Camping Hammock Tent

I like hammock camping because it is comfortable and up off the ground. Also one doesn't need to scar the land by leveling a campsite.

This is a camping tent hammock I made about 20 years ago. It is made of nylon and was stored away from light, which helps explain its good condition. Excluding the two end ropes, it weighs about 7 lbs.

It uses flexible 3/4 inch PVC pipe for the stretcher bars. The curve is adjustable by adjusting the length of the center end rope. Using a socket joint in the middle of the pipe, the two halves of the stretcher bars come apart, allowing the hammock to be folded in half before it is rolled up for storage in a nylon stuff sack. Stretching the rope inside the pipe and locking a knot in the rope to a groove in the end of the pipe keeps the two halves together.

The tent is like a cylinder, with stretcher bars to flatten out the hammock floor, and PVC ribs like Conestoga wagon ribs to hold the tent up. The ribs are 58 inch long strips of 4 inch diameter pipe cut 1 1/2 inches wide. The ends of the ribs are held in pockets sewn to the wall of the tent. Velcro holds the ribs in place at the top of the tent.

A short skirt of material along the sides helps rainwater drip down from the roof edge, instead of going under the hammock to drip.

The tent extends out with an awning at either end. This is nice for shade and also for rain protection at times. String attached to the tip of the awnings keeps the tent stretched out. One enters the hammock by ducking under the awning, sitting down on the end of the hammock, and then inching into it backwards.

Extensions of the floor material form flaps with small mosquito screened windows at either end. They can be tucked up and held between the end ribs and the walls of the tent to close the tent.

Because of the air exposure to the under side of the hammock, if it is cold and windy it is good to have a sleeping bag under you for thermal protection.