Set Up Your Hammock and Enjoy the Scenery With This Blogging Duo
Written By: Meredith Strodel and James Magdaleno Hammock Living
Photographed By: Natasha Lee
Hammock Living began in May 2014 after a particularly kickass trip to Havasu, Arizona, where we hung in front of the most beautiful waterfalls you’d ever seen (Google it right now). We bring hammocks with us just about everywhere. In addition to all the hikes, backpacking trips and camping rendezvous, we have ventured abroad with our assortment of hammocks and posted up in Ibiza, Italy and Japan, and most recently in London and Paris. In the past 2+ years, 40, 000 enthusiastic hammock lovers have tuned into our adventures of extreme relaxation. As it turns out, people just really love hammocking. And for good reason…
Hammocks are designed specifically for comfortable sitting/lounging/day-dreaming/transporting away from reality. That is fact (Google that, too). You feel hugged and weightless inside the warm embrace of a hammock cocoon. As you sway softly, the breeze whispers in your ear, “Relax, there is no one here but us.” The sun shines and the birds chirp. Maybe. If not, it sure feels like they do because that’s the nature hammocks create.
They are also portable, allowing these whimsical moments to travel with you. Beyond the oversized cotton hammocks in your grandma’s backyard that are known to dig into your skin and leave painful indents in the back of your legs; lightweight portable hammocks are on the rise. There are about two dozen legit brands offering a variety of high quality options that range in color, size, purpose and price. Here are a few of our favorites and why:
- Grand Trunk – If you want an unusual, funky print that’ll stand out from the rest and really impress your friends, look no further. They’ve got tie-dye, red plaid (think lumberjack), what they call “galactic, ” plus a variety of color combos, including some awesome neons. Hey, hammocks are allowed fashion freedom, too.
- nod Hammocks – While these hammocks gently hug you, they’re also gently hugging the trees. With some of the most tree-protectant accessories we’ve seen, nod’s extra wide straps protect the bark and trunk, and they are included with your hammock (read: you don’t have to pay extra).
- ENO – The first hammock we owned and one of the most popular brands, thanks to distribution at your neighborhood REI. These quality hammocks are available in single or double nest (for one or two people). They also recently partnered with Betabrand out of San Francisco to make a disco hammock. Yes, that’s right – a hammock made of material that looks like a disco ball. I KNOW! And yes, we own several of these (just in case).
- Lawson Hammock – Love camping but don’t love sleeping on the ground? This single-man tent acts as a hammock and is easily hung between two trees. It’s surprisingly simple to manage (we didn’t fall on our faces) and is far more comfortable than even your thickest sleeping pad (great for backpacking). Seriously, why not sleep floating in mid-air rather than on the prickly ground beneath?
- Tentsile – The ultimate treehouse for adults. This hammock-tent hybrid is triangular in shape and sleeps two people —what a fun third date! They even sell ladders so you can hang it up real high and easily climb in and out. Check out their photos on Instagram. People have taken these things to pretty epic locales!
- Ticket To The Moon – Most portable nylon hammocks are roughly 10 feet long. TTTM sells what they call a Mammock, which clocks in at 20 feet. It’s also a very impressive 9’10” wide, meaning you can lie sideways and pile in several friends (also, a fun third date if you’re into that sort of thing).
- Cocoon – Picture a teardrop hanging by one sturdy rope with an opening you crawl into. Available in sizes for kids, one or two adults, this “hammock” is a fan favorite and great addition to any backyard or kiddie’s room.
(Clearly we can go on here. If you are curious about what’s best for you or have any other questions we can help with, shoot us an email at [email protected].)
Even if you are not an “outdoorsy type, ” we strongly encourage you to gift yourself a hammock. It will sweep you off your feet into pure bliss and can reduce the stress of your day-to-day. In today’s fast-paced and hyper-connected world, remind yourself of the importance of decompressing. Sink into a hammock, read a book, meditate, take a nap, call your mom, eat an ice cream cone, and/or sway into the weightless abyss that is hammock living.
Favorite Places to Hang in LA
- El Matador State Beach – a not-so-secret-secret beach in Malibu with rocks jutting from the sand offering a great place to hang over the crashing waves
- Solstice Canyon – also in Malibu, this hiking trail has a pretty decent waterfall (by L.A. standards) and a stream with lots of trees to hang from alongside or across the water
- Venice Beach – so many great trees right on the sand to post up in
- Angeles National Forest – we venture up here a lot and always bring a hammock to relax in mid-hike
- Murphy Ranch – a 1930s Nazi sympathizer camp turned artist commune that is now just a cool place to hike in the Palisades with ruins covered in graffiti (great photo opp)
- Henninger Flats – camping spot that you have to earn, located 3 miles in and nearly 1, 400 feet up in the San Gabriel Mountains (amazing views of all of LA)
Most epic hang? Near the top of Angels Landing in Zion National Park (our lives were at the mercy of two small trees with roots buried in rocks)
Highest hang? Literally the highest point in the Continental U.S., we hung a hammock on the top of Mt. Whitney in the Eastern Sierras (of course there are no trees at 14, 505 feet but we were able to rig up on some rocks)
Top three locations on your hammock bucket list? Inside the “O” of the Hollywood sign (with the blessings of the city, of course); the Maldives, in those dainty hammocks strung between two branches sticking up in the middle of the ocean; and the cliffs of Hawaii with awesome views overlooking the vast Pacific
By the Numbers:
22 – July date that marks National Hammock Day (did you celebrate?)
7 – ounces that a lightweight backpacking hammock weighs
60 – seconds to hang a portable hammock with straps
27 – our inventory of hammocks
22 – hammocks we gave away last year, so come over for the chance to win!
Hammock Living
@HammockLiving
www.hammock-living.com
Photoshoot Locations:
El Matador State Beach
32350 El Matador Beach Rd
Malibu, CA 90265
Solstice Canyon
3455 Solistic Canyon Rd
Malibu, CA 90265
Santa Monica Pier
200 Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Resting on the Edge
