I just love lying in a hammock, but there are a several problems. First, there are not always two trees the right distance apart to hang my hammock. Second,I don’t like the portable, metal hammock stands because they are tipsy and clumsy, and very large to transport if you wanted to take a hammock elsewhere than using it at home.
Enter the helium suspended hammock. Two large, heavyweight balloons equipped with tie-down tethers are the main supports. They have hooks attached to the bottom of each to make hanging or unhanging of the hammock quite easy. Of course a helium tank is required for filling the large balloons to the proper weight and then a type of heavy-duty twisty or valve stop is used to keep the helium in the balloons while in use. Hang your hammock and relax in the breeze or sunshine wherever you please. For the more adventurous, you can omit using the tethers…-- xandram, Aug 19 2007 Helium raft (hammock, of sorts) http://kwc.org/myth...hones_on_plane.html"Adam, Jamie and Kari built a gigantic raft filled with helium to see if they could make Adam fly." [Klaatu, Aug 19 2007] OT - Here's a video of a Bear using a hammock http://www.youtube....watch?v=8rxNJPR94u0{I just think it's fun to watch} [Dub, Aug 20 2007] These guys rock. http://perso.orange...olaire/en-index.htm [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 21 2007] Any adaptations are possible, but I don't get the link with the helium raft as being relevant.-- xandram, Aug 19 2007 "It takes 16 cu ft of helium to lift 1 pound. In order to lift 300 lbs (200 lb Jamie/Adam plus a 100 lb raft), it would 5000 cu ft of helium, which is approximately 1/3 the cabin size of a DC-9 airplane. For reference, the Hindenburg carried 7,000,000 cu ft of hydrogen."
I believe that the relevance can be found here. I saw the show an I believe the relevance is that they made a raft filled with helium that was really really huge. difference is you used a balloon and standard hammock. Also if you saw the show the "raft" collapsed into a hammock like shape.
Also you would actually need to carry about 20 helium tanks to fill your hammock as the standard size tanks are 300cf-- jhomrighaus, Aug 20 2007 I like the bit about the heavyweight balloons.-- ldischler, Aug 20 2007 // It takes 16 cu ft of helium to lift 1 pound. // Crazy American (ok, originally British) measurements. 1m^3 helium lifts approx 1kg. To support a 100kg man on a 25kg hammock you would need a balloon 5mx5mx5m, which is big but feasible.-- marklar, Aug 20 2007 OK, I did wonder how much helium it would take to hold up a person, so I quess it's quite a lot.-- xandram, Aug 20 2007 //there are not always two trees the right distance apart//
In my back garden we have a hammock which is hung from a hook in the wall of the house to a tree at the bottom of the garden about 6 or 7 metres away via some rope. It actually makes for a comfier hammock because the angle you lie in is less acute. It does have a time limit though. After about 40 minutes the rope has stretched and your bum starts to scrape the ground.-- theleopard, Aug 20 2007 Possible + impractical = automatic bun.-- DenholmRicshaw, Aug 20 2007 We had to cut down one of our *hammock* trees, so hence my unresearched, imaginative idea. I'd like to lie in a hammock about ten feet off the ground.-- xandram, Aug 20 2007 Might I suggest a 10 foot pole?-- marklar, Aug 20 2007 //hence my unresearched, imaginative idea//
Fair enough, not criticising your idea, just suggesting a hammocky alternative while you stockpile the helium canisters.-- theleopard, Aug 20 2007 Alternatively, buy a backyard dirigible and suspend your hammock from that.-- globaltourniquet, Aug 20 2007 There you go [global]. That was another option, but they look sooo big, and you know, the Hindenburg trouble and all.
I'm adding adjustable tethers that one can wind with a winch to let themselves get into the hammock and then rise to a desirable height, possibly over the tree-tops where then it is impossible to anchor your hammock on a tree.-- xandram, Aug 20 2007 This seems like a fine time to link to solar hot air balloons, so I think I will.
Oh look,and now I have.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 21 2007 [2 fries] That would be perfect! I knew the regular hot air balloons would light the hammock on fire.-- xandram, Aug 21 2007 Yeah, and who wants to hammock on a rainy day eh?-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 21 2007 Is now the right time to ask why xandram lets those clumsy metal hammock supports drink enough to get tipsy in the first place? Can we send the poor things to AA? Maybe they deserve a second chance.-- Canuck, Aug 22 2007 Really, they hang too close to the ground...(swishes drink around whilst floating above a lake).-- xandram, Aug 22 2007 random, halfbakery