Making use of our "social distancing" time

[waddy]

I have a nice small shed that I decided I could hang my hammock in if I hung it on a diagonal. I ended up with a measured 15 feet between eye bolts, and using the "Hammock Hang Calculator" from the Ultimate Hang website, and using a Dream Hammock Sparrow with an advertised and measured ridgeline length of 108", weight 200 pounds, and the 15 foot distance, It gave me a hang point height of 70", suspension length of about 42", giving a 30 degree angle, and all that worked out as advertised. But it ended up WAY too low! My butt only inches above the floor.

I had to do some rather extensive shoring up of the wall joists for them to take the horizontal load, and then had to remove it all and move it up, as there was no room to simply
place the eye bolts higher. Of course, since I was now just guessing on height, I over compensated and got it a little too high, but it will work.

Has anyone else had this problem? On trees, it is simple to move the tree straps up or down as needed, but with fixed anchor points it is a problem. I assume it is probably operator error, as I am exceptionally good at that! I would appreciate any comments or suggestions on why the calculator did not work for me.

It is definitely keeping me busy though!

[cmc4free]

Did you include the length of the CLs in your "suspension length?"

[waddy]

I measured from the eye bolt to the gathered end of the hammock for my total suspension length. I just hooked my whoopie slings directly to the eye bolt.

[cougarmeat]

I’m wondering, because you used the hammock calculator, if you specified the height above ground for the bottom of the hammock. That is an optional input. I set mine at 18 inches - about the height of a chair.

With my fixed anchors, the only thing I can play with is the suspension straps length. I use a daisy chain and clip into the loops that give the best ridge line tension.

I believe the Hammock calculator accessible via a “smart” device - like an iPad or phone (Android or Mac), was upgraded a while back. I think it allows you to put in a fixed anchor height and gives you the resulting “missing dimension" when combined with other parameters - like hammock ridge line length and height above ground, etc.. I think it’s sort of like an equation with 4 or 5 inputs, the missing input is calculated and displayed by using the others.

That is different from the original one that is still available on the web. The web version doesn’t allow you to fix the anchor height - anchor height and suspension length are calculated from tree distance, hang angle, height above ground, and hammock (ridge line) length.

[waddy]

I used the web version, and the "height above ground" parameter was already set at 18". All the other variables were entered as my original post, as I figured with a fixed distance and fixed ridgeline length (all three hammocks are 108"" and the 42 inch suspension length should be the same), then what I was searching for was the correct hang attachment height. Obviously I am missing something, as the calculator will surely give the correct answer if the proper mathematical parameters are entered. This is not my first rodeo with hammocks, but the first time trying to set up a permanent hang site with non-adjustable hang points. It should be so simple with the calculator, but obviously my unlimited capacity to screw things up won out!!

[cmoulder]

I measured from the eye bolt to the gathered end of the hammock for my total suspension length. I just hooked my whoopie slings directly to the eye bolt.

Whoopie slings are not a good choice for tight hangs. Depending upon the size of the fixed eye (fixed eye of the whoopie, not the eye bolt) and the distance to the bury, and the length of the bury itself, they eat up a ton of real estate.

Consider using some polyester webbing and tying a Becket hitch directly to the CL. Or use Beetle Buckles if you're a knot-o-phobe!

[cmc4free]

- Do you have some sort of fixed length suspension, or is there another reason why you can't shorten the suspension to bring the hammock higher off the ground?

- Are you sure the SRL is 108"? I know these can elongate some as the weave of the Amsteel, Zing-It, or whatever tightens under loading. It's not exactly "stretch" because the materials don't really stretch, but they can/do become longer after loading. There are some threads on that topic somewhere here.
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...leon-Ridgeline

- Anyway, if it's an 11' hammock, I would have thought the "standard" 83% rule of thumb ridgeline would be 110". Pretty sure that's what most of mine are, and some are even longer because they've elongated.

- I looked for a different calculator tool and tried entering some variables for you:

For 15' span, 18" sit height, 132" hammock, 110" RL, 42" suspension length - it gave an anchor height of 78" (but it calculated that for a 34° hang angle.. and for whatever reason, by default it wanted to use an 86% ridgeline)
https://www.omnicalculator.com/every...e/hammock-hang

- Maybe try the link above, but first take accurate measurements of both the finished hammock length (don't just assume 11' because that might have been the fabric length before creating the end channels) and the ridgeline.

Something like this coupled with an adjustable suspension would make things easier, I suppose
https://dutchwaregear.com/product/ad...e-wall-anchor/

[waddy]

- Do you have some sort of fixed length suspension, or is there another reason why you can't shorten the suspension to bring the hammock higher off the ground?

I have whoopie slings, so lots of available adjustment there, but adjusting the length changes the hang angle significantly as well.

- Are you sure the SRL is 108"? I was pretty certain that is what I measured.
- Anyway, if it's an 11' hammock, I would have thought the "standard" 83% rule of thumb ridgeline would be 110". Pretty sure that's what most of mine are, and some are even longer because they've elongated. The Sparrow is advertised as 11' long, and I agree that the 83% rule gives 110".

I am headed back out to the shed to do some more serious measuring. I must have measured something wrong.

- I looked for a different calculator tool and tried entering some variables for you:

For 15' span, 18" sit height, 132" hammock, 110" RL, 42" suspension length - it gave an anchor height of 78" (but it calculated that for a 34° hang angle.. and for whatever reason, by default it wanted to use an 86% ridgeline)
https://www.omnicalculator.com/every...e/hammock-hang

Interesting, I hadn't seen that version.

- Maybe try the link above, but first take accurate measurements of both the finished hammock length (don't just assume 11' because that might have been the fabric length before creating the end channels) and the ridgeline.

Definitely headed out to do some serious measuring.

Something like this coupled with an adjustable suspension would make things easier, I suppose
https://dutchwaregear.com/product/ad...e-wall-anchor/

Thanks for this link, I believe I will order a set of those. Many thanks for ALL the help and ideas!!

[waddy]

Whoopie slings are not a good choice for tight hangs. Depending upon the size of the fixed eye (fixed eye of the whoopie, not the eye bolt) and the distance to the bury, and the length of the bury itself, they eat up a ton of real estate.

Consider using some polyester webbing and tying a Becket hitch directly to the CL. Or use Beetle Buckles if you're a knot-o-phobe!

Love my Whoopie Slings, have used them for "several" years. I started not long after everyone first started playing with them. I am pretty much a knot-head to begin with, so I enjoy using knots versus hardware.

[waddy]

UPDATE: cmc4free, I measured the present seat height, and measured how much I would have to move it to get the 18" seat height. Moved my eye bolts to my mark and re-hung. Ended up with my seat height of 18", and then started measuring the other parameters. Lo and behold, the hang height came out to exactly 78", the suspension length is 41 1/2", and the hang angle is 30/31 degrees, exactly as the newer calculator predicted and the numbers you came up with. The old calculator on the Ultimate Hang website still insists the hang height should be 70-72". Something not quite right there. Thanks for all your help!! Happy hangin' and stay healthy.