Getting into the Swing of Hammock Camping

Getting into the Swing of Hammock Camping- Dave Brown

Rating: **** Superb

By Aidan Thirsk

           

            This article is a truly interesting read that will make you want to go to the store and buy a hammock right away. The total length is only about a page of text and shouldn’t take longer than an enjoyable 5 or 10 minutes to read.

            Getting into the Swing of Hammock Camping is everything you need to know about getting started with hammocks, not just for leisure, but camping as well. The author, Dave Brown, explains how the word “hammock” was termed from the use of bark from the “Hamack” tree. Along with the short history of hammocks, Mr. Brown focuses on the benefits of using hammocks when camping and compares them to the conventional tent. Benefits that include the comfort, posture, ease, uses, and lack of environment impact that hammocks have. He concludes that hammocks can be an overall great replacement for tents, with the exception that tents will provide more room and can be more weather friendly.

            I picked this article because I absolutely love hammocks. I have owned and experimented with plenty of types of hammocks and think everyone should at least try camping with a hammock. When I used hammocks, I thought of them as mostly comfortable and easy to set up, but I never really thought about all the pros the article stated. Now though, I appreciate that hammocks are a lot more than just comfortable; even more of an excuse to use one! The most interesting fact I found was that the posture while sleeping in hammocks is actually the “orthopedically correct position”. I’m not sure how much time I will have to go camping while finishing up High School and going to University, but when I do I know I will be bringing a hammock along with me. I hope everyone who gets a chance to read this article, or learns more about hammocks really does get a chance to go out and use one, I think they are a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors a bit more.

Brown, Dave. "Getting into the Swing of Hammock Camping." Ottawa Outdoors Fall 2011: 5-7. Print.