Monday, May 12, 2008

Hammock tester - part 1

I am a woman on a mission. I loves the Hammock. loves it. Here is a photo of when hawk-eye and I spent an entire day in one last year in Mayberly. I think we were reading some juvie-lit, and throughout the day everyone came and went and gathered around us.

This year, as the warmer weather started to drift in, I realized that just about every conversation I had with D about summer adjustments to the house started with " now, I just need to find a good place for a hammock". And upon his last raised eyebrow, I realized that I actually had to do something about it.
So like any good product tester I did my research. I discovered the following:
  1. A good hammock is hard to find
  2. A good hammock for your ferret, hamster, rat, cat or small dog, is oddly enough easier to find then your standard human variety.
  3. Hammocks are classified by region :
    1. Mexican ( small rope mesh)
    2. Brazilian ( woven canvas, often with decorative lace hanging on the sides)
    3. Nicaraguan ( woven twisted cotton cord, much like the Brazilian)
    4. Mayan (made of hand woven string, much like the Mexican)
    5. North American camping yuppie (Made from parachute or nylon and can come with mosquito netting and a slew of other accessories)
  4. They range in price between $50 - $300 ( doesn't just about anything?)
So in discovering all of this I set out my criteria:
  1. It will fit at least two people, so that they could be cuddled up side-by-side, while not feeling like they were wrapped in a banana peel, and thus able to read independently
  2. It is easily transportable (like on my back, on my bike)
  3. I can put it up and take it down by myself with great ease.
Today's first contender was MEC Peak Double Hammock*
*of the North American Yuppie region




Likes:
  • The sexy lady on the box
  • It's super light and fits into a small compact stuff bag
  • The bag stays attached to the hammock and acts as a nice book, camera, glasses, bottle holder.
  • The nice blue colours
  • the folks at MEC hooked me up with thick webbing, and set up is a BREEZE.
  • Lots of room for a single gal to spread out, it was like a queen sized nap.
  • I slept for 2 hours. nuf said.
Dislikes:
  • The sexy lady on the box
  • It was bit - uneven? Really tight in the center and floppy and baggy on the sides. but after some maneuvering I was able to negotiate this.
  • I have yet test it out with a cuddler, but I do fear the banana peel effect. I will keep you posted.
That's it! It was very comfortable, easy to setup, and packs up small and light. Now if only I had someone to come over and help me with the cuddling bit....

Ref:
Hammock Tester part 2 - Brazilian - sort of
Hammock Tester part 3 - The Final Show down

4 comments:

Gillian said...

It's funny but a while back when you first discussed your passion for hammocks, I too started to be intrigued and started seriously considering the purchase of one... Unfortunately I get a little anxiety when I think about my past experiences with ropey hammocks that made very long lasting, deep red lines all over the "short or bathing suit-clad" body, and also the overall tippyness- (that moment when your arms and legs are tangled up within the cocoon and someone tries to tip you leaving only seconds before your face does a muddy plant on the ground), which was only accentuated by two younger playful brothers who enjoyed trying to tip over older sister...

I think I will have to drop by your place on my pass through Ottawa this summer if only to take a try and see if adolescent instability was a passing phenomena and if I would actually really enjoy the hammock experience enough to justify purchasing my own...

Second problem for me however will be to find two adjacent trees in the arctic when your community lies JUST at the outskirts of the tree line... Hmmm... Something to think about! Thanks for the review!

Unknown said...

Well #1 - I'm with you on the ropey hammocks - I am not even looking in that direction (although - I've read from several reviews that the Mexican variety is really AMAZING)

#2 word on the street is that Lee Valley has the best Hammock stand on the market - really stable, so no need for trees. I heard this from an older co-worker who has had hers for like 20 years. I noticed that Lee Valley also has a Hammock cover - so you could leave your hammock outside, on the stand, with the cover on it, so that it doesn't get wet or pooped on.

Now, lets just see if they will ship to you!

Unknown said...

A way to fit two on a hammock is to actually turn yourselves 90 degrees so it's like you're sitting across the hammock. That way you won't have that rolled up feeling. That's my experience in both the Mexican and ropey Brazilian kinds. Have fun!

Unknown said...

Thanks Jamine - I have been investigating just that! Having secured a possible cuddle tester, I did a test run last night with my neighbour - and discovered that embarking a hammock is TRICKY! I googled it and found lots of sexy suggestions which (although not a bad idea) lacked the practical how-to, of the getting-on part. but the angle is good -- you get lots more space that way.

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