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  1. #1

    Hanging with a family

    Hello everyone. I'm going to caveat this with we haven't even tried hammocks yet, but we want to get off the ground.

    I'm looking for some advice for a family of three. It will be myself, 5'7" ~200lbs; my wife, 5'4" <200lb, and our four year old daugher, 3' ~40 lbs.

    My first question is would a Vertex fit us all? I know that myself and wife would fit just fine, but was wondering if the middle 'bunk/storage' area would fit our daughter.

    If not, I'm assuming a combo of the Flex 180 and an NX250 would work.

    Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Postal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
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    Fort Payne, AL
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    You might look into bunk style hammocking. That is how my family of four does it. The daughter above my wife and the son above me. Two tarps and four hammocks. This is just until they get old enough/brave enough to hang under their own tarps.
    Where ever you go,
    There you are.

  3. #3
    Thank you for the advice. While that would work, it would be the most expensive option I could make. It would be approx $1100 just for the hammocks, then I'd need to add the winterization costs on to that, for three hammocks, since more than half of the year is cold here in SD.

  4. #4
    Senior Member c0wb0y_hubs's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
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    Monterrey, MX
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    For myself and my wife, I made tablecloth hammocks w/ whoopie-slings. My 6 & 8 year old boys got the $20 hammocks from Walmart, and my 4 year old daughter used a decorative sheet. My daughter slept ~10 hrs without waking up. I recommend adding ridgelines to the walmart hammocks, and the tablecloth hammock is pretty much awesome. I built the two of them for ~$50. Since I was in a rush, on a tight budget, and had the car close to the site, I decided to use good ol' Harbor Freight tarps. It worked great!

    Here's my daughter enjoying her's while I finish setting up.


    The tablecloth jobbers:


    My boys in theirs:


    and here's a link the gallery:
    https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...p?albumid=2595
    Leonard Outdoors Youtube.com/drleonar

  5. #5
    Senior Member DemostiX's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Like Lewis & Clark: Wintrin' o/t Columbia again: PDX
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    Excellent illustrated reply from c0wb0y_hubs !!

    Not just less expensive, but everyone gets to figure out their own comfortable position -- some form of diagonal is likely, but just where in the hammock varies -- without constraints of someone else in an expensive hammock trying to do the same, and maybe in conflict.

    Sure, I'd like a Clark Vertex, but that's like buying a serious tandem bicycle before knowing that either rider finds bicycling comfortable and enjoyable.

  6. #6
    That is quite a reply. I will certainly get/make some hammocks to try out first. Now, assuming that we all like hanging, would a vertex or something similar be a viable option for our family? Of course once our daughter gets bigger she'll need her own, but for the forseeable future she's going to be a bit small.

  7. #7
    Senior Member DemostiX's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Like Lewis & Clark: Wintrin' o/t Columbia again: PDX
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    Most everyone here reading at HF, including Clark owners, would say the Vertex is a specialized product. Just like tandem bicycles -- and I mean serious ones, not noodles brazed together for a boardwalk riding. Most couples who ride together ride solo bicycles. That's not to say the tandem doesn't bring some couples to ride together for the first time. But most of those are rentals. $40 spent is just $40; $2000-$3000 for a new tandem built to fit both partners gives pause.

    You needn't DIY. Searching will lead to many pre-made hammocks costing <$30. Don't forget to take care of being cold from underneath. (Read here or Just Jeff, among sources.) You'll also need straps and rope / cord. $120 will get you going, except for the protection from cold underneath. Then there's protection from stuff falling from the sky, call it shelter.

    Anyway, your daughter will CERTAINLY wind up with her own hammock (and maybe another one or two for friends for sleep-overs.)
    Last edited by DemostiX; 04-12-2013 at 16:42. Reason: tandem

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