Except I rent and can't do this!

aschwebb, you should be able to buy a long enough tension rod that will serve the purpose, then you don't need to drill any holes or damage anything in your space (i rent, too, and have tried this with a tension rod, it works great!)

Same here ash.

Will a tension rod really be able to hold the weight of lots of pants??? I have a looooooooooooooong closet.

Hm...I have an extra shower rod laying around...I wonder if it will extend as wide as my closets? Good tip, though!

ooo, i dunno, aimeeb. i've got a bunch of closets but they're all very narrow, so i've never had a problem . . .

Hi Ashcwebb,
Yes, you can use an extension rod with rubber ends, which won't damage your walls. If your closet is somewhat standard in size, you should be able to find a rod that fits.
Good luck,
Casa

Actually, the traditional way to do this (and you can actually buy rod kits for this) is to hang the rod from twine or wire or whatever from the upper rod (as in the picture). Tension rods are just asking for rumpled, dusty clothes.

Also, with tension rods you run the risk of the ends sticking to latex paint and pulling off the paint when you remove it.

I have this in my closet. You can actually buy a rod that has two wires with hooks that attach to the already existing top rod. You don't have to drill or even mess with the tension, it just hangs!

tundrababe, I have the same thing in my closet! You can get them at the Container Store.

I did the same thing a few months ago, best thing I could've ever done! I purchased two rods from the Home Depot for $5 bucks a piece. I used my dress shirts and skirts to measure the lower bars' distance from the floor of the closet, and used the lower bar and a pair of dress slacks to measure the upper bars' distance. It literally took me 15 minutes. Make sure the bars you buy come with screws; all you need is a Phillips screwdriver and your in business!

I am so doing this in my apartment! Thanks everyone for the additional tips. Container Store here I come!

Don't do the tension rod!! I did this in a dorm room once, and the tension rod fell about ten times a semester. Each time, it pulled some paint off. If you want your deposit back - don't do this.

i've already got all the rods you can get so unless i start hanging clothing from the ceiling, not a single stitch of more fabric can squeeze in

I have the double hang closet rod from the Container Store that was mentioned earlier. Here is a link: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=12701831&ite...

This was especially good during college because we had tiny closets and I needed all the space I could get! This probably isn't as appealing to people not in dorm rooms, but I also remember using thin storage bins under my bed to hold more clothes and shoes.

I have this--not in my closet but in my husband's closet. The top rod is for shirts, the lower rod is for pants. I got this tip from the Container Store 4 years ago.