Some Hammock Realities

Hammock Reality #1 The best hammocks, all-around, are the hand-made, double-sprang-woven ones from Central and South America and the best of these are from Nicaragua. Sprang-weaving is a hand-made process and it is more expensive than machine formed fabrics. Second in comfort are cross-woven, machine-loomed fabrics from Brazil & Colombia. Rope and mesh-fabric spreader-bar hammocks are the least comfortable.

Hammock Reality #2 Spreader/stretcher bars are attractive but create instability and reduce comfort and utility of any hammock. Bars do provide a rustic decor look to yards.If low-attach up-from-floor stands are to be used for hammocks, spreader bars serve to open it to avoid side pressure on the occupant. However, spreader-bar hammocks in low-attach stands are the most dangerous of all hammock configurations and occupants must exercise extreme caution when entering or exiting and remain centered when using. These are very dangerous for children who love to test limits. As the hammock surface is low, there is difficulty entering and exiting the hammock.However, if spreader-bar hammocks are hung from high-attach points the stability is greatly improved and the comfort becomes a matter of materials and construction - sprang-woven #1, fabrics #2 and rope or mesh #3. In many cases, simple poles or posts are safer and are a more economical support system for spreader-bar hammocks.There are spreader-bar stand systems that provide restraint to prevent flipping out of the hammock. There are some with two-point attachment at each end that both keep the hammock flat and allow a much shorter stand. These are in reality, more of a lounge than a than a hammock

Hammock Reality #3 Nothing lasts forever, particularly if exposed to air, tree, animal and insect pollution or ultraviolet rays, sunlight and wet weather. Treat all hammocks/hamacas as you would an all-weather coat - use outside but bring inside to prolong life. To increase product use, either reduce outdoor exposure and/or use materials with more synthetics such as polyester or nylon to reduce sun-fade and facilitate drying. Do not leave valuable items under trees. Put them in places where you can use it the most. If you are buying a hammock for outside decor, buy the most economical that yields desired look.

Sprang Weaving is one of civilizations oldest weaving methods. It is a simple method of inter-locking parallel cords to produce a strong, flat fabric that is fixed in one dimension and expansive in the other dimension. The process does not use a loom and can be done between any vertical posts or small trees. It is labor intensive with no machinery.  It requires a lot of walking around posts while adding and interlocking the cords. The coastal natives of the Caribbean basin and the lake regions of Central America used this process to produce fishing nets and hammocks. The root word for hammock in these areas was "hamaca" - a Taino Indian word for fishing net.  For a more complete description of this process, please Click Here.