In doing research for my book, I became intrigued by the hammocks used aboard sailing ships. From what I could discover, the basic design of the “navy hammock” hadn’t changed for hundreds of years, since the time Columbus brought the…
Hang a Hammock
New From DutchWare – Dutch Clips | ti
by Derek • August 28, 2012 • 11 Comments
Dutch sent me an email about a new product he was working on. I was surprised when I opened the package to discover a titanium Dutch Clip, or the Dutch Clip | ti. The design is, of course, updated—sleek and…
The Ship in a Bottle – Toggle Rope Straps
by Derek • August 15, 2012 • 2 Comments
When I was doing some research on toggles, I came across The Ship in a Bottle website and was pleased to find they sold hammock gear. I was intrigued by their unique and innovative hammock suspension system based on a military…
Hammock Camping 101
by Derek • July 3, 2012 • 3 Comments
Way back in March of 2009, I drew up an illustration to help people understand the basics of hanging a hammock for camping. It turns out, that simple illustration would kickstart a slew of hammock camping-related illustrations, primarily for the folks…
Portable Hammock Pipe Stand
by Derek • July 2, 2012 • 28 Comments
UPDATE: For more information on portable hammock stands, check out my guest post on Section Hiker. The hammock pipe stand has been around for a while. I believe Speer was the first to build one back in 2004. The Jacks…
Tips For Pitch-Perfect Hammock Camping
by Derek • June 29, 2012 • 4 Comments
The humble hammock has been around for thousands of years, and it is still used today in parts of the world as a primary sleeping accommodation. Yet many people I speak with think hammocks are “uncomfortable,” or it will hurt…
How To Sleep In A Brazilian Hammock
by Derek • June 15, 2012 • 6 Comments
People in South American have a tradition of sleeping in hammocks that dates back thousands of years. The traditional Mayan or Brazilian1-style hammock is simply a rectangular fabric or tightly-woven net that is gathered at the ends and hung with…
Tarp or Hammock Pull-Out Modification
by Derek • June 7, 2012 • 4 Comments
I’ve been loving my new tarp pull outs, although I have yet to use them on my tarp. I’ve found that these work great with a hammockto pull out the sides. This works especially good on extra-wide hammocks (e.g., “doubles”)…
No Sew, Head and Bug Net Pull-Out for Hammocks
by Derek • May 23, 2012 • 2 Comments
Here’s a little tip and technique on how to increase the head room in your hammock, especially for gathered-end hammocks with integrated bug nets, such as the Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter series, Hammock Bliss No-See-Um No More, and the Byer…
The Truth About Hammock Camping: Claim #1 – Hammocks Are Lighter Than Tents
by Derek • April 27, 2012 • 8 Comments
Are hammocks really that amazing? I thought it would be interesting to do a series and play devil’s advocate by punching through some of the more popular claims about hammocks as they relate to camping. After all, I’ve had my fair…