of those but when I compared the Aluminum pole to the bamboo version of a ridge pole, the bamboo ended up being the exact same weight and even slightly lighter and the bamboo even had much more rigidness than the aluminum. So I returned the aluminum poles and stayed with the bamboo for the ridge pole..The problem still laid with the joint between the two poles being the weak point.

I resolved this weak point by gluing in a dowel rod inside of one of the bamboo halfs and sanded to fit the other half. So when the two halves were joined together the dowel rod would give strength to the bamboo..I then wrapped the outside with some heavy duty tape and bought every size of PVC pipe sold until I found one that fit snugly over the joint, reaching from node to node to give rigidity to the joint. The ends are wrapped with friction tape and paracord to keep the custom made webbing straps from sliding down the bamboo stalk. I added Rubber floor protectors to the two stands so if I wanted to hang inside, I could do so without damaging the floors. I have not clear coated the bamboo yet. Once it fully dries, I will clear coat it which will make the temper treatment look much more vibrant and give it a beautiful finish. I will add those photos later.

So far I have made 3 stands. 2 of the stands were made using pre-dried bamboo and one (shown in the picture below) was made using green bamboo that was tempered. The pre-dried stands weigh less that 10lbs and the one below is still somewhat wet and currently weighs 11lbs, 12oz. It is expected to get down to 9.5lbs when fully dried. This weight includes all the hardware and carry bag that was made custom for it. I decided to go with the single strap that goes across the chest for this bag. I made sure to mount the shoulder strap closer to the top of the bag so to give it stability when strapped to my back. Otherwise it would want to rotate down under my arm.

So to sum it all up I ended with a hammock stand that can handle 180lbs of dynamic load and folds up to fit inside a 6 inch diameter bag and is under 6 foot in total length and weighs less than 10lbs. I understand that this stand is very similar to the TD stand in design but like other stands that are similar in design but yet called different names, I figured this one deserves its own name. The big difference being this one is super light compared to other stands and is completely portable. I decided to call it the GeoTrek stand. Geo representing geography and trek simply meaning hiking.
So far I really love this stand and can't wait to take it to the beach and do my typical 1-2 mile trek to my favorite hidden spot. Total construction time not counting curing time, was:
1 hour - searching through the grove looking for the right stalks.
30 mins - cutting to proper size
4 hours - tempering all the bamboo
1 hour - whipping the tripods together
1 hour - driving back and forth to store getting supplies

2 hours - fashioning the ridge pole joint and end suspension
2 hours - designing and constructing the carry bag
And yes, I tried my best to track the time it took me to do everything.. I spent the entire weekend pretty much working on this thing; but actual time was more like 12 hours. And I still need to clear coat it sometime. The other stands are coming together much faster.

Well I have typed way to much, sorry for the lengthy post.
Not sure if there are many people out there that have a need for UL hammocks stands like I do but if you do, then I hope this post helps you out alittle. Thanks for checking it out and please let me know what you think..

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**Resqsarge03** · 05-19-2013, 15:56

thats pretty slick.
How does one temper bamboo?

**Cranky Bear** · 05-19-2013, 16:04

Sweet stand.

**hppyfngy** · 05-19-2013, 16:26

Originally Posted by Resqsarge03

thats pretty slick.
How does one temper bamboo?

This is exactly how I've done it before. XT might have some other tips.

That turned out really great XTrekker! Congrats.

**Klaussinator** · 05-19-2013, 16:48

HEY! Very, very cool !!!! Great idea, lightweight, and I love the look!

Since I've got a local source for bamboo, I can see I've got another project in front of me . . .

-Klauss

**zukiguy** · 05-19-2013, 17:23

Does a more dispersed flame work better for tempering? My torch only has a tiny pencil tip but I thought about firing up the coleman single burner propane on a tabletop. I have a roller setup for using with the tablesaw that should hold the bamboo an adjustable height above the flame so I could turn twist and turn it as needed while it stays above the flame. Time to find a neighbor with a good stand of bamboo to harvest....

**hppyfngy** · 05-19-2013, 17:31

Originally Posted by zukiguy

Does a more dispersed flame work better for tempering? My torch only has a tiny pencil tip but I thought about firing up the coleman single burner propane on a tabletop. I have a roller setup for using with the tablesaw that should hold the bamboo an adjustable height above the flame so I could turn twist and turn it as needed while it stays above the flame. Time to find a neighbor with a good stand of bamboo to harvest....

It's certainly easier with a larger flame but you can get carried away with the aesthetics and scorch it too. It's fairly tedious. I think the most even I've gotten it is using a propane weed killer torch. You can also do it on a gas grill.

The good news is about any way you do it looks good, but don't forget to drill those release holes between each pair of nodes. It will split if you don't.

**Roadrunnr72** · 05-19-2013, 17:42

Originally Posted by hppyfngy

It's certainly easier with a larger flame but you can get carried away with the aesthetics and scorch it too. It's fairly tedious. I think the most even I've gotten it is using a propane weed killer torch. You can also do it on a gas grill.

The good news is about any way you do it looks good, but don't forget to drill those release holes between each pair of nodes. It will split if you don't.

Ha, I had some, that I thought was good and dry, but not much for use, put it in a fire, and each chamber would pop when heated enough, sounded like small firecrackers......RR

**hppyfngy** · 05-19-2013, 17:50

Originally Posted by Roadrunnr72

Ha, I had some, that I thought was good and dry, but not much for use, put it in a fire, and each chamber would pop when heated enough, sounded like small firecrackers......RR

No doubt! Some neighbors of mine bulldozed some into a big pile once and set it on fire like a month later. Sounded like fireworks for several hours that day!