Things to keep in mind if attempting to do this...
Don't stake the poles perpendicular to the ground. instead, pitch them so that they are at angle away from the hammock. This reduces the load on the poles and helps to ensure that you stay in the air! Then, tie your suspension lines around the poles then to a ground-based anchor point. Preferably this would be a large log, however considering that such an item might not exist you would need to find something equally capable with which to anchor your suspension lines. I don't have the numbers available now, but mathematically you can determine what the necessary counter load will be. Would be good to know so you don't end up on the ground!
Also worth pointing out that stabilization is possible once your anchors are set and the hammock is properly loaded as the point of tension/load will always seek a center of gravity between the two anchor points, rather than falling to one side or the other.
We all know of the original "Walk off the war" thru-hike - but, check out these guys, they're helping folks 'walk off the war' today -
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I've played about with a similar idea, but have yet to find a light enough solution to my liking. However, I have discovered a couple of things that might help.
1. The lateral shear is greatly reduced if your hammock suspension attaches to the poles at the same exact point where the anchoring lines extend from.
2. The closer the poles are to each other, the less stress overall.
3. A structural ridgeline is essential to constructing a self-supporting rig.
4. I have found that two guy lines extending from each pole can be securely anchored with a rig of two nail stakes, bound together by a loop of strong cord, on each line.
5. Hanging as low to the ground as possible will help to reduce stress on the poles.
6. I have been able to hang 8" off the ground using 42" poles. My two YouTube videos (hikerbyday) show my hammock setup using one 42" pole supporting one end.
It works, but I'm still looking for a hiking pole solution that will withstand the vertical pressures. Hope this helps further your cause.
it took me a bit to find my reference, but here you go... (not mine, but useful no less)
We all know of the original "Walk off the war" thru-hike - but, check out these guys, they're helping folks 'walk off the war' today -
Donate to help fund gear for the warriors who are coming back home and need help walking off the war!
WarriorHike.com
WetRivrRat, that is a nice chart for attaching a hammock to trees. But those forces are not relative to pole setup. Well, they don't have to be, it would depend on how your setup. You could do a setup with no horizontal force on the poles.
With a tree setup, the horizontal forces on the tree are from the weight of you and your gear. This force is transmitted to the tree by the suspension attached to the trees. With a pole setup, the horizontal forces are not supported by the poles but by the ground. Instead of poles, think of a 2x4 with a hole drilled through it. The suspension gets passed through the hole, then anchored into the ground. The 2x4 only hold the suspension line up. There is only a vertical force on it. None of the horizontal force is passed onto the 2x4.
I know how you feel Halo. Have the same issue in west Texas. Nothing but scrub mesquite and as all Texans know, mesquite is hated. I have actually found one good mesquite to tie to and whipped a bunch of branches from a smaller one together into a bigger one to hang from in the past. Works well!
I have the same poles, (the larger of the kelty poles) and will happily attempt to use them with the hammock this weekend when I go camping. I usually use them with my MSR/Moss Parawings and have seen them hold up to some absolutely tremendous loads when the winds get really heavy. I was actually thinking about buying another pair of them from REI to cannibalize and make a ridgepole for my in-process turtledog stand. They are certainly some of the stoutest pack-able aluminum poles I've found.
Erik
“Rivets are the new duct tape.”
You can hang on a toothpick if it remains perfectly in column. The problem occurs when lateral forces exceed vertical ones. That is when buckling occurs. The ability to transfer loads from multiple and disparate directions in the field (one one extreme on in the case of a hammock) is a function of the column's working diameter and countervailing forces in the opposite direction. Hammock's hang from trees! How does one recreate a tree in the desert? The working diameter of a painter's extension or a piece of portable scaffolding is more in the range of what you want than Kelty tent poles. They are too nice for their intended use compared to an experiment as a hammock stand, risking breaking them.
Last edited by MDSH; 08-29-2012 at 19:28. Reason: clarity
I think you misunderstand, These are in no way comparable to toothpicks, The Kelty Tarp Poles are a 25mm x 8' 6061-T6 aluminum alloy pole that breaks down to a pack-able length (28") and weigh 2.6 lbs each. Cost- $40@
The roller extensions sturdy enough to compare to them weigh 3.2 lbs each and only collapse to 52". Cost- $30@
The cheaper and much more common Kelty "Staff Pole" is a much lighter standard duty 16mm x 8' aluminum (likely not the T6 alloy since Kelty doesn't mention it in their specs like they do with the bigger ones) pole that breaks down smaller and weights 1.0 lbs. Cost $26@ < I would NEVER expect these to remotely hold up to the absolute torture I've put my larger Tarp poles through.
I have even constructed litters on the fly from pairs of these very poles and a standard wool rescue blanket, this worked so well in fact that I now keep a set in the trunk with my blankets for just this purpose, which is half of why I want to look into a setup to hammock between them as well, b/c I already have a hammock and a set of these poles with me 90% of the time.
No worries BTW, In my setup they will certainly have extra rigging to support where the lateral load from the hammock is introduced. I already had a few ideas cooking for that.
“Rivets are the new duct tape.”
I don't mean to disparage your poles, 2. In fact, I intend to get 4 of them myself some day because my family loves picnics and I want a better way to fly my tarp, which will weigh less than a pound when built. I was commenting on the engineering problem. You are asking a tube to withstand lateral forces for which it was not designed. A blanket litter distributes load over the length of the body you are hauling through a weave in the blanket fabric. A hammock excerts extreme stress distributed between only two very small points at the top of the poles. To keep it in column the countervailing forces opposite said load and spread to at least two points in the opposite direction each are a tremendous challenge in the field. It can be done but large spade or auger anchors in the dry dirt of South Texas ...
Last edited by MDSH; 08-30-2012 at 20:55. Reason: spelling
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