There are tons of ways to hang a hammock. From a tree is the most traditional one. But what do you do when you don’t have a tree? You can opt for some metal poles instead.
Well, we all know that metal poles are slippery and won’t hold your hammocks straps in place. And we have the perfect solutions for that.

We are going to take you through the process of how to hang hammocks on a metal pole in this article.
Two Ways for Hanging Hammock on Metal Pole
Metal poles are better than wooden ones. Why? You have to treat a wooden post so that in time it doesn’t rot or get infected. And metal poles give you more strength and tension than a hammock needs. Here are the two ways you can hang your hammock on a metal pole.
Ground Poles as Two Anchors
If you don’t want anything complex, just two metal poles would do. But you need some other equipment too. Here is the list of things you will need.
- Two 4 inch diameter and 8 ft long metal poles.
- Cement ground mix.
- 2 eye bolts.
- Chain to hang the hammock.
- A drill.
After you have gathered the things, start with the posts. This is crucial as the hammocks will stand on them alone. So you have to make the grounding strong enough to hold at least 2000 lbs of weight.
Select the place you want to put up your hammock. And then start digging on two spots. Remember that they should be 15 ft apart. More than 15 ft will make your posts lean inwards later on.
When you are done digging, put a plastic or metal barrel in the hole and pour in your cement mix. And level it out. You have to put in the poles right away, as it needs to be grounded with the cement. Do not cover the hole until the cement is firm.
Once your grounding is solid, you can cover the hole with the dirt you have dug up earlier.
Now it is time to drill some holes on the metal poles. You cannot put your hammock strap on a metal pole. They will simply slide down and have no tension at all.
You can drill the holes before putting them on the ground, but it is better to do it afterward for better measuring. Drill your metal poles and put in the eye bolt hooks. And you are done.
Now you can use either paracords or even ropes instead of chains to hang your hammock. But chains will give you much better strength than other materials.
Now relax and enjoy your time in nature all you want.
A Swing Metal Post to Hang Your Hammock
Another way to hang your hammock is from a swing post. If you have a swing in your backyard, you can use that to hang your hammock too.
And building it is just as easy as the pole placement, but this one is sturdier. As there is a pole holding both of them together, you get more anchoring strength.
To build this one, you have to get some additional items. More like plumbing items to be exact. Here are the things you will need.
- 2 metal L pipe joints
- 1 15 ft pole.
- 2 8ft pole.
- Cement or any grounding material.
- Drill.
- Eyebolts.
The process is almost the same as the earlier one, just that you assemble all parts beforehand.
As there is a middle pole, you can opt to not use eye bolts and hang your hammock from the top corners of your structure.
After you have done all the digging and grounding of the poles like before, when the structure is good to go, you just hang your hammock from the eye-bolts on both sides. You can also do without the eye bolts as well.
Simply wrap your hammock straps over the pole head and use some cords to secure it. And you are done.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you hang your hammock on a pole without an eye bolt?
Yes. You will need a good amount of cord. And the cord should have a gripping ability. Go through a few loops around the pole and then check if it is slipping. If it is not slipping, you can hang your hammock.
Can you hang your hammock from top metal poles?
Yes, you can. If your pole is situated horizontally above any place, you can tie your hammock at both ends of the pole. Make sure to secure with some gripping material so that the ties don’t move. And you have yourself a hammock.
What should be the distance between two hammock poles?
The ideal distance between two anchors or poles of a hammock should be 15 ft. More than that would cause a loss of tension and your hammock might fall along with you.
Conclusion
Having a hammock in your backyard, patio or garden is relaxing to the eyes. Not to mention the real relaxing after you climb into one. But certain things you have to make sure when you are hanging your hammock from a metal pole is that it shouldn’t slip inwards or outwards. This will cause an accident that will harm anyone.
So ground your pole, secure your hammock ties and then place a weight on the hammock to check if it is properly secured. Then you can get into relaxing.
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