Lying on a hammock while letting the chilly breeze caressing your body is one of the ecstatic feelings.
Speaking of this, I just reminisced the time when I was camping deserted island, swinging in a hammock, and reading a Murakami Novel.
Interestingly, I hung the hammock with one tree as there wasn’t another anchor to use. It worked really well and just as I anticipated.
Are you intrigued to know how to hang a hammock with one tree?Today I am going to articulate a super easy and quick hack so that you can hang your hammock in any hiking or non-hiking spot.
Finding a Spot for Your Hammock
The very first thing that you should take into account is the exact spot where you are going to set up your hammock.
Certainly, if you are in a forest or famous hiking spots, then supposedly, there will be enough natural anchors. Hence there’s no point in hanging your hammock with one tree instead of two, which is also the safest option to begin with.
Now, speaking of finding a spot still means something when you are on an island, and there’s only one tree as your only resort.
Here you should ensure having an open space of 13 to 16 feet in order to install the hammock ideally. Because most of the hammocks are around this size limit, and it’s pretty sufficient to cuddle you in. so that’s that! An open space with one tree and without any risk of fierce animals or pertinent dangers is all you need.
Safety Precautions
Before you progress on assembling your hammock, make sure you perform the safety checks!
- Always double check your hammock before you lie down. Because sometimes, you fail to install it properly, and as a result, it falls apart and causes serious injuries.
- If you are prone to go camping on an island or remote area, then ensure writing down the helpline number of the region. It allows you to seek assistance in the time of danger.
- Before you purchase the hammock, make sure you have read the details precisely as they depict where and how you can hang them specifically. As they come in different ranges and sustainability,it’s important to assess them depending on your requirements.
How to Hang a Hammock With One Tree - Step by Step Guide
Without any further ado,let’s wade through the quick installation method of your hammock from scratch.
Step 1: Things You Will Need
Once you find a suitable place for hanging the hammock it’s time to gather all the essentials you need. well, there are plenty of hammocks that come with all the necessary accessories.
But if you don’t have the required materials, you can always buy them from any local store or shops where hiking or camping goods are sold. And the things are, A 30 ft static non-stretchable rope, carabiners, A lightweight hammock, grown screws, a hammock suspension system, a Prusik loop, and finally a tree.
Step 2: Prepare the Anchor Rope
An anchor rope is basically needed to withstand all the tension and pressure derived from the hammock. That’s why professionals recommend natural anchors as trees because of their strength.
So in order to set up the anchor rope, you have to follow these,
- Make a figure eight loop at the end of the rope and throw the loop over a branch of the tree or anchor. Make sure you choose where you want to run the loop before you throw it. If there’s no proper brunch that can grasp the loop, you need to climb up the tree and run the eight-figure loop on the trunk.
- Ensure tying it up around 8 to 10 ft.
- Now when you are intending to secure the other end, make sure that the rope angle is wider than 30 degrees because the drill here is; the wider the angle the better the anchor.
- Avoid stretching the rope more than 50 to 60 degrees; otherwise, the exertion might affect the anchor’s stability
- Now bring the loop to eye level and continue doing it to the other end as well until the knot secures back against the branch. Make it as stiff as possible.
Step 3: Assembling the Hammock
Here you have to use the suspension system to create another loop around the anchor tree.
Make sure to keep it similar to your eye level or a little bit higher than that. Once you are done, it’s time to fasten the hammock by attaching the carabiners. The end of your hammock needs to stay in close contact with the tree.
Step 4: Install the Second Anchor
This is where the ground screws come into play! As you don’t have another tree ground, screws are going to be the alternative.
And surprisingly, it works just fine. Before setting up the second anchor, ensure that the ground is flattened and even. Because if the area is deformed or slightly sloping away, then you won’t get a proper angle.
Moreover, there won’t be a comfortable balance between the tree and the second anchor. Instead, your hammock would rather touch the ground or swing abnormally.
Now to install the second anchor, you need to step back 200 feet from the tree and drill down the ground screws on the ground. Make sure to sink it in as deep as possible until the whole screw body is inside except the head.
Once you are done, drag the rope tightly and fasten it on the second anchor by creating an alpine butterfly knot. Maintain a distance of 2 feet where your anchor and the rope is about to connect.
Now take the loose end of the rope and loop it through the ground screws. Keep hauling the free end of the rope without leaving any slack as long as you are willing to vent all your weight on the hammock.
Step 5: Link the Other End of the Hammock with the Rope
Now it’s finally time to use the prusik knot to attach the other end of the hammock to the rope. Here’s the reference if you don’t know how to make a prusik knot :
Once you are done with the prusik knot, it’s time to attach the hammock and take a peaceful nap! It’s important to make such knots for friction augmentation. So that when you release all the bodyweight, it doesn’t wobble or slip.
End Quote
If you are unable to find any ground screws, then you can use a thick stick with pointy ends so that it immerse into the ground properly.
Then follow the same steps as creating loops, attaching one end to another, making the knots tight, and keeping the distance between the tree and the ground leveled. I hope it helps! If you have any further problems, please comment on your queries.