Once upon a time, I thought I needed to take more naps, and get out of my house (and work) more.
Somehow, this led me to purchasing an Eno Doublenest Hammock. Since then, I have had many #gramworthy moments, many naps in the trees, and many days spent in the library wishing I was outside. So in honor of the last two hammock filled years, here are eight places you need to string up your hammock.
1. Your backyard.
Your backyard is a great place to hammock because while you may want to feel as if you are “one” with nature, you don’t have a tremendous amount of time to spend gallivanting in the wilderness. This spot allows you to easily string up your hammock in your yard and still feel the bliss that comes when swinging between trees.
2. Your balcony.
This place is so odd, I would never have thought that I would enjoy hammocking in a pseudo outdoors environment so much. Moving to college and getting out of the dorms is great but what if you end up in an apartment? Where are you supposed to hammock without the aforementioned backyard? Look no further than your balcony! Close to home and hopefully covered, this is an ideal spot to hammock for more than just an afternoon. I use my balcony to hammock and then use my heated blanket while I am out there as well. This increases the amount of time each year that I can hammock thus increasing my joy.
3. In a parking lot between cars
This one has an unusual story behind it. My friend Leslie and I desperately wanted to hammock. It was the first sunny day in ages and we had no idea where to go to find a good spot, so we improvised. She parked her car a little less than a full space away from mine, and we both rolled down all the windows in our cars. We then wrapped our straps around the roof and strung our hammocks up. With some music playing and snacks in hand, we got to soak up the warm weather in our favorite place. We got some very strange looks from all the passersby but I would absolutely do it again.
4. In a park in the midst of a Nerf war.
After hammocking in the parking lot with Leslie, I knew I needed to find a spot that would better suit my hammocking needs. Kruegel Park in Pullman is just that. Plenty of trees, a decent distance apart, it is the ideal place to string up and swing your problems away. Thankfully, Taite, Libby (not pictured) and I were able to hammock next to each other.
6. By the Lake near your House.
Another hammocking spot discovered by Leslie and the gang. Hammocking at the park near her house. We were able to stack our hammocks in a triple decker and laugh and photograph the night away. It was truly picturesque to watch the kids splash in the lake while we chatted about anything and everything that came to mind.
7. Next, to a river you spent the day hiking to.
This picture is one of the first times Taite and I hammocked together. We went on a hike with a huge group of our friends and we barely knew each other. We simply knew that we both had hammocks. We chose to string up her hammock adjacent to the river bank and struggled immensely to get into it. A friend took this picture of the two of us, and our friendship was able to blossom ever since.
8. In a triple decker between the trees.
Kids, do not try this at home.
Just kidding, totally try it even if you just #doitforthegram.
The trick to the triple decker, or any more than three I would imagine, is stringing up the bottom one as close to the ground as you can get, without touching the ground. This way, you will be able to climb from one hammock to the next, as well as the person in the bottom hammock will be able to enjoy it. The other trick is to space the hammocks out fairly evenly, you want space to actually be in the hammock, and not just have them hanging. The other piece I would recommend, if available, is having people you trust with you. You want to have someone who could/would easily catch you (or attempt to) if you fall, as well as laugh it off with you.
The thing about hammocking, as you may see, is that it's not about where you are, or who you're with. But it's about enjoying your surroundings and swinging your way through life.
