| If you want to make your own hammock and | | | | need the hammock to be. If you are going to |
| you have not ever made one before, be | | | | manufacture it on the spot it is going to hang, |
| prepared to make more than one. I have some | | | | you have no restrictions at all. You could use steel |
| very amusing memories as to how my first | | | | cable and chains. Then couple that up with chunky |
| hammock manufacturing attempts went. If I | | | | wood and industrial strength canvass. My opinion is |
| remember correctly I think I even sold the | | | | you would end up with a great looking |
| second one. I hope they didn’t hurt | | | | avant-garde industrial hammock. Whether it will be |
| themselves too badly. | | | | comfortable or not is a good question. |
| Before you start the process you must make a | | | | Perhaps the best advice I could give you is to use |
| decision as to which type of hammock you want | | | | the following items and to keep the whole |
| to make. And a word of warning here. If you are | | | | process as simple as possible. So, get some |
| going to do this project as a labor of love, then | | | | ripstop nylon, also known as parachuting fabric, do |
| great carry on, but if you are doing this to save | | | | not get the crackly type. It must feel soft and |
| money – beware. You are unlikely to save | | | | silky to the touch. Some of the “crackly” |
| money doing it yourself. I am not joking. | | | | types have been treated or have had a backing |
| Experience has taught me that about 75% of all | | | | attached and you might find it is weakened a bit. |
| first hammocks break tear or collapse in the first | | | | Then make sure that you do all the sewing with |
| minutes of use. However if you are doing it to | | | | industrial cotton, and preferably on an industrial |
| startup a hammock business, then you need that | | | | machine. Just one small tip here, take care it is |
| failure experience. It will stand you in good stead | | | | important. Set your stitch length wide. If you |
| in the future. | | | | have the stitches very tiny it creates the same |
| The most popular type of hammock is the | | | | effect as that “tear-along-the-dotted-line’ |
| standard type of two point canvass or rope style. | | | | thing and you run the risk of tearing it easily. |
| These are probably also the easiest to make. | | | | On the hammock forum websites there are a lot |
| Most of these are so basic that all you really need | | | | of the guys that will give you detailed plans and |
| is 2 meters of fabric and 2 poles. You need to | | | | measurements on specific types of hammocks. |
| consider the hammock chair type of hammocks, | | | | They are very often the suppliers or the clips and |
| and the very popular hiking and camping types. | | | | components of the things, and you will need to |
| Once you have a good idea as to which general | | | | get those somewhere. They are a very friendly |
| direction you want to go in, you must break | | | | and helpful bunch of guys. Visit all the sites you |
| down the details even further. | | | | can to see what types are available out there. If |
| You will need to decide on whether to go for | | | | you feel confused at all, rather buy a hammock, |
| lightweight or for heavier padded or canvass | | | | hang it up and lie in it while you contemplate what |
| types. This would depend on how portable you | | | | to do next. |