Top Six Vehicle-Mounted Hammock Stands (and then some)
Sometimes, you just need a portable hammock stand. Maybe you're camping in the desert, or in a park that prohibits hanging anything from the trees. In this case, you have a lot of options, like several models from Byer of Maine or the Drifter by Boonedox, but what if you want a stand that mounts to your vehicle? It's surely a niche market, but there simply aren't many options yet for vehicle-mounted hammock stands.
Why would you want a hammock stand mounted to your vehicle when you could just set one up on the ground? Like everything, it comes down to trade-offs and personal preference. If you camp where it's often muddy, having a hitch-mounted stand would keep your gear just a little cleaner. If you want to be elevated--like at the beach or in a racetrack midfield, or just to be farther away from bugs and snakes--then a roof-mounted option might be your ticket. Or maybe you just like the form of the ENO Roadie (or you're a member of their cult following!). Whatever the reason, it's an interesting niche so I'll list a few options here, and continue adding more as new information and products become available. Eventually, I'd like to put some DIY plans on here (although you can already see some DIY stands at the bottom of the page).
McLean Metalworks Stands - Hitch-Mount and Tire-Mount
McLean Metalworks offers two styles of hammock stands--hitch-mounted and wheel-mounted--plus several accessories that add to the utility of this system. Their basic hammock weighs 40lbs, accommodates hammocks with 114" or smaller ridgelines, has a 300lbs weight capacity, and retails for $400. It also comes in custom colors for an additional $60 or $120, and it collapses into a small enough package that you can leave it attached to the hitch while you travel! For an additional $40, you can order a hitch extension so the hammock is usable with a large spare tire (like on a Wrangler or modified Tacoma), or to enable tailgate access on some pickup trucks.
I'm more excited about the $50 arm extensions, giving the stand a 124" eye-to-eye mounting distance. This enables it to support longer (and more comfortable hammocks) and also makes it easier to use a tarp with this stand, partly because it move the hammock farther away from the vehicle and gives the hanger more room to pitch it. This won't accommodate all tarps, so be sure to test it before you need it!
They also offer a $200 tire mount, allowing you to use the hammock stand (purchased separately) parallel to the vehicle. This would be a convenient way for two hangers to camp conveniently from the same vehicle--both hanging off the rear tires and preserving access to the hatchback or tailgate, for example. They recommend not using extensions with the tire mount, so I'd like to see how a tarp can be used with this setup. Using an attached awning, or rigging a tarp to a roof rack, would work if you could get the needed coverage.
See their YouTube video here for how quick and easy set-up is. I really appreciate that they hang the hammock with appropriate sag....
Like many entries in this category, the Hammaka Hitch Stand ($250) fits on a vehicle's receiver hitch and has support bars to hold the hammock.
The Hammaka stand weighs 50lbs, and the longest pieces are about 46" long when it's stowed for travel. It can be installed on any vehicle with a 2" receiver hitch. When installed, the supports are just over 10' apart, so a hammock needs a ridgeline shorter than 10' to be comfortable on this stand, which will accommodate many camping hammocks with 11' bodies. Also, when installed it sticks out a little over 6" from the pin hole on the hitch, so you might need a hitch extender if your vehicle has a spare tire on the back, like Jeep Wrangler. Weight capacity is 300lbs for the hammock.
As of this writing, it has 4.5 stars on Amazon, but with a low number of reviews that's not a lot of information to base a purchase decision on. One negative note is that it does not come with a storage bag for when you're not using it.
The Hammaka stand is unique because the supports can be reconfigured to hang two hammock chairs, which is more ideal for tailgating or lounging for a picnic lunch at a nice overlook. Be aware that the older Hammaka "Trailer Hitch Stand" only supports two two hammock chairs and cannot support a hammock. This new version can hold either two Hammaka Air Chairs or one hammock (all sold separately).
Hitch-Hammock
Hitch Hammock (stowed for travel)
The Hitch Hammock ($700) couples a sizeable cargo hauler with the hammock supports. And the cargo deck is also useful as a nightstand while you're camping in the hammock. It also comes with cargo straps that double as bottle openers, and a cooking grate as well. The cooking grate seems like an odd addition to me because you'd need to cook right next to your vehicle...and in something like a Wrangler, the gas tank would be right next to the grill. Still, it's an interesting approach to multi-purposing an item. Here's their promo video.
The ENO Roadie ($200) stand takes an interesting approach by eliminating the need for a receiver hitch. Setup is fairly straightforward as the supports stand up on their own; you just set the baseplate next to the tire, drive onto it, then connect the uprights--doable by one person. The uprights break down into two pieces each, making it easier than some other options to store for travel.
This is a convenient offering for many situations because the hammock hangs alongside the vehicle, saving space when compared to the hitch receivers (or at least changing the footprint needed to hang). It also allows the hanger to use the car as a windbreak and, as mentioned, you don't need an expensive receiver hitch to use it. Lastly, receiver hitch stands block access to the tailgate or hatchback, where the ENO Roadie does not.
However, this design presents a limitation because the ridgeline length of the hammock is limited by the wheelbase of the vehicle. For reference, the wheelbase of the Honda Element pictured is 101.4", a Ford Focus is 104.3", and a Toyota Tacoma is 104.3" (regular cab) or 121.9" (extended cab). Since a standard length for a hammock's structural ridgeline is 108", this is a pretty severely limiting factor for someone who plans to camp with the ENO Roadie. But this may be a fair trade for many use cases.
The Roadie weighs 54lbs and has a weight capacity of 250lbs.
Trailnest Rooftop Hammock Stands ($500 or $800) offer a significant height advantage over other models, allowing hangers to get better views, farther away from bugs and snakes, or perhaps higher into the wind during warm summer months.
Byer Stand on Roof Rack(pic credit?)
The Single model retails for $500 and weighs 44lbs, while the Double goes for $800 and weighs 73lbs. Both have a ridgeline length of 115", weight capacity of 250lbs per hammock, and can be mounted parallel or perpendicular to the vehicle onto a variety of attachment points (roof racks, bars, etc).
Of course, if you have a strong enough roof rack, you can put many models of stand-alone hammock stands up there. This pic is many years old now and I've forgotten who it is so I can't give proper credit. But it's the first one I remember seeing and I've been involved with the hammock camping community for a loooong time*, so it may have been the spark that led to the Trailnest. (*But not as long as the South American tribes who invented hammocks!) If you know who this is, please let me know!
The Hitchhiker Hammock System ($290) by Blue Ridge Built assembles in three pieces and is angled so it does not interfere with pickup tailgates (see pic to left). Blue Ridge says the Hitchhiker fits hammocks up to 10'.
I did not find much information about this hitchstand, but it's made of aluminum so it's probably lighter than the steel options. The uprights and main hammock bar are single long pieces instead of extendible arms, so storage would be less convenient than other options.
One concern I'd like to address during testing is height above the ground. In the picture, the hanger looks like he's almost touching the grass. If that's the case, I'd be hesitant to use an underquilt. Of course, this would also depend on height of the receiver hitch. If you have experience with the Hitchhiker, please let me know if these concerns are founded.
Hammock Hitch (pre-production)
Scott Oakes's Hammock Hitch
Here's a great video of a Hammock Hitch on Scott Oakes's YouTube channel, but I haven't seen evidence of it going into commercial production. (I found a patent application that cites his video, though.) This version looks bombproof, but I notice he has to hang the hammock extremely tight in order to keep his butt from sagging onto the platform. So this design might limit the types of hammocks you can use on it. I'd love to be the one to test this one out!
Homemade Versions
Spidennis has an innovative solution to carrying his motorcycle on a receiver mount, and multi-tasking it as a hammock stand. Here's the video of him laying in it, and another with him mocking up a tarp. Looks like it's gonna be a great product. Click the link under the picture for his uploads so you can keep up with his progress.
Here's an interesting homemade version that would make it easy to use a rectangle-ish tarp. (A catenary tarp like a MacCat probably wouldn't work as well.) I don't have any more information because I just found this picture on the internet (link below the pic), but I like how it allows the user to hang over things, like part of a picnic table or this river.
I'll drop several other homemade versions below that I found. I'll post more info on them as I find it. If you know who created these, please help me ensure I give credit where it's due!
There are a lot of great ideas and pics of hammock stands mounted on vehicles, and I'll put the interesting ones here to help folks brainstorm their own DIY projects. I'm most interested in solutions with quick setup and teardown, that are sturdy enough to actually camp in (mainly meaning good tarp options). I'll try hard to give credit to the original poster, but that's not always easy on the internet. If you can help me get to the source of the pictures, I'd appreciate an email.
I know there's a lot more out there, from information I missed about these options to completely new methods I haven't found yet. Please shoot me an email and I'll see about adding them! Thanks!
