The hammock was considered a tribal thing, as it was first made by the native South and Central Americans for sleeping. But not anymore. It is now considered a piece of must-have traditional furniture for outdoors and indoors.
Whether people are inside their apartments or camping in the wilderness, they love to relax on a hammock. Some people even use hammocks as their beds like the native Americans. It does not only provide comfort but also provides sound sleep by supporting your body in the ideal sleeping position.
Nevertheless, to hang a hammock, you need to consider how far apart you can hang a hammock. And in this article, we are going to talk in detail about that.
How Far Apart Can You Hang a Hammock?
It really depends on your personal preferences. If you like a lot of space to move around in your hammock, then you’ll probably want to hang it further apart. If you prefer a snugger fit, then you can hang it closer together. You can hang your hammock anywhere you like. You do not always need two trees to tie the hammock. You can tie a hammock with only one tree, posts, poles, stands, etc.
The things you will need to be concerned about hanging hammocks might be different when you are hanging hammocks using trees and spread bars. Among them, the distance between the 2 ends of the hammock matters and differs greatly.
- Trees
If you are a beginner at using a hammock with a Tree, you might wonder about the right distance between the 2 ends of your hammock. Well, the size and type of your hammock decide the distance between 2 ends.
A joined-end hammock works best when there are 12 to 15 feet between tree trunks. A standard hammock is usually 11 feet in length. So, that should be hung 15 feet apart from each end and should be at least 6 feet above the ground.
| Hanging Distance Between Trees (feet) | Hanging Height (feet) |
| 13′ | 5’4” |
| 14′ | 5’6” |
| 15′ | 5’10” |
| 16′ | 6’1” |
- Spreadbars
Most quilted hammocks contain spreader bars, but there might be spreader bars in any hammock. They are usually attached to one or both of the sides of a hammock.
Hammocks with spreader bars are quite loose and can be more comfortable. These also provide a considerably flatter lay that feels more like a bed, making them perfect for side sleepers or those who like a better field of vision.
On the other hand, spreader bars can make your hammock more stable. The ideal height for hanging a hammock is between 6 and 8 feet from the ground if it is without spreader bars. The hammock’s length is the bare minimum distance for a spreader bar hammock. This means a minimum distance of 15′ is required if the hammock is 15′ from hanging point to hanging point.
How Far Apart Should Hammock Trees Be?
As you can see, spreader bars can slightly affect the distance between hammock trees. The curve without spreader bars is deeper, requiring a higher hanging area. But hammocks with spreader bars do not require much height.
So, you need to decide if you are going to hang your hammock with or without spreader bars. Depending on how much tension you want and the length and design of your hammock, you will need a distance of at least 10 and 15 feet between trees. Nevertheless, the ideal distance between the basic hammock sizes is given below:
| Hammock Length | Idle Hanging Distance |
| 9ft | 12ft, 13ft, and 14ft |
| 10ft | 13ft, 14ft and 15ft |
| 11ft | 14ft, 15ft and 16ft |
| 12ft | 15ft, 16ft and 17ft |
Things to Consider Before Determining the Distance Between Hammocks
Even after knowing the ideal distance to keep before hanging your hammock, you should consider some other factors too as this is a matter of your safety. A slight miscalculation can cause a huge unwanted accident.
Before determining the distance between ends of hammocks, you should consider the following:
Hammock length
A standard hammock’s length is between 9 feet to 14 feet. The distance between the ends of your hammock will influence how much it will curve or sag when it is placed. You can quickly determine that distance by taking a measurement across the empty area between the ends of your hammock. This is called the Hammock Ridgeline Length. You should consider your height too before getting a hammock, as it needs to be at least 2 feet larger than your height.
Hammocks without spreader bars generally require a minimum hanging distance of two-thirds of the hammock’s full length. This means that if your hammock has a hanging point that is 15 feet away from the other, you will need a minimum hanging distance of 10 feet.
Tree size
It is best if you hang your hammocks on large, strong trees. And even when you find large dead trees, you should avoid them at any cost because you might not know the condition of the wood. It could be swelled inside the trunk of the tree.
Make sure not to hang your hammock on too young trees either. An ideal tree for hanging a hammock should be at least 8 inches in diameter. If you find 2 trees in 12- 15 feet distance and both have 8 inches diameter, then you can hang your hammock from those trees.
Hanging with or without spreader bars
Whether you want spread bars or not is completely up to you. However, if you like sleeping on a flat surface, you can choose hammocks with spreader bars as they keep the hammock steadier. On the contrary, without spread bars, the hammock will mold to your body more accurately, giving you a comfortable feeling rather than balance.
When you are using a spreader bar, you do not need to keep any extra space apart from the hammock’s height or weight. For example, if you hang a ten feet hammock with a spreader bar, you can only maintain a distance of 10 feet to hang the hammock. You do not need to look for more distance than the hammock’s exact length.
However, if you prefer hanging your hammock without the spreader bars, you can keep an extra 2 feet from the hammock’s length.
Related: How To Hang A Hammock Chair?
How do You Choose a Good Spot for Your Hammock?
It might seem easy to hang indoors as you can hang it from anywhere in your porch room. But in the wilderness, you need to ensure that you have hung it from somewhere safe, where there is no risk of wild animals like- bears or snakes attacking you, at the same time, the place has privacy.
The things to consider before choosing a good spot for your hammock are-
Safety
Safety should be your number one priority when choosing a right place, pros and cons of hammock camping. You can choose a campsite where people have been, which is known to be safe. Also, ensure there are no dangerous or wild animals around the campsite. You need to ensure the water availability as well.
Privacy
You might need to stay on a camping spot that has safety, but that does not mean you have to sacrifice your privacy. You will need a quiet place to enjoy laying on your hammock with a book or just enjoying the view. That is why it is best to choose a camping site that has a large space where you can have your own place to hang a hammock.
Water source
When you are hammock camping, make sure to camp somewhere near the water if it is not a constructed campsite because natural campsites often do not have a water source near them. So, when you need water for daily needs, you do not have to look for it in unknown places.
Population of Trees
If you are not car camping or hauling with your RV, bringing your own hammock stand might be a little difficult. In that case, you can just camp in a place where there are enough strong trees with a proper distance of 12-15 feet so that you can tie your hammocks with them.
Related: How to hang a hammock from a ceiling?
What Do You Use to Hang a Hammock?
Now, if you are hammock camping, you will be unable to tie your hammock properly without the necessary gear, and in the wilderness, it is impossible to find the gears. So, you should be aware of what you need and carry them along with you.
The gears you need for hanging a hammock are-
- A lightweight hammock
- Ropes
- Tree straps
- Carabiners
- Suspension system
- Ground anchor
- Hammock net,
- Size of Tarp
Related: Best Hammock for College Students
How do you measure a hammock for a tree?
When measuring for a hammock, you will need to take into account the size of the tree as well as the distance between the two trees. The size of the tree will determine the size of the hammock, and the distance between the two trees will determine the length of the hammock.
If you are unsure of the size of the tree, you can use a tape measure to measure the circumference of the tree. For the distance between the two trees, you can use a measuring wheel or a tape measure. Once you have the measurements, you can select a hammock that will fit the space between the two trees.
What’s the best distance between two trees for hammock camping?
The distance between two trees to hang a hammock should be between 15-20 ft. distance over 20 ft. will make the hammock not have the right tension.
How far apart hang hammock hooks?
Hammock hooks should be hung about 18-24 inches apart from each other. This will ensure that your hammock is able to support your weight and that you will be comfortable while lying in it.
Final Words
No matter where you hang a hammock, safety should be your first concern. If you do not maintain the proper distance between the ends of a hammock, it might be too loose or too tight. If your hammock is too loose, it will sag and drool, bringing your body close to the ground. That might make you feel cold and come in contact with water and insects too.
On the other hand, if your hammock is too tight, then you might feel cocooned. This will be very uncomfortable, with higher chances of falling. So, you need to bring all the necessary gear for a hammock and tie your hammock within a proper distance between trees and poles.
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