Just hang out: Day of the hammock
22.7.2023
Translation: machine translated
Chilling out, hanging out, unwinding. The hammock is one of the most beautiful places to rest and sleep and a symbol of peace and relaxation. This is celebrated today, especially in the USA.
The history of the hammock goes back a long way. There are references to the first variants in antiquity. Others suspect that it originated in the Mayan culture in what is now Mexico. The Maya supposedly used the construction made of nets for sleeping on the one hand and as a means of fishing on the other: a multifunctional tool. Hovering above the ground also provided a certain distance from poisonous animals while sleeping.
Christopher Columbus' voyages of discovery are said to have finally brought the hammock we know to Europe. According to his notes, he was fascinated by this type of sleeping accommodation. And it proved to be very practical on ships in particular, as it not only saved space but also adapted flexibly to the sea conditions.
Why the 22nd of July
Hanging out - that's probably what Bob Matthews thought when he chose 22 July as Hammock Day in 2008. On this day, summer was in full swing and it was time to relax. To take life at a leisurely pace. Quietly and slowly. And during the dog days, the hottest days in midsummer, there is no better place to slow down and relax than in a hammock. At best, you can doze and lie in a cosy, shady spot, says Matthews.
Want to make yourself cosy in a hammock? Then you should follow these rules of thumb: The hammock should be about 40 to 50 centimetres longer than you are tall. The length refers only to the lying surface and not to the suspension. The width of the hammock should be at least 80 per cent of your height so that you can relax comfortably.
My colleague Siri Schubert recently tested the Eno Sub6 hammock from Eagle Nest Outfitters for you for a week: on a seven-day kayak tour in the Swedish archipelago of Östergotland.
I can also tell you that she is planning another article on different types of hammocks with different sleeping and lying comfort. But shhh, that's actually still top secret.
Curious hammocks
Curious can mean many things. According to an entry in the Guinness World Record, the largest hammock has been in New York since 2015 and measures 20.84 metres in length and 9.42 metres in width. Much smaller, but no less curious, is the miniature hammock in the "Museum of Gold" in Bogota, Colombia: It is made of pure gold.
Source: doranda.ve / Instagram
A special place in the Colombian mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria provides a little thrill when hanging out. The mountain hostel "Casa Elemento" allows its guests in Colombia to sleep outside on a huge hammock that can accommodate up to 15 people.
This can be topped by a giant hammock at a height of around 150 metres above a gorge in Moab, Utah. It is a true adventure paradise for extreme sports enthusiasts. It took around 50 people three days to create this spider-like structure. It can carry up to 15 people. To reach the hammock, the brave have to "walk" over one of five connecting lines of the net. Some of them are up to 80 metres long. A wild affair at such a height. A hole in the centre of the net is used by the extreme athletes with their parachutes to jump out of the hammock.
Now enough with the excitement. It's all getting too much for me. I'd rather lie down again: in my nice, cosy hammock. And close my eyes. Zzzzzzz.
Cover photo: New Africa/Shutterstock
My interests are varied, I just like to enjoy life. Always on the lookout for news about darts, gaming, films and series.