Hammock camping can be quite an amazing outdoor adventure. It can be a camping trip or you just practicing wild hammock camping.
If you’re a lover of hammock camping then you certainly know how to hang a hammock when there are trees available.
But there are times when despite your love and anticipation for your next outdoor adventure you find yourself not having the time to go outdoors?
Or you’re somewhere where it’s difficult to access a well-forested spot? There are no trees anywhere and you’re worried about going on hammock camping without any trees available for your camping setup.
We understand that It is quite challenging to make time out of our busy schedules. And sometimes, even when there is little time to do an activity, we cannot always find a good location with lots of trees to hang a hammock on.
Don’t fret as we have experience going on hammock camping without trees. By the end of this article, you’re going to find out everything you need to know on how to hang a hammock without trees.
So brace yourselves, as we are going to share some amazing tips and tricks on how to hang a hammock without a tree. For the love of hammocking!
Using Vehicles:
If you’re going hammock camping without trees you can make a great outdoor structure if your vehicle is close by. You can easily hang a hammock without trees once you have your car or a pickup truck around. This is a great solution if you went car camping. Say you and your friends are out camping, and there are no two trees available. In such situations, you can place two cars according to your hammock’s length, and tie both ends to the roof rack of the cars.
However, if you only have one car available, select your anchor point on your car or truck then look for a pole or suitable tree nearby to attach the other point of the hammock to. When hanging a hammock to a car, keep one thing in mind. Do not attach the hammock to any weak spot of your car, such as side-view mirrors. That can result in damage to both you and the car. This is because your anchor point can’t be weak so you avoid damaging your car or hurting yourself.
The roof rack is a strong enough spot so you can make use of that to create sturdy hammocking structures.
Using Tent Poles:
Poles are another creative and easy-to-use camping gear for when you are going hammock camping without trees.
If you’re already familiar with camping then you already have old tent poles that you can add to your hammock camping gear. You can also make use of hiking poles. If you don’t have any of the above poles you can just find poles.
Poles like telephone poles can be found almost anywhere, especially in parks. So go ahead, find a couple of poles nearby, and attach both ends of the hammock to the poles. However, when choosing the poles, make sure to test if they comfortably support your body while making sturdy hammock stands. Give it a sturdy shake, and it is strong enough, then what are you waiting for? Even tying the ends of your hammock to a building, or making fence posts also works fine. However, if it’s someone else’s place, be sure to ask for permission to do so first. And make sure that it is safe.
Also if there’s a porch railing nearby you can use it to make a porch post. Porch posts can work as a good hammock frame.
Using a Hammock Stand:
If you have a Hammock Stand, you can pretty much be hanging a hammock without trees almost anywhere. Hammock camping becomes much easier if you have this tool in your hands. You can be in your garden, or go to a beach or a dessert, or a park, and even in the middle of the road (just kidding, that’s not recommended at all!)
There are various types of Hammock stands available in the market. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind when buying this gear:
- Make sure the stand is easy to set up and does not require special tools or skills.
- The Hammock stand should be strong and sturdy enough to support your weight.
- It should be easy to maneuver, and lightweight. Try to find a set that can be packed compactly.
- Make sure that your hammock stand comes with a rain fly, or some sort of way to protect you from getting drenched in the rain.
If you can’t buy a hammock stand or you find yourself without one you can make a tripod stand to hang a hammock on.
All you need to do is get a bamboo stick or any other stick you can find. Ensure that while you are selecting the stick you pick one that can handle your weight and help you in making a sturdy hammocking structure.
If you’re lucky and there’s one suitable tree around you then you will only need to worry about using a wooden pole to construct only one tripod stand. If there are no suitable trees around you then you would need to make two tripods which you’ll connect with a top rod.
If there’s the possibility of rain, then put a rain fly at the top of your hammock structure. This would make great rain shelters.
Using Rocks
You can also use a rock to make a good hammock frame. You can just easily tie one end of your hammock straps to rock when you have the other end of your hammock strap sorted out.
You can easily find rocks in hammock-friendly zones especially in a region of high landscapes with hillocks beside you. High landscapes are great outdoors locations.
Final Verdict:
Hammock camping is more fun when you don’t have to worry about finding the perfect spot with two trees that have a suitable space distance. It’s more fun to just relax and have fun hammock camping.
To hang a hammock without a tree is easy as you can make use of hammock stands or even make your tripod stands that are sturdy enough for your body.
In a camping situation whereby you have only one tree available you can hang you can tie your hammock strap around your car or truck. This option is most suitable for car camping.
You can also tie your hammock straps to rocks which is a more suitable solution when you are camping in an area where you can easily find rocks around.
Don’t forget the option of tying your hammock to a pole. It can be a pole you find yourself or a telephone pole nearby, hiking poles, and even tent poles. There’s also the solution of trying your hammock to a fence or a porch post which is a solution for when you’re camping close to a residential area.
As you dive into the world of camping hammocks don’t forget to pack along amazing camping gear like a sleeping pad, rain fly which are great during the rainy season, anti-slip ropes and so much more.
Therefore ensure to select the methods that work with your location and will help you hang a hammock without trees.
Also, ensure that both of your anchor points are sturdy enough so you can rest on your hammock comfortably. You do not want a situation where you end up getting into an accident instead of having a great time camping.
If you have no issues with camping at home then you should make a permanent hammock frame at home. This would prevent time wastage and the stress of having to set up a hammock frame whenever you’re in the mood for camping outdoors.
Do test your hammock structure before entering inside. It must be sturdy enough to accommodate your body weight.
Now that you have become the guru of hanging hammocks without trees, go ahead and enjoy the peace of hammocking. The world is your Hammock zone! Get creative with your hammocking setup and have fun outdoors. Stay with us and find out more hacks on how to make traveling easier and more fun!