On July 22nd, relax in the shade and enjoy National Hammock Day. These portable, comfortable slings create excellent napping spaces no matter where you are!
- A hammock, used for swinging, sleeping or resting, is a sling made of fabric, rope or netting. Usually, a hammock suspends between two points such as trees or posts.
- Hammocks were originally created by the Mayans about 1,000 years ago in Central America.
- Not long after, the hammock found its way onto naval ships, providing comfort and maximizing space.
- Extreme hammocking puts the adventure into your rest and relaxation. Thrill-seekers sleep in hammocks hundreds of feet above a canyon floor.
- Mayans invented the hammock! Hammocks were originally woven from the Hammack tree, native to Latin America, hence the name, “hammock”.
- In North Carolina, you can find the largest hammock in the world, which spans 42 feet and has been woven from over 10,000 feet of rope. The hammock can hold 8000 lbs.
- The man who discovered the Americas, Christopher Columbus, had his eye on the prize when he made it to American shores and wasted absolutely no time in transporting hammocks back to the European continent in the 15th century.
- There is a hammock that looks all kinds of terrifying in Utah that hangs 492 feet in the air over a massive canyon. Getting the hammock up and running costs no less than $50,000.
- Lying in a hammock is one of life’s simple pleasures. An affordable item that can feel totally luxurious. That is unless you decide to purchase the Petiole – the costliest hammock in the world. This slick object has a curved shape, can hold up to 250 kilograms, and blocks most UV rays while also allowing for a perfect view of whichever paradise you are in. And if you have a cool $35,000 lying around, it’s yours for the taking!
- Bubbles, warm water and a swinging chair. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. A hydro-hammocks will give you the pleasure to have a warm bubble bath while enjoying the view.
- People with sleeping problems should get a hammock because a Swiss study proves: The soft swinging of a hammock synchronizes brain waves and can make it easier to fall asleep. Mothers have known this for a long time
- A hammock will naturally move you into the ideal sleeping position—and keep you there.
- It’s been shown that sleeping in a hammock can help you fall asleep faster.
- A hammock is a zero-pressure point system, in which there are no specific contact points between the sleep surface and your body
- Hammock-related music:
- The Hammock Song (2014) by David Cline. This fun song has all of the fun road trip and hammock sleeping vibes a person could want!
- The Island Song (2017) by Seven Less Shadows. Sure, the hammock only gets one mention, but the whole song is about friendship and ocean breezes.
- Swingin’ on a Hammock (1930) Kate Smith. A classic ode to the joy and beauty of sharing a hammock with a loved one.
- Hammock (2014) by Tyler Sjöström. A bluegrass vibe comes from this lighthearted song dedicated to spending time in a “hammock all day”.
- 250 to 900 AD: The Mayans invent hammocks at some point within this time frame
- 1400s: The first record of hammocks appears after Columbus ‘discovers’ them in Latin America.
- 1597: The Royal Navy adopts the sling hammock as the official bed for their sailors.
- 1940: The US Marine Corps utilizes ‘jungle hammocks,’ or hammocks sprayed with insecticide, in tropical jungle regions like Burma during World War II.
- 2015: Some states, like California and Maryland, begin to ban hammocks in public parks and on University campuses to protect the trees.
- 42 feet – the size of the largest hammock in the world in North Carolina.
- 15th century – the period in which Christopher Columbus discovered hammocks.
- 250 kilograms – the weight that the most expensive hammock in the world can hold.
- $35,000 – the price of the most expensive hammock in the world.
- 500 – the number of plastic bags that can be recycled to make a hammock.
- In North America, more than a million hammocks are sold each year
- In the Museum of Gold in Bogotá, Colombia, there is a miniature hammock made of pure gold. You can’t touch this hammock, but it is beautiful to behold.
- You can sleep in a giant hammock in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria mountains. ‘Casa Elemento’ is a picturesque mountain hostel in Colombia, that allows hostel guests to sleep outside, in a giant hammock that can fit up to 15 people.
- You can relax in an indoor hammock cafe in Tokyo. ‘Mahika Mano’ is one of the first hammock-themed cafes in Tokyo. It is located in Kichijoji, and you can sip tea and eat, and the hammocks double as chairs.
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