Hammocks now hottest way to chill
For an object so closely associated with laziness, the
hammocks has been busy recently. Far from the cumbersome, macramé-style cradles
strung across backyards of yore, the modern hammock is portable, easy to set
up, and a favourite of hikers, campers, and do-nothings alike. ‘Hammocks’
became as much a cerb as a noun(I’ll be hammocking’) in the late 90’s. At music
festivals like Lollapalooza and Lilith Fair, listeners hammocked as they jammed
to G Love & Special Sauce and Shawn Colvin. The hammock then migrated into
the camping world, where it became a warm-weather alternative to a tent.
Now the hammock
is found on college quads and in parks, a current-day version of the picnic
blankets. The market researchers, NPD, reports that the largest demographic
buying them is teens. That’s probably because hammocks provide instant gratification.
One of the hottest brands, Austin-based Kammock, is making a sling with
bark-friendly straps. The lightweight, durable hammock can be hung in minutes
and supports as much as 500 pounds.
Kammok,
which began with a kickstarter campaign in 2011, sells a $128 kit; sales from
2014 to 2015 were up 120%. “It’s portable adventure,” says Haley Robins,
Kammock’s CEO. “You can create different spaces within existing environment that
give you renewed perspective and allow for a moment of relaxation.” Or you can
grab a beer and sack out, telling yourself you’re not being lazy---you’re engaged
in some serious hammocking.
The Kammock is
simple to set up. Two Python straps wrap around trees, fence posts---whatever.
Then you clip the cradle to the straps with Kammok’s carabiners, and just like
that, you’re staring at the sun. To get into the Kammok without looking like a
fool, do what you do when climbing into tiny sports car: Put your bottom in
first, then swing over your legs. To egress do the reverse.
