instructables

Camping Hammock

by CraftAndu

When it comes to camping there is no easier and
more comfortable solution than a hammock. It is
compact, cosy and easy to use.
I spend a lot of time outdoors. For me one thing is
certain - you have to have a good sleep. I used to be
a tent man but it was not easy. Even though I used
camping mat I still had a stiff back and neck that
made camping not so pleasant. About a year ago I
discovered camping hammocks. A professional
hammock maker introduced me to this "new"
invention. I was hooked right from the beginning and
had to make one for myself. The first one was, of
course, a catastrophe. It was really heavy and bulky. I
got some tips from hammock master and soon after I
made a new one. It was really compact and
lightweight. I have been using it ever since.
I decided to sew a new one not because I need one
but because I know that I could improve the design
and quality quite a bit. And so I did. I am super happy
with how it turned out and it is a big honour to share
my design and tips with you! The new hammock
packs smaller than a can of beer and weighs only 520
grams! (talk about lightweight )
I also made a tutorial video of the process. Together
with this ´ible it should be fairly easy to understand
how the procedure works. If still, something is
unclear, please leave your questions down below and
I will answer them shortly.
No more talking, let us begin!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEuedrVhJI0

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Step 1: Tools and Materials

The most important thing is, of course, the fabric. It should be thin but also strong. Most camping
hammocks are made from ripstop nylon and I suggest you use the same. Here are some links (1 , 2)
to help you find some. I used polyester taffeta. Polyester stretches much less than nylon but is a bit
heavier for the same strength. It makes a fine hammock because of its low stretch. You can find it
from here or here
You will also need 4,5 meters of 5 mm synthetic rope. It is used mostly for tension string. What is
tension string I hear you ask? Tension string is one very important part of the hammock but funny
enough many mass produced hammocks miss it. It basically keeps the hammock at a constant
length. Without it, your hammock will become a cocoon. Some prefer it but the most comfortable
position for sleeping is diagonal. This way you can lay almost flat like on a real bed! This item can
be found at sewing shop or hardware store.
Next thing is 8 meters of (non-elastic) band around 2-3 cm wide. I strongly recommend using this
over regular rope because it is much easier on the trees. Ropes will put more pressure on bark
maybe even breaking it off. 4 meters on both ends of hammock should be enough for even the
thickest trees (not including giant sequoias here ;) .It can be found at a sewing shop.
And the last thing is four stainless steel metal rings. These are used for tightening system. They
should be big enough so that the band fits through them but not too big as you want to keep the
weight low. 4mm thick ones are strong enough. This item can be found usually at hardware stores.

The most important tool is a sewing machine. You could technically do without it but it will take a lot
of time and patience. Actually.... there is around 20 meters of sewing so you better get your hands
on a sewing machine!
Thread
Sewing pins
Scissors
matches or a lighter
pencil or marker
straight edge like a long spirit level
Tape measure

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Step 2: The Edges
The length of the fabric has to be exactly 3 meters
and 28 cm. Do not ask why - it just has to be. Add
extra 5 cm to both ends. So use your tape measure,
straight edge, pen and scissors to mark out and cut
3.38 m long piece. Do not throw away the offcut!
The sewing order is somewhat important to get a nice
looking result. It goes like this. Firs one flip (and
sewing) on the ends, then double flip on the sides
and then again one single flip on the ends. Using this
method minimises the loose strands.
I am not really sure of the sewing terminology. After
all, I am a woodworker. I hope you still understand
me.
1
1. First pinning it down on a sofa and then attach the pins so (see
previous photo) that the whole thing can be taken to the sewing machine.
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By double flip on the sides, I mean folding the edge
over itself twice so that the raw edge is completely
hidden. It is really important to use sewing pins to
avoid "accidents" during sewing. I found that pinning
on a soft surface is the easiest. I used an old sofa.
The second flip on the ends is the last one. It creates
a little "loop" through which the string will go in a
minute. It is shown in the last picture. I sewed it two
times as it will have to take all the body weight (the
middle line is from the first flip). I also added
comments to the photos.
1
1. Left and right side.
 1

1. The middle one is from the first flip. Two on the sides are from the second
one.
2. Be sure to sew here two times as it will be under a lot of pressure.

Step 3: Rings and Tension String

Get the rope trough the loops on the ends and tie it
and two rings together using a regular knot. Try to
make the rope as short as possible.
Next up come the rope between two pairs of rings.
This is called tension string. I explained its use in
tools and materials step. The length of this rope has
to be exactly 2.8 meters long. Once again, do not
ask why. Any knot that is strong enough can be used.
I used Figure 8 Follow-Through Knot. You can learn
how to do it from this video . It might take several tries
to get the length exactly right.
Use matches or lighter to seal the ends to prevent
them from coming loose.

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Step 4: The Bands, Sock and Pocket
The last thing to do is to cut the band to two 4 meter
pieces. Seal all ends with flame and on one end
make a loop. You are done! Now the hammock can
be used.
Of course to make it a real camping hammock it has
to be easily transportable. To make it really travel-
friendly I took an offcut of the fabric and sewed
together a sock. I ran out of the nice rope so I had to
use my sister´s old skipping rope. I used it to make a
sealing system that keeps the sock closed. I also
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attached the sock to one of the rings so that it would
never get lost.
Last but not least I made a small pocket that I
attached to the hammock. As I am a man with long
hair I use this pocket to hold my hair bands during the
night. But it can, of course, hold anything else like a
phone (my previous hammock could even hold my
kindle!)
Step 5: Start Camping!
Now all that is left to do is to set it up. Once you get
the hang of it, it only takes a couple of minutes.
Start by attaching the bands to the trees. I usually put
them at a height of around 180 cm (or my eyesight).
Attach one end of the hammock as shown in the
pictures. You have to also tie a knot otherwise it will
slip. Make the knot so that by pulling the free end it
comes loose. It is really helpful when the knot has
tightened under pressure.
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As you can see the sock hangs nicely and never gets
lost.
Once again - please to not use a regular rope as it
will damage the trees. Use band of 2cm or wider.
Packing it up goes fast as well. I have found that
rolling the bands into circles, putting them on the
bottom of the sock and then stuffing rest of the
hammock in works the best.
Step 6: The End!

Happy camping!

I am really happy with how this turned out.

I hope that you have enjoyed this ´ible and now know that there are other alternatives to tents. Of course for it to
be comparable to a tent you will also need a rain cover and a mosquito net. I might do a ´ible someday on how to
make these.

Cheers,

Andu

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