In tight spaces, like small spare bedrooms, college dorm rooms and others, a hammock might be just the thing. Hung from the walls, you can still have ample storage space underneath. You can hang it onto hooks, making it easy to remove during the day or when not in use. Be sure to search for studs to ensure a good hold, since obviously drywall won't support the weight.
The back porch is a great place for a hammock
. But most houses don't have trees conveniently placed to provide support. In this case, a hammock stand
is the perfect partner. Be sure to get one sturdy enough to stand up to a force several hundred pounds more than your weight.You generate more force when you sit up, push off or plop down than you do when just lying. Also, anyone sleeping in a hammock is a magnet for someone to sit or lie on top of them. That substantially increases the dead weight and adds even more to the accelerated weight.
If you have them, tall thick trees make for great traditional hammock supports. The hammock looks good that way, and you'll have the shade from the trees to supplement your enjoyment. But be sure to hang in a way that doesn't damage the tree and still supports the hammock.
If you attach the hammock by wrapping, the rope used to wrap the tree should be thick enough not to scar the bark. A large enough ring in bark, made deep enough, will kill a tree. Once that happens, not only do you lose the shade from the leaves, but the wood will become brittle and lessen the support. Not to mention killing your nice looking lawn decoration. Even a small opening in the bark can provide easy access to tree-killing insects and parasites.
If the rope is thick enough to support the hammock, but thin enough to do damage, it's easy to solve the problem. Just wrap that portion of the rope with a towel or piece of thick rubber such as a few layers of sliced garden hose. Screwing a 1/4 inch diameter screw into a tree will usually cause no damage, provided the trunk is at least several inches thick and you don't penetrate more than a couple of inches.
Once you've settled on the type of support, the rest of the job is usually easy. Be sure to allow enough height, accounting for the expected stretch of the hammock. Mayan hammocks
are made of looser weave and often stretch more. Some hammock stands aren't even high enough to keep the hammock off the ground when occupied. A Brazilian hammock
has a tighter weave and typically stretches less.
