How to Hang a Hammock

Most bad hammock experiences come down to one mistake: hanging it too tight. A banana-tight hammock squeezes your shoulders, flips easily and puts a lot more force on the trees and straps. The fix is simple. Let it sag.

The 30 degree rule

Hang your suspension at roughly 30 degrees from horizontal. Picture the strap leaving the tree and heading down toward the hammock at the angle of a lazy diagonal, not a flat line.

• At 30 degrees, the force on each anchor is about equal to your body weight.
• Pull the suspension flat (say 10 degrees) and the force on each tree can climb to almost three times your weight.
• More sag also gives you room to lie diagonally, which is where the comfort lives.

How far apart should the trees be?

For most gathered-end hammocks (9 to 11 feet long), look for trees 12 to 15 feet apart. You can make 10 to 20 feet work by adjusting your strap height and length. Closer than that and you sit on the ground. Further and you run out of strap.

How high should you hang it?

Aim for a sit height of about 18 inches, roughly chair height. That puts your hang points around 6 feet up the tree for a typical setup with trees 15 feet apart. Lower is safer, higher is not more fun.

Use the hang calculator on this page to get a starting point for your exact trees, then adjust on the first sit.

Step by step

1. Pick two healthy, living trees at least 6 inches across. No dead branches overhead.
2. Wrap a tree strap around each trunk at about head height. Use straps at least 1 inch wide to protect the bark.
3. Clip the hammock to the straps with carabiners, or use the strap loops your system came with.
4. Let it sag. Check that the suspension sits close to 30 degrees.
5. Sit in the middle first, then swing your legs up. Adjust strap height if your butt touches the ground.
6. Lie diagonally, about 15 to 20 degrees off center. Your body ends up much flatter.

Common mistakes

• Hanging too tight. We said it already. It is the big one.
• Rope instead of straps. Thin rope cuts into bark and can kill a tree over time. Many parks require wide straps.
• Lying straight down the middle. You end up in a banana curve. Go diagonal.
• Skipping the test sit. Always sit and bounce gently before you lie back.