Hang Your Hammock

Safety First

Follow installation directions carefully. Prior to each use, inspect your hammock, hardware, installation points and objects supporting your hammock for wear or weakness. Proceed carefully and take your time getting into and out of your hammock. Any hammock may tip if your weight isn’t centered. Swing gently. A hammock is not a playground swing or a trampoline. Excessive swinging and other rough play may result in falls and may wear out your hammock and hardware prematurely. Small children should not play unsupervised in your hammock. Maximum safe weight limit is 450 pounds (205 kg).

Hammock Length

Your new hammock may initially be shorter than its full length (approximately 13 ft (396 - 411 cm) for a family size and approximately 11 feet for a single size). It will stretch to its proper length after a short time in use.

Hanging Your Hammock

Hammocks are versatile! Although traditionally slung between two big trees, you can also hang them between posts set in the ground, on a porch, or on a hammock stand. We recommend trees or posts be a minimum of 6" (15 cm) in diameter or posts a minimum of 4" x 6" (10 cm x 15 cm) in size. Make certain the wooden supports you are using are strong enough. Do not use wood supports which are cracked, split or rotten or which are too soft to properly hold the screw hooks.

Setting posts in the ground allows you to install your hammock wherever you like, even if you don’t have trees. Post holes should be at least three feet (0.9 m) deep and carefully back-filled with concrete. Remove air pockets. While concrete is fresh, posts may be tilted slightly away from the direction of the hammock. Wait at least 24 hours before hanging your hammock.

It’s easiest to hang your hammock in a space a foot (30 cm) or two longer than the overall length of the hammock. In such a space, the hardware to hang your hammock should ordinarily be mounted five to six feet (1.5 m to 1.8 m) off the ground. If the distance between the hanging points is shorter, try mounting the screw-hooks higher, though this will make the hammock hang more bowed. If the distance between the hanging points is longer, you can mount the hardware higher and use extra chain and S-hooks, and the hammock will hang as normal.

We recommend using a Twin Oaks Hammock Hanging Kit, which includes welded steel chain and 3/8" (1 cm) steel hammock hooks designed with enough curve to keep the hammock ring from slipping off as the hammock moves. Please use this or hardware with equivalent strength and design.

Drill a pilot hole where you want your hooks. This pilot hole should be approximately 1/2 the diameter of the screw of the hammock hook. For example, if the hammock hook screw is 3/8" (1 cm) in diameter, then the pilot hole should be approximately 3/16" (0.5 cm). Screw the hammock hooks into the pilot holes. Be sure to set the screw deep enough that the eye is against the wood but do not over tighten the screw or allow the hook assembly or eye screw to be twisted or bent. Install screw hooks only on the side of the tree or post facing the hammock. Your hammock should not pull sideways on the hook.

Safe Hammock Installation

Use one or two lengths chain and S-hooks as necessary to reach between the hammock and the hooks. See first illustration. It is normal for your new hammock to stretch considerably when it is new, so the first time you hang a new hammock stretch it very tight, and then be especially careful when getting into the hammock the first time! As it stretches under your weight be careful not to hit the ground, or if using a hammock stand not to hit the center pipe. Be careful not to let the hammock tip as you get in.

As it stretches, keep shortening the chain. If you store it for months, you may have to stretch it like this again. After it stretches you can get into it much more easily.

Once the hammock is stretched out, it should be hung loosely enough that when the hammock is in use (when there is weight in it) the angle of the chain as illustrated in second illustration is at least 25 degrees from horizontal. Hanging your hammock more tightly than this greatly increases the load to the hardware and supports.