Measuring distances with a measuring tool is a recipe for disaster. However, if your project doesn’t require absolute precision, it’s possible to guesstimate distances like 20 feet. In metric terms, 20 feet is the same as 6.069 meters.
In this guide, I’ll show you # common objects you can use as references for measuring 20 feet. Please remember to share this article or drop a comment if you found it helpful.
6 Upright Vacuum Cleaners
There are all sorts of vacuum cleaners available. Canister vacuum cleaners are compact devices that can be used to clean floors, ceilings, and everything in between. Then there are handheld vacuums that are great for cleaning auto interior. And let’s not disregard robot vacuums, which have made household cleaning a lot less stressful.
But the most popular type of vacuum cleaner is the upright vacuum cleaner. Uprights typically stand 40 inches tall, meaning that you would have to lie 6 of them flat on the ground and right next to each other to get a measurement of 20 feet.
22 Sheets of Letter-Size Paper
In North America, one of the most widely used paper sizes is letter paper. Letter paper is what you’ll commonly find in offices and schools. It measures 8.5 × 11 inches, which is different from the standard A4 paper (8.3 × 11.7 inches) that our European friends are accustomed to.
Since a single sheet of letter paper is 1 inch shorter than a foot, you’ll need around 20 of them to reach the 20-foot mark—well, 22 sheets if you want to be technical about it.
½ Step-Deck Trailer
A step-deck trailer is just one of the various types of trailers that are commonly hitched to the back of semi-trucks. What makes a step-deck trailer unique is its 2-level decks, which allow truck drivers to place taller objects on the trailer while staying within height limitations.
This type of trailer usually measures between 48 and 53 feet in length. So, if you can envision slicing a step-deck trailer down the halfway point, you would have roughly 20 feet left over. Many trailer types will have the same length measurement, so dividing them in half will get you to around 20 feet in length.
2 Large Squat Racks
A squat rack can be an invaluable tool to have in your home gym or garage. It’s great for helping you lift weights and stay in shape, but it does take up quite a bit of space. A large squat rack measures about 120 inches deep, which is exactly 10 feet.
So, if you have a large-sized squat rack at home, try imagining placing one in front of the other. The collective depth of both large squat racks should measure 240 inches or 20 feet to the dot.
7 40-Gallon Breeder Tanks
For those that have taken taking care of fish to the next level, you probably know what a breeder tank is. It’s essentially an aquarium that is a lot wider and longer, giving it more surface area. It also makes retrieving fish from the tank a lot easier than normal 40-gallon tanks that are taller.
A 40-gallon breeder tank can have various dimensions, but the most common is 36 inches in length. That means you would need about 7 of them placed next to each other to reach the 20-foot mark.
2 Kayaks
If you’ve ever stopped at a sporting goods store, you’ve probably noticed kayaks in all sorts of shapes and sizes. That’s because there are different types of kayaks, including recreational paddling and hardcore paddling down white-water rivers. The overall length and shape of the kayak will give you an idea of what it’s used for.
The average length of a kayak for recreational use is 10 feet long. So, you would only need to place one in front of the other to measure the full 20 feet.
3 Basketball Backboards
I’m pretty sure you’ve played basketball at least once in your life if you live in the United States. You might not be LeBron James-level good, but at the very least, you can recall how wide the backboard is.
For the non-basketball-loving folks out there, a typical basketball backboard is 72 inches wide. Placing 3 of them side by side will give you a collective width of 18 feet, which is just 2 feet shy of the 20-foot length you’re measuring.
20 Cast-Iron Skillets
Cast-iron skillets are great for a lot of things. If you seasoned it well enough, food should never stick to the pan. They’re great for searing meats and vegetables, as well as making thick gravies. Treat your cast-iron skillet with love and it’ll last you a lifetime.
While these skillets come in a range of sizes, one of the more popular sizes is 12 inches across. So, disregarding the handle, you would need 20 of them to reach 20 feet.
½ Hollywood Sign
The Hollywood Sign is a cultural landmark. It’s a pretty important part of Los Angeles’ history, even though it has seen some pretty rough days in the past. The words that spell out “Hollywood” measure 45 feet in height, so half the height should get you close to 20 feet.
However, you may have only seen the sign from a distance, so unless you can get up-close and personal with the sign, it won’t help very much as a reference.
2 2 × 4 Boards
When it comes to making your own furniture, there’s no board that beats the classic 2 × 4. However, what these numbers don’t tell you is how the board’s actual dimensions. After processing, a 2 × 4 board will be about 1.5 × 3.5 inches while measuring 10 feet long.
So, if you have 2 fresh 2 × 4 boards in your garage, you would need to lie them next to each other lengthwise to measure 20 feet. Basically, any standard-sized piece of lumber should measure around 10 feet in length, so 2 of them together would get you to 20 feet.
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