A comfortable hammock hang comes down to three variables — tree spacing, strap height, and sag angle — and getting them roughly right matters far more than the hammock itself.
- 1
Pick two solid trees at the right distance
Look for two healthy, load-bearing trees roughly 12-15 feet apart for most hammocks — closer together than that makes it hard to get a proper sag angle, and farther apart may exceed your suspension's length.
- 2
Set strap height around chest level
Attach suspension straps roughly at chest-to-shoulder height on each tree. This typically produces a hang where the lowest point of the hammock sits around knee height once you're lying in it.
- 3
Aim for roughly a 30-degree hang angle
The classic rule of thumb is hanging the suspension at about a 30-degree angle from horizontal — steep enough for a supportive lay without the sides pinching in and squeezing your shoulders.
- 4
Lie diagonally, not straight down the centerline
For gathered-end hammocks, lying at a diagonal angle (roughly 30 degrees off the long axis) flattens your body position significantly compared to lying straight down the center.
- 5
Adjust sag after getting in
Get in and check whether you're too tightly strung (feels like a taut trampoline, pushes on your sides) or too loose (feels like you're folding in half). Small strap adjustments at this point make a big comfort difference.