Not a day goes by where we don’t get asked a question from a customer who’s curious about how to best setup their hammock.
Whether it’s setting it up on a balcony, in a bedroom, between two Jeeps, or just in the backyard – the situations are always different but the questions are often the same:
How far apart should the attachment points be?
How high do they need to be to make sure the hammock isn’t touching the ground?
Is __ feet apart too short/long to hang the hammock?
If you’ve read our post on The Hammock Angle (part of our Sleeping In A Hammock Guide) you know that you should be hanging your non-spreader bar hammock with a nice loose curve so you can lie at an angle across it and get flat.
[NOTE: If your hammock has a metal or wooden spreader bar at each end then this guide won't apply to your hammock - to find out why you should probably switch to a new hammock, check out our post on How You've Been Hammock Brainwashed.]
When your hammock is setup, the amount of curve (also referred to as sag) is going to be determined by the distance between the ends of your hammock. That distance can easily be measured by measuring across the empty space between each end of your hammock. This distance is commonly called the Hammock Ridgeline Length.
You’re probably already thinking, “Wow, there’s a lot more to hanging a hammock than I realized!”. Well, yes and no.
Hanging your Trek Light Hammock between two points can and should be as simple as eyeballing it once you’re used to it (and you can always make easy adjustments with our Go Anywhere Rope Kit). A tape measure definitely isn’t part of our backpacking kit!
But, simply knowing the factors involved can be extremely helpful when it comes to understanding how it all comes together. And, if you’re looking to hang a hammock in a more permanent way (such as installing eyebolts in your wall or posts in your backyard) doing it ‘by the book’ with measurements is definitely the way to go to make sure the hammock hangs exactly the way you want it in the end.
To break it down, when hanging a hammock you’re dealing with a combination of each of these factors to determine the final outcome:
- Distance between the two objects
- Height of attachment points (where you put the rope, straps or eye bolts)
- Hammock Ridgeline Length
- How high off the ground the hammock sits (think of it as chair height)
Another important safety factor you should take into consideration (especially when attaching to a wall or ceiling) is the amount of force being applied to your anchor points and suspension when you’re lying in the hammock.
The amount of force being applied isn’t just dependent on how much weight you’ve got in the hammock as many think. It’s actually a combination of factors including the weight and the angle of your suspension (the angle between the cord and the tree as shown in the picture to the right).
In a nutshell, the tighter you pull your hammock the greater the forces will be on the suspension and anchor points (another reason to hang loose!). An approximate 30 degree angle is considered ideal.
But don’t worry, you don’t need a protractor in your pack either, the angle will always be correct if you just follow the guidelines below. Exactly how tight or loose to hang the hammock can be a matter of personal preference, but there’s definitely a ‘sweet spot’ that creates the ideal hammock curve.
For our Single and Double Hammocks that ridgeline length is around 9’ (108 inches) to get an ideal hammock curve. On our Compact Hammock, which is a foot shorter, it’s closer to 8’ (96 inches).
So, how do you take all of these variable measurements and figure out how to hang your hammock?
Lucky for all of us hammock hangers, there’s a hero in the hammock community by the name of Derek Hansen and he created The Hammock Hang Calculator.
Derek is a hammock enthusiast, author and talented illustrator who has broken down the physics of hanging a hammock and designed an easy to use and understand calculator.
Using The Hammock Hang Calculator
All you need to do is plug in a few of your known (or desired) factors and the calculator will take care of the rest. It even opens with several default options preset that work perfectly with your Trek Light Hammock – the Ridgeline Length is already set to 108 inches and the Sit Height is set to 18 inches (average chair height for most).
If the Ridgeline Length and Sit Height is what you want, all you need to do is plug in the distance between your points - and your weight if you’re concerned (or curious) about the amount of force being applied - and you’re ready to go!
The Hammock Hang Calculator will show you how high to set your suspension points (rope, straps, eyebolt, etc.) to get the perfect hang every time.
Many thanks to Derek for putting together such an amazing tool for hammock lovers. Keep in mind that all of these numbers can be approximated and hanging your hammock doesn’t need to be an exact science, it’s all about what feels comfortable to you.
As it says in the disclaimer on the page, please keep in mind that the calculator is designed for ‘estimating and entertainment purposes only’ and the same goes for the contents of this guide. You should always get a professional opinion when hanging your hammock indoors, make sure any object you’re hanging from is strong enough to support your weight and double check all equipment.
Neither Derek nor Trek Light Gear can be held liable for damage or injury that results from hanging your hammock incorrectly, from an insecure object or in an unsafe manner.
The Ultimate Hang!
You’ll be hearing more from us on the blog about Derek Hansen soon as Derek recently just published an incredible book on hammock camping called The Ultimate Hang: An Illustrated Guide To Hammock Camping. We sell it in our shop so you can buy it immediately and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to learn more about the world of hammock camping.
Derek uses over 200 illustrations and a wealth of knowledge to explain everything you need to know about topics such as staying dry, keeping warm, and, of course, setting up your hammock properly.
I hope this guide, along with the Hammock Hang Calculator, has been incredibly helpful in helping you determine how to hang your Trek Light Hammock.
If you’ve got any questions about hanging your hammock or feel we missed anything just post your question in the comments below!
(P.S. You can also download a mobile version of the Hammock Hang Calculator for your iPhone in the Apple store!)
Comments (73)
Hi Lisa – There’s no reason why you wouldn’t be able to work with the 26ft distance provided your trees are tall enough and strong enough. If you plug 26ft into the Hammock Hang Calculator you’ll see that you’ll need to hang your straps at a height of about 9ft to get it to work. So you’ll need a step stool or a ladder and some pretty long straps (you can always combine our rope kits together to extend them) but you should be able to pull it off.
Before you do that though, have you considered sinking a post in between the trees? With that distance you could sink a 4×4 post in the middle of the two trees and have an easy way to hang two hammocks in that space instead of one!
Wow….awesome idea Seth. With 4 kids….that will cut down on the fighting. Thanks for the suggestion. I’m gonna do that!
[…] you are not that big on the outside use of the armchairs, make that wooden frame really solid and have a hammock there. This is more practical to protect in case of the rain and it still makes a perfect shade for […]
So I had looked at the hang calculator and then found your site. Very informative. The one thing that troubles me is the cord tension calculation. In the default example, assuming perfect angle and distances, wouldn’t the cord tension be 200/2 on EACH line? Is the cord tension in this calculator just giving the total cord tension? This is an important distinction as most tree straps are limited to 200lbs EACH or 400lbs TOTAL and I intend to use a double on occasion for my son or gf and I to share.
Hi Jason – As I understand it, the tension on the cord is derived from the sum of both the downward force (ie. your weight – in the calculator default = 200lbs) and the horizontal shear force applied (173lbs in the example). So it does result in a combined 200lbs of tension on EACH strap even though there’s only 200lbs in the hammock.
I’m not sure what straps you’re referring to, but I honestly wouldn’t use a strap that only has a working load of 200lbs – you ideally want straps that are capable of supporting 400lbs or more individually to be on the safe side.
http://www.amazon.com/Eagles-Nest-Outfitters-Polyester-Hammock/dp/B008OXZNDO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428438195&sr=8-1&keywords=eno+strap
“Each strap in the Atlas hammock suspension system can support 200 lbs, for a combined weight capacity of 400 lbs”
Sorry, forgot to reply to your reply.
Well, I honestly can’t speak to the strength of those straps, but my guess is that the Amazon page may describe them incorrectly. If you look at the Atlas Strap page on ENO’s site it doesn’t mention anything about the individual strap strength being only 200lbs. You may want to reach out to ENO or Derek Hansen (the creator of the calculator) for a better explanation of the forces involved to make sure you’re getting straps that are sufficient.
Hi, thank you for the awesome hammock calculator.. I have 2 poles supporting my sail shade over the porch.. the distance between them is about 6m (19.6ft).. Is it two far..? I am thinking of using mexican style hammock, woven with wooden frame parts.. and metal chains, pad eyes, drilled through the pole and S hooks for support.. Is it doable? You calculator says yes.. but is my suspension strong enough?
Hi Lesia – I’m sure you can find a way to make it work, but keep in mind that the hang calculator is made primarily with a gathered end hammock in mind rather than the wooden spreader bar hammock you have. So factors like your ‘hammock sag’, ridgeline, etc. are all very different when dealing with a spreader bar style hammock like you describe. If you’ve got the hammock already you can always hold it out in the space and try to get a feel for whether it will work or not. If you haven’t purchased the hammock yet, I’d definitely suggest checking out Trek Light Gear’s Double Hammock – it’s more durable and comfortable than many woven wooden frame hammocks and should definitely work in the space you’ve got!
Hello, I have recently bought a hammock for me to not only relax in my bedroom with, but also as an alternative to my bed for when I feel I am extra tired, hot/cold, etc… but, when hanging the eye bolts in my room I didn’t really think too much if the eye bolts should be the same height, or different heights. I placed one eye bolt, and then the one on the opposite side about 3-5 inches above it. Every night I try to sleep in it, either one side or the other feels uncomfortable in the sense that the opposing side is pushing against my side. Does this happen if they are the same height? Or is it me just laying in a bad position? If you could get back to me, that would be great.