I have loved the Tensahedron thread. Took forever to read. Probably missed a few posts here and there but I think I have mostly stayed on top of it. I first built a pine version with 2 x 2s. I then built one with 3/4 EMT, wood dowel end inserts with chamfered holes held together with Amsteel loops. Works great and is moslty portable if I have my truck and can leave my tonneau closed.

I was browsing my workshop......ie. land of the misfit projects when I came across four poles I bought a few years ago for a telescope project that never happened.

These poles are (were) sold at Lowes in the paint department. Heavy duty telescoping paint handles. Telescope from 48” to 96” with a large heavy duty fiberglass base handle with a nested hexagonal extruded aluminum pole inside locked with a springloaded trigger pin with stops every 6”. Each pole was about $30 with tax. (Just checked online with prices $18 and up)

I used quick paracord lashings just for proof of concept and proof of strength. It hold my 200# with ease. No real flex in the poles. I did extend them to full length minus one pin section leaving an additional 6” inside the fiberglass. The poles were about 7’ 4” (90”). By shortening my whoopies I could get away with taking the extensions down one more pin section .

Lashed at the top and feet with a paracord width stop tied to the feet.

My hammock is a DIY gathered whipped end. Total length about 138” with a ridgeline set at about 112”.

I will tear this all apart and log for a better mechanism to hold the top and bottom together. Likely with some sort of Amsteel shackle with drilled and chamfered holes.

I need to figure out a tarp but that should take too much.

Relaxing

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Upper connection
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Hexagonal pole and spring clip
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Pole Closeup
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Retracted
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