Hammock Retreat

Hammock Retreat

This has to be one of my absolute most favorite additions to the backyard. As usual, I was "Pinteresting" (not yet a verb, but will be... just like Google) to find ideas. Anyway, I love to backpack and do all things outdoor, but why leave my hammock all balled up in between backpacking trips when I have a perfectly "hammockable" yard out back? 

With exactly 1 tree in the backyard, however, I had to come up with an idea to hang the hammock, while adding to the aesthetics of the backyard. I wanted a permanent structure (vs. a relatively inexpensive and less eye catching portable alternative). So... with the help of Pinterest and some creative ideas of my own, a project was born.

Here is the backyard before:

Materials I decided I needed:

2- 12ft. 6x6 pressure treated posts

2- 10ft 2 x 10 pressure treated boards

2 bags of sakrete

8, 1/2" x 10 inch bolts with nuts

2, 8 inch eye bolts with nuts

6, 4 in lag screws

Instructions:

Cut off 2 feet from the 6x6 posts and save for later in the project

Dig holes 2 feet in ground double the size of the post

Insert posts into ground, use a level to ensure that it is level on all sides and secure using temporary braces as shown in picture. (I used old 4 x 4 posts from a previous raised garden)

Pour concrete in hole and fill with water

Wait for concrete to set (we waited 48 hrs to make sure it was completely dried through)

I cut off a corner of the "cross beams" to give it a decorative look. I clamped the cross beams together in place and drilled through them using a 1/2in x 12 in long drill bit and an electric drill. This was NOT easy... The 2 foot section you cut off the original posts will now be trimmed with 45 degree angles on each end and attached using lag screws into the upper corners of the structure. (picture below) It's meant to be decorative rather than structural, so just make sure it's secure and you're good to go.

With everything bolted in, it's now ready to install the hammock hangers (eye bolts).

Install the eye bolts evenly on each side. I think I installed the hammock at a height that allowed me to sit on the hammock and swing but also lay in it at a reasonable distance off the ground. For decoration, I laid large stones (about 6$ each) to get to the hammock and mulch and plants all around. The hostas were transplanted from another area, which is why they look as though they are dying- they're in a little shock. 

We laid sod down a little later in the summer and the backyard has come such a long way. It's now one of my absolute most favorite places to lounge around on a weekend day!