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  1. #1
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    Different distances for different hammocks

    Very new to hammock camping. My question is this I have alway read you want trees 15-20 feet apart. With that being said would that change with different size hammocks. I am thinking of 11 foot vs a 9 foot hammock.


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  2. #2
    Senior Member tsshaw78's Avatar
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    I suggest playing with the hammock hang calculator to get an idea about hang distances and angles.
    https://theultimatehang.com/hammock-hang-calculator/
    A day camping in the rain is better than a good day at work,
    --Shaw.

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  3. #3
    cmc4free's Avatar
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    Shorter hammocks allow shorter minimum distance between mounting points. That much is obvious. With any hammock, the farther apart the trees are, the higher you'd need to attach the straps for a given suspension angle. And for any given pair of trees, a shorter hammock would require the straps to be attached higher on the trees than a longer hammock would to achieve that suspension angle.

  4. #4
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmc4free View Post
    And for any given pair of trees, a shorter hammock would require the straps to be attached higher on the trees than a longer hammock would to achieve that suspension angle.
    Can you explain that a bit further? I don't understand that.
    "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson

  5. #5
    cmc4free's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr View Post
    Can you explain that a bit further? I don't understand that.
    Just a crummy sketch, but green is a longer hammock than red, while suspension angles and sit height are supposed to be equal.

    I think the wording in my previous post may have been confusing.


  6. #6
    Senior Member tsshaw78's Avatar
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    I too was confused at first but the drawing helps me realize you assumed the same hammock height.
    A day camping in the rain is better than a good day at work,
    --Shaw.

    tsshaw78 is too hard to say on the trail - Just call me Shaw.

  7. #7
    cmc4free's Avatar
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    One thing I considered, but didn't really detail in the sketch is that a shorter hammock also won't be as deep (assuming ~83% structural ridgelines on both). So the ridgeline of the red hammock would be slightly lower than the ridgeline of the green hammock, for them to have equal sit heights. That would offset the strap height difference on the trees a bit.

    But I also think these ideas might be overcomplicating the situation for a new hanger. I have a couple old 9' hammocks, but all the ones I use now are 11'. With that length hammock, trees from 12' apart to 20'+ apart are best. The farther away, the higher on the tree the straps need to go. Trees 12' apart may not be suitable for all suspension types, particularly whoopie slings.
    Last edited by cmc4free; 09-09-2020 at 19:32.

  8. #8
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
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    Another thing I think people don't remember: a short suspension/tree span = fast and nauseating rocking. Well maybe not quite nauseating, but just not the nice easy sway of a longer suspension.

  9. #9
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    Hi Turk181. I see this is your first post so welcome to the forum. Your 15 - 20 foot tree distance is a bit longer than usual. But you have the right idea. A “slight” error is just considering the hammock itself. With an 11 ft hammock hung to 83% of its physical length, that would be about 9 ft. BUT - you would probably also be using a tarp to cover the hamock. And tarps also run about 11 ft - some a little longer or shorter. So you want to plan your distance on the tarp if you will be using one.

    Also, for any hammock length, the further apart the trees, the higher you have to hang the hammock to keep the desired angle. My guess is few people would be able to reach as high as they’d need to with trees 20 ft apart.

    So I’d consider a range closer to 12 to 15 ft as your target distance. One particular bridge hammock (has spreader bars), the Black Bird Ridge Runner, likes to have about 14 - 15 ft tree separation. But as noted above, an 11 ft gathered end hammock with an 11 ft tarp would be happy with say 12 ft separation.

    There is no problem going longer - just the requirement to make the hammock suspension connection to the tree higher.
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 09-11-2020 at 12:29.
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  10. #10
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    Normally the further apart the trees are means the tree straps have to be placed higher. If you are vertically challenged you can use your hiking pole and or a stick to help work the straps up higher on the tree.

    If the trees you are using are very small then you run the risk of the trees bending in towards each other when you get in the hammock which can impact the height of the hammock needed to get out of it ( I like my hammock to be high enough so that my feet just touch the ground ) and can allow your tarp set up to be messed up as the tarp will end up being loose when the trees are bent in towards each other. If your hammock ends up being to low, try walking backwards in your hammock till you are high enough to stand up normally....hard to do if there are lots of loose leaves / pine needles.

    With practice it will be easier to find two trees the correct distance.
    I am still 18 but with 52 years of experience !

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