Just moved into an apartment with a decent sized balcony with a great view, so now considering buying a hammock.
Combined weight of partner and me about 150-160 kg. I saw a lot of stands with weight rating up to 200kg but hoped someone could give advice on how sturdy they are? I'm probably after a metal stand, as it is outdoors, but do they creak/squeak?
I saw some cheap ones on sale for less than $100, but not sure about quality. Also, sizes for stands vary from 2.50m to 4 metres… Does anyone have a small one, and can recommend it?
Internet search has not given me these answers; most info is from shops promoting their own products. I really was after honest independent advice.
These are some that I was looking at:
http://www.anaconda.com.au/Product/Camp-and-Hike/Outdoor-Fur…
http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/double-size-hammock-frame-comb…
The frames are also different shapes. Which is best?
Thanks for any help!
Personally, I would not bother with either of those.
Neither of those hammocks have spreader bars - bits of wood at the top and tail that keep both of the ends of the hammock open. They dont look too solid either.
Spreaderless hammocks like these two wrap around you like a cocoon, making it more difficult to get in and out but less liable to tip you out. If two people were in the hammock, they would probably roll together with the hammock fabric enveloping them like a banana skin. Probably not the most comfortable situation, though it depends on how much you like each other I suppose.
The old navy boys had a compromise, which was to have a spreader bar which only went from the second or third string from each side. That meant that the middle of the hammocks were flat but the sides could curl up meaning that there was some barrier to falling out on your face.
I slept in a hammock when I lived in India, mainly because there was no other space and I wanted to keep away from the rats as much as possible. It was not too bad but I cannot understand why anyone would want to do it for fun.