Portable Hammock Pipe Stand

UPDATE: For more information on portable hammock stands, check out my guest post on Section Hiker.

The hammock pipe stand has been around for a while. I believe Speer was the first to build one back in 2004. The Jacks from Jacks ‘R’ Better built a similar pipe stand for their displays out of 2 in. (5 cm.) threaded pie. I used these stands during Trail Days 2012 when I worked with the Jacks in their booth. The stand has a very simple construction (there are plenty of complex variants), travels well, and is easy to put together. I built mine from 1 in. pipe and it’s just as sturdy and costs less.

I’ve used a few commercial hammock stands in the past, but the problem with these backyard stands is that they flex once you get into the hammock. This poses a problem if you want to pitch a tarp on the stand, as the tarp will sag once the hammock is used. Stands with a horizontal bar eliminate this problem. This stand uses 6 ft. (1.8 m.) pipe lengths creating a nice 12-ft. (3.6 m.) span that will accommodate most tarp configurations and a variety of hammock sizes and styles. For indoor use, you could get away with a 10 ft. (3 m.) span and five foot leg length.

I threw this illustration together as a service to those looking for the original Speer instructions; I hope you enjoy!

Categories: Hang a Hammock, Illustration, Instruction, Workshop

diy, jacks ‘r’ better, pipe stand, portable stand, speer hammock

197 responses to “Portable Hammock Pipe Stand”

James

October 31, 2014

Hey I really like this plan over the turtledog stand in terms of space saving. I am just wondering if it would work the same using timber for the side struts whilst still having a metal bar at the top? Sort of a hybrid between the two designs.

Reply
1. Derek
  
  October 31, 2014
  
  Good question. Youd need some thick strut like a 4×4. This stand works different too, with compressive forces in the bar, so as you experiment, be careful.
  
  Reply
Dan

November 30, 2014

What would your opinion be on the following. Instead of running a pipe along the top to join the sides, you run one on the bottom. Then you attach the hammock to some webbing that ran over the vertical pipe, down to the ground, across to the other side, up the opposing vertical post and attached to the other end of the hammock. My assumption is that having weight in the hammock would result in the properly adjusted strap to pull against itself rather pulling the vertical posts inwards.

The thought behind this change in design is that it could be build with a sofa put on top of it. without the bar on top, It would look slightly more aesthetically pleasing when there is no hammock hung.

Reply
1. Derek
  
  November 30, 2014
  
  You would still have sheer forces pulling the vertical poles together, which would bend the poles.
  
  Reply
Bobby

January 8, 2015

Would a coupling work in place of a union joint?

Reply
1. Derek
  
  January 8, 2015
  
  It is harder to assemble.
  
  Reply
  1. Gene Culver
    
    December 31, 2015
    
    With a coupling in mid of top rod you need to start assembly there and work your way to the ends and bottom pieces.
    
    Reply
Mark

January 20, 2015

For the Individuals having problems disassembling the pipe from one section to another use STL-2 or STL-8. These are pipe thread lubricants that prevent seizing and galling of pipe that is threaded together.
http://www.emersonindustrial.com/en-US/documentcenter/EGSElectricalGroup/products_documents/fitting/haz_loc_fitting/haz_loc_drain_breathers/stl-thread-joint-lubricant/STL-Thread-Joint-Lubricant.pdf

You can purchase it at any hardware store that has a pipe department. It is applied upon the threads before screwing them together. A one time application is all that is needed unless you get dirt and debris in the lubricant between the threads. Would recommend covering the disassembled ends with a protective thread cap .

Reply
anthony johnston

April 5, 2015

Galvanized pipe is black steel pipe with a coating to retard rusting but it can still rust. It is not stainless. 1 inch means the inside diameter is 1 inch. I don’t know of different thickness variations in steel. Plastic and copper do. Schedule 80 pvc would be really thick and very expensive. 2 pipe wrenches are needed to tighten & untighten the pipes snug. 1 to backup the other. A coupling would be much cheaper and probably stronger than a union but not as easy to assemble. Teflon on the threads would make it easier to unscrew.. They make galvanized pipe in 1.25″ also. I am a plumber.

Reply
murph

May 9, 2015

Go to a fire sprinkler company.
I work for one and am going to fabricate one this week.
Bought a foldable stand/hammock online, stand only 85″ long, doesn’t fit real hammocks.
Thanks for your stand idea!!!

Reply
patrickdavid03

June 2, 2015

Woof. Alright. Got ambitious last night and headed across the street to the Home Depot to pick all the fixings and have them thread the pipe to build this stand. I wanted/hoping to toss it on my balcony of my apt to hang and chill. 3rd floor means great breeze.

1st thing I’ve noticed (went with 1 1/4 galvanized pipe) is the weight. This sucker is heavy. This isn’t like a “Handy Hammock” so the initial plan of setting it up and taking it down all the time might be out the window. I went exact to the original plans.

Anyone have any thoughts/comments on this thought to make it more “compact”: Cutting the 72″ ridge bars down to 36″ and adding 2 more union joints? Comprise any structural integrity (I assume some if I’m cutting it)?

Reply
1. patrickdavid03
  
  June 2, 2015
  
  I’d end up probably doing the same to the legs going off of Kent’s idea from March 18th. That design looks awesome but I’m over the 200lbs mark. Probably need to stick 1 1/4.
  
  Reply
2. Derek
  
  June 2, 2015
  
  Lots of people have wanted to make smaller sections, but the coupling can bend, depending on how you set it up, and with more joints, you have more fail points. Each stand has its tradeoffs. The pipe stand is, admittedly, quite heavy. But as stands go, it’s not the heaviest nor the least portable. I use it when I do my hammock demos because it is freestanding, portable, sturdy, and works with a tarp without flexing. It’s portable in the sense that I can fit it in my car or van; it’s not something I haul on my back.
  
  Reply
Integrating Hammocks into Parks, Campsites, and Jamborees

June 7, 2015

[…] backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon is one such example. In these areas, I recommend installing simple pipe stands that will work for hammocks and also provide places to hang gear. In the Grand Canyon, these pipe […]

Reply
Bob Jordan

June 18, 2015

Great idea! Thanks for sharing. Here is a idea on how to make the stand lighter.

I built a “turtle dog” stand from 6 each 2″x2″ lumber (to make tripods), 2 hinges, and one 20′ chain link fence top rail. I cut the top rail into 2 – 6′ pieces with the tapered (flared) end fitting into the end of the other piece. I put a bolt and wing nut thru a horizontal hole drilled thru the assembled joint made by both pieces (tapered and not tapered piece) to strengthen the joint. This method could be used to replace the top pole of the steel pipe stand.

Use pipe legs as show in Derek’s design. 1) Use threaded steel pipe “Tee”s on the top of the legs sized to allow the fence rail / pipe to fit into it snugly. Drill a hole thru outside end of “Tee” and the end of the fence rail. Then bolt together for rigidity. This would lower the total weight of the stand significantly and still provide the compression strength needed for hanging the hammock.
2) Alternatively, you could bolt a short threaded piece of steel pipe onto the ends of the fence rail and thread it into the fitting on top of the pipe legs. This would allow your joint to the pipe to be tighter when assembled.

I have not tried this…yet!

Reply
1. Katie B.
  
  June 29, 2015
  
  Your 2×2 turtledog and fence rail idea is exactly what I want to do for this crazy hammock a friend bought for me in Bali. My only concern is the weight limit; to be safe I’d say 250 lbs.
  
  Also, how did you attach the fence rail to the turtledog stands? I’ve seen multiple methods in the videos and pictures I’ve looked at.
  
  I do not need to hang tarps or bug nets; this is for indoor use. If you’ve published a tutorial anywhere, I’d love to see it! Thanks!
  
  Reply
dewankin

June 26, 2015

Built a modified stand last night using 1 inch (as labelled) black steel pipe (for cost) which has a 1 1/4 inch outer diameter (measured it at the store). I’ve included a link to a photo of my setup below. Modifications include 48 inch uprights rather than the spec’d 72 inch, and using two approx. 24 inch wooden 4x4s (cedar I had laying around) as the base, or feet. The two 4x4s have 1 1/4 inch holes bored about 2.5-3 inches deep so that the vertical pipes can be inserted into them. I kept the total length of the ‘ridgepole’ at 12 feet using two 72 inch pipes and a coupling (as spec’d in the drawing above). I’m just under 220lbs and the 1inch black steel had no problem holding me. Also, the shorter uprights allowed for shorter feet without compromising stability. This setup came in somewhere around $70 in my neck of the woods (Ontario, Canada).

With this design I was trying to reduce cost while achieving a non-portable, but storable stand. This stand is optimal for use on a porch or deck as well as a concrete or brick patio. It is also somewhat portable.

http://i.imgur.com/Cinrhxn.jpg

Reply
1. bluebird
  
  August 6, 2015
  
  Can I ask where you got your steel pipe from in Ontario?! You did a nice job on the stand.
  
  Reply
Wyatt

July 15, 2015

Hey Derek, I saved a little money on this by going to Home Depot and buying three 1″ X 10′ galvanized pipes, then having two split into 5′ lengths, and the last one split into quarters to make the legs. The whole thing breaks down into six 5′ lengths. I can’t state for fact, but the 5′ lengths, in my opinion, work the best for the 1″ pipes in terms of stability.

It all cost me $89 total.

Reply
1. Derek
  
  July 16, 2015
  
  Thanks! This is great info.
  
  Reply
Elbert

July 20, 2015

I have a kammok Roo. Derek do you know if it would fit on a 10 foot stand instead of a 12 foot stand? space is limited.

Reply
1. Derek
  
  July 20, 2015
  
  Yes. But the connection pint would be close.
  
  Reply
Bird

August 6, 2015

Derek,

I’m looking at buying a Mayan double sized hammock to sleep in at home. It seems like the hammock length is 13.12ft long, with the body length 6.5ft long. Do you think that a 10ft long stand would be okay to get a proper hanging, or should I try and fit the 12ft stand into my room?

I’ve used the hang calculator but I’m worried I’m not using it correctly, it’s telling me that the hang point would be 59.6″ at a 10ft distance. This is all very new to me and I’ve been scouring the forums to try and figure out how to do this best, there is just so much information, I’m getting a little confused! aha.

Reply
1. Derek
  
  August 7, 2015
  
  I need to make some adjustment to the calculator because when I put in those numbers I get a negative suspension length. For a 10 foot span and a 13 foot hammock hung around 30 degrees, it is too long for the space. If you hang it with a deeper sag, say 45 to 50 degrees, it would fit, but the hang point is now 7.5 feet high.
  
  Reply
  1. Bird
    
    August 7, 2015
    
    Ah, see I was also getting the negative hang point every other time I put it in which threw me off.
    
    So I guess sticking to 12ft if I can would be possibly better, it looks like that would have a 30degree angle at about 6ft? Or is that also a bit off you’d say?
    
    It seems to give me a negative sometimes when I put that in as well with a 13ft hammock
    
    Reply
    1. Derek
      
      August 7, 2015
      
      A negative number on the suspension means the hammock is too long for the distance and angle selected. This is a bug I need to get fixed. You can fit a longer hammock in a short distance if the hang angle is extreme and the hang point is high. For some Mayan hammocks this is ideal.
      
      Reply
      1. Bird
        
        August 7, 2015
        
        Thank you for your help!
        This makes a bit more sense to me now. I just used the calculator again, now that I’m on my computer and off my phone, to check for a 12ft distance with a 13ft hammock and it seems to be consistently giving me a hang height of 59.6in @ 30degree angle with a +5.1 suspension length.
        
        It seems to have been my phone not changing the hang distance to 12ft after putting in 10ft and giving a neg. reading. So it looks like 12ft is the way to go for the hammock that size. I appreciate the help! I’ve found this site and you very helpful for figuring out the ins and outs of the hammock world.
        
        One last question if you don’t mind… Do you happen to know what the impact of using an extreme hang angle with a high hang point has on the comfort of laying properly on a Mayan hammock?
      2. Derek
        
        August 7, 2015
        
        For big, long Mayan hammocks you can hang at a 45 degree angle and then sleep almost perpendicular. It can be very comfortable. You’ll have to play with it and see what works.
      3. Bird
        
        August 7, 2015
        
        Great, thanks!
chris

August 19, 2015

Hey Derek Thanks for the info! I’ve been wanting to do this for years and tonight I bought and assembled the pieces according to the plans.

A question on tightness though; I’ve tightened the pieces by hand as much as possible, is it necessary to use a pipe wrench to tighten them further?

Reply
1. Derek
  
  August 20, 2015
  
  Most of my stand stays assembled, like the T-joint on the feet and the elbows on the uprights. These I tighten down. When I assemble I can use the stand itself to tighten it up pretty good by using the mechanical advantage of rotating the pipe. The only piece that I can’t do that is the center connector.
  
  Reply
Amy

August 20, 2015

Hey Derek! This looks like a great design. I’m hoping to build the stand for use on my small apartment balcony. The balcony is about 10ft wide by 2 ft deep. Do you think I would see any sort of compromising instability if I shortened the length of the stand to 10ft instead of 12ft, and made the four base poles for the feet 12″ long instead of 24″? Thanks!

Reply
1. Derek
  
  August 20, 2015
  
  Yes, that could get dangerous. I would lower the stand height and find a way to anchor it to the ground or wall because a two foot base is very small.
  
  Reply

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