I just finished building a Tensahedron hammock stand. Wow could nothing be easier? Thank you Leatherdome for the inspiration.
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Material List:
4x 3/4" x 10' EMT
2x eye-bolt 1/4"-20 x 3" need 2 /12" shank length with nuts. You can also use 2 1/2" hex bolts.
2x 1/4" Nylon spacer
Paracord
Tools:
Tape measure
Drill w/ 1/8" and 1/4" bits
Spanner
Hack saw
Cost ~$25.00 at Home Depot. Assembly Time < 1 hour
1) Line drilled 1/4" holes through EMT pipe at 96" (8') from one end. (4X).
2) Assembled 2 pipes together with the eye-bolt, placing the nylon spacer between the pipes. The eye is placed so that it faces inboard.
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3) Shear lashed the legs of the pole sets together ~2" from the end. I used one piece for para-cord with 60" (5') of cordage between the legs to control splay. If you are not good at knots, then you could always drill a hole near the bottom of the legs and tie them together with a loop of para-cord through the holes. Trick is you want them a little loose to each other so they do not bind up the bolt at the top as you set it up and take it down.
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The now assembled Tensahedron Hammock stand is ready to set up. Heavy ground stakes and para-cord was used to tether each end.
The hammock is hung on soft shackles that loop over the nylon spacer. Do not attach hammock to the eye bolt. You will apply too much bending force and bend the bolt.
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with the hammock hung the tarp can be attached. I attached a 10' tarp with no load carabiners to the eye-bolt.
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With no one in the hammock the tarp holds the weight of the poles, and the hammock ridgeline is just slack. When you get in the hammock, the hammock suspension will adjust to the proper angle which pulls the poles inward a little. This unloads the tarp and the hammock's ridgeline takes the longitudinal load. Adjusting the hammock suspension length such that the load is off the tarp but not so much that the tarp goes slack or sags.
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I am now ready to go to state parks or group camps where there are not good trees or not allowed to hang from trees. I found the stand to be quite stable, and very comfy. I used tethers on both ends and highly recommend that. Set it up such that one tether is a little loose and will allow the unit to rock ~2"-4". This set up also comes down and folds up nicely. I tie and wrap the tether lines to hold the poles together in storage. Folded dimensions are about 2" x 2" x 100". Little long to go in the trunk of a car, but the bed of a truck or the roof rack along side of the canoe/kayak no problem.
Only thing left to do is trim the excess pole length... But only after another nap. h5.jpg
I am very happy with this project. If you make one please let us know.
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