I love setting up my hammock in the park near my apartment in Queens. I can turn an urban park into my very own woodland oasis with a few pieces of basic equipment. Want to get into the swing of things? Follow these steps.
I love setting up my hammock in the park near my apartment in Queens. I can turn an urban park into my very own woodland oasis with a few pieces of basic equipment. Want to get into the swing of things? Follow the steps below.
STEP 1: Assemble your gear. You will need:
- 1 hammock: I use a woven cloth hammock, but lighter weight nylon hammocks are also popular.
- 2 hammock straps: I use Eagles Nest Outfitters’ “SlapStrap” suspension system. You can purchase them on Amazon here.
- 2 carabiners: Make sure they have a strength rating of at least 12 kN (kilo Newtons—they should have the strength rating listed on them). 24kN carabiners are even better and more than strong enough for your hammock.
STEP 2: Find 2 sturdy trees at least 6 inches in diameter that are about 15 feet apart. City trees, country trees, just about any live, healthy trees will do.
STEP 3: Wrap a hammock strap around each tree about 4 feet off the ground. Find the end of the strap with the smaller loops sewn into it. Feed this end of the strap through the large loop at the other end and pull it snugly around the tree. Repeat for the second tree.
STEP 4: Use a carabiner to attach one end of the hammock to one of the small loops in the strap.
STEP 5: Attach the other end of the hammock to the other strap with your second carabiner. I recommend attaching the hammock so it hangs pretty high off the ground. Once you sit in it, the hammock will stretch out and hang much lower.
STEP 6: Lay back, start swinging, and enjoy the view. Just 5 minutes of swinging helps me feel more relaxed. Discover more ways nature can boost your mental health on MyWoodlot.
