Photo by Muffy Aldrich
The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Hammocks?

Novelist William Styron, Photo by My Father
A reader question:

Are hammocks still a thing?  I must be doing something wrong because I can't relax in mine.
 

11 comments:

  1. So agree. I am 6’2” and am so uncomfortable in a hammock. Give me an old wicker chaise any day.

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  2. I have never felt comfortable in a robe hammock. Ever.

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  3. Just takes a bit of practice!

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  4. You’re right. You have to hit it just so with a hammock. The secret, for me, is not to move. Settle in and stay in one position. That’s what works here. Like a lot of furniture it is, however, a matter of individual taste and adaptation. A hammock isn’t for everyone. But one worked just fine for a college buddy. He never accepted the dorm room bed. Instead he slept, dreaming of jungles perhaps, in a hammock he strung between ancient, exposed, heating pipes.

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  5. Getting in one isn't so bad...getting out of one is another story !!

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  6. Modern hammocks have become very popular - try the main green on a college campus on a nice day. By modern, i mean made from lightweight nylon/polyester fabric with straps that look/feel like seatbelt material, strung between a couple of trees. Search ENO (Eagles Nest Outfitters) or Warbonnet. I often read in an ENO double nest in our backyard or local parks, and i sometimes sleep in it on hiking trips (with a tarp strung overhead) instead of a tent. Modern hammocks are a lot more comfortable than rope, in my opinion. They're still a bit of a challenge on entry & exit.

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    Replies
    1. I could not agree more! We received 2 ENOs as gifts and we string them from the T top to the bow rail on the boat. The are THE most comfortable seat in the house!

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  7. Hammocks were devised for shipboard use when large crews were needed and there was limited space for sleeping. They were crowded next to each other tightly when rigged and when stowed along the bulwarks provided some protection from musket and cannon fire. Officers had swinging tray-shaped bunks, not the less comfortable hammocks. Why anyone would use hammocks now is a mystery.

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  8. Hammock courtesy of my father...U.S.N. LST 219, South Pacific 1945. Used it in our back yard.

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  9. I purchased a navy-surplus hammock in my early teens and tied it to two pine trees. It was a pleasant place to read outdoors in the shade.

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  10. Rope hammocks take some getting used to. I have a heavy cotton canvas hammock (similar to the other mentioned brands, just heavier than the silk-weight ripstop) that's wonderful, though. When I lived in Minneapolis, I'd stuff it in a tote with some snacks and a good read, then enjoy a lazy afternoon with a senior cocker spaniel sleeping across my lap between two trees by Lake of the Isles. Nothing could beat it.

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