Hang Distance & Sag Calculator
Plug in the distance between your two trees, your ridgeline length, and where your straps are attached, and see the hang angle you’ll actually get — before you climb in.
Your hang angle
The geometry behind a good hang
You sit in the middle of the span, so the line from each strap down to your seat runs over half the distance between the trees. Compare that run against how far the strap sits above your seat height, and the angle falls straight out of basic trigonometry; the ridgeline then decides how much of that line is suspension and how much is hammock. This is the model behind Derek Hansen’s Hammock Hang Calculator (The Ultimate Hang), whose hang height is the sit height plus tan(angle) times half the tree distance.
The reason this is worth calculating rather than eyeballing: the same trees and the same ridgeline can produce a comfortable 30-degree hang or an overly flat 15-degree hang (1.94 times your weight on each strap) depending only on where you clip the strap. A few inches of strap height make a bigger difference than most people expect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a 30-degree hang angle matter?
A hang angle of roughly 25 to 35 degrees, centered on 30, is the widely-shared sweet spot in the hammock-camping community. Hang flatter than that and the strap tension climbs fast (each strap carries your full weight at 30°, and 1.47 times it at 20°) while the fabric pulls tight around your shoulders; hang much steeper and the hammock folds into a deep banana sag.
What counts as the 'strap height' in this calculator?
It's the height on the tree where your suspension strap (or webbing) is actually tied off or buckled — not the height of the tree itself. Measure it with a tape or estimate it against your own height while the strap is loosely in place, before you clip in the hammock.
My angle came back 'too flat' — what should I change?
Move the straps higher on the trees, or pick two trees closer together. Either one increases the drop from strap to seat relative to the run, which steepens the angle toward the 30-degree target. Do not just pull the suspension tighter: that makes the hang flatter and the load higher.
General guidance only, not an engineering calculation or a safety rating. The angle is rounded down and the load multiplier up. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and rated capacity, hang low and never over water or a drop, and check the trees and the branches above you before you get in.