Got this directly from a very long thread (which I've now made longer,) on the hammockforums.net web site. It is a portable hammock stand that has be evolving over there for quite some time. Originally there was the Turtle Lady Stand that came about because the Turtle Lady wanted a fairly light weight, portable hammock stand that would primarily be used indoors. Here stand was first made almost entirely of bamboo, and some well thought out lashings.
It started evolving and after a while, a different version came from it based on one built by Old Dog. He introduced some design changes that were different enough that it was called a new design, known now as the Turtle Dog Stand, paying homage to it's origins.
I'm not going into my usual, painful detail, as the thread on it's evolution and construction is so well documented on hammockforums.net. But I will show you what mine looks like, after just a couple of hours light work.
Here is the basic Turtle Dog Stand (TDS,) just the bare bones showing:
The ridge pole, between the two tripods, is currently 15' long. Based on the new rain fly I'm working on, it will probably be shortened by a foot or more. If you have a hammock with a rain fly, the ridge length of the fly dictates the length of the ridge pole. The pole is a chain link fence top rail. These come in 10' sections with a swag on one end that fits into the end of the next section of rail. If you only need a 10' ridge pole, you take one pole and cut it in half. Turn the swag end around and join it to the other section. That way, you have two 5' sections that make up a 10 footer. This will fit along side the folded tripod, which is normally about 6' when folded.
The tripods are 2X2 in. pressure treated. I cut mine at a longer 7', as I wanted a wider base than most of the ones they build over there, because I want it to be able to adapt to uneven ground. Most of theirs are still being used inside, or camping on level ground.
Here it is when I applied the "will it hold his butt up off the ground" test. (That test is really important!)
Yea! Passed that one!!
There is a small problem here, it not only "held his butt up off the ground," it held it up a little too high. I'm much happier when my feet are still touching the ground when I'm sitting in a hammock. There are several ways I can fix that, but I am going to consult with the real experts on hammockforums.net. Some changes effect several things at once. And I want to find out what the best way is. I am sure it will actually be a combination of several things.
Here it is with the rain fly flipped back to one side, and me kicked back in the pilot's seat:
You may have noticed that there is very little deflection of the ridge pole. That is because it does NOT hold your weight up. Put that much weight in the middle of one of those poles, and it would leave you sitting on the ground, probably with the pole putting a dent in your noggin'.
The weight is carried by the tripod, when you rig the ridge pole and hammock properly. The pole is hung from the center of the tripod top, usually by a shackle or carabiner attached to the hinge. If you secure the hammock suspension to the same point on the pole that it hangs from, all the weight put in the hammock is transferred to the tripod's legs. If you tie it off outside of that center point, the pole will deflect up in the middle. If you tie the hammock off a little inside the center points of the tripod, the ridge pole will deflect down in the middle. A little deflection either direction is NOT a problem. But if it's too much, DOWN you go!
Here's a pic with the rain fly in place and the crash test dummy in the hammock:
Like I said, it needs some tuning up. I'll shorten the ridge pole after the new rain fly is ready, to the minimum length that will work with that rain fly. Also, the over all height will be reduced to a comfortable "hang height." Then, a rope will be run through the legs near the bottom, to keep the tripod from spreading any further apart than I want it to. Also, I'll be putting some "feet," round disk of plywood on the bottom of the tripod legs, to be used when camping on soft ground. If not needed, they'll stay packed away.
Why a portable hammock stand? There are places to camp where there are simply NO suitable trees to be had. And unfortunately, there are also too many camping spots where hammocks are banned. With one of these TDS's, those places are now available to the hammock camper. But with a weight between 20 to 30 pounds, this means you will almost have to be camping from a car, truck, or boat. It sort of depends on just how far you want to carry it.
If you do have an interest in this, I'd suggest you go to the hammockforums.net web site and look in their DIY section for the Turtle Dog Stand thread, and look through it.
Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL
It started evolving and after a while, a different version came from it based on one built by Old Dog. He introduced some design changes that were different enough that it was called a new design, known now as the Turtle Dog Stand, paying homage to it's origins.
I'm not going into my usual, painful detail, as the thread on it's evolution and construction is so well documented on hammockforums.net. But I will show you what mine looks like, after just a couple of hours light work.
Here is the basic Turtle Dog Stand (TDS,) just the bare bones showing:
The ridge pole, between the two tripods, is currently 15' long. Based on the new rain fly I'm working on, it will probably be shortened by a foot or more. If you have a hammock with a rain fly, the ridge length of the fly dictates the length of the ridge pole. The pole is a chain link fence top rail. These come in 10' sections with a swag on one end that fits into the end of the next section of rail. If you only need a 10' ridge pole, you take one pole and cut it in half. Turn the swag end around and join it to the other section. That way, you have two 5' sections that make up a 10 footer. This will fit along side the folded tripod, which is normally about 6' when folded.
The tripods are 2X2 in. pressure treated. I cut mine at a longer 7', as I wanted a wider base than most of the ones they build over there, because I want it to be able to adapt to uneven ground. Most of theirs are still being used inside, or camping on level ground.
Here it is when I applied the "will it hold his butt up off the ground" test. (That test is really important!)
Yea! Passed that one!!
There is a small problem here, it not only "held his butt up off the ground," it held it up a little too high. I'm much happier when my feet are still touching the ground when I'm sitting in a hammock. There are several ways I can fix that, but I am going to consult with the real experts on hammockforums.net. Some changes effect several things at once. And I want to find out what the best way is. I am sure it will actually be a combination of several things.
Here it is with the rain fly flipped back to one side, and me kicked back in the pilot's seat:
You may have noticed that there is very little deflection of the ridge pole. That is because it does NOT hold your weight up. Put that much weight in the middle of one of those poles, and it would leave you sitting on the ground, probably with the pole putting a dent in your noggin'.
The weight is carried by the tripod, when you rig the ridge pole and hammock properly. The pole is hung from the center of the tripod top, usually by a shackle or carabiner attached to the hinge. If you secure the hammock suspension to the same point on the pole that it hangs from, all the weight put in the hammock is transferred to the tripod's legs. If you tie it off outside of that center point, the pole will deflect up in the middle. If you tie the hammock off a little inside the center points of the tripod, the ridge pole will deflect down in the middle. A little deflection either direction is NOT a problem. But if it's too much, DOWN you go!
Here's a pic with the rain fly in place and the crash test dummy in the hammock:
Like I said, it needs some tuning up. I'll shorten the ridge pole after the new rain fly is ready, to the minimum length that will work with that rain fly. Also, the over all height will be reduced to a comfortable "hang height." Then, a rope will be run through the legs near the bottom, to keep the tripod from spreading any further apart than I want it to. Also, I'll be putting some "feet," round disk of plywood on the bottom of the tripod legs, to be used when camping on soft ground. If not needed, they'll stay packed away.
Why a portable hammock stand? There are places to camp where there are simply NO suitable trees to be had. And unfortunately, there are also too many camping spots where hammocks are banned. With one of these TDS's, those places are now available to the hammock camper. But with a weight between 20 to 30 pounds, this means you will almost have to be camping from a car, truck, or boat. It sort of depends on just how far you want to carry it.
If you do have an interest in this, I'd suggest you go to the hammockforums.net web site and look in their DIY section for the Turtle Dog Stand thread, and look through it.
Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL