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Makeshift Hammock

Discussion in 'Other Camping' started by JoshPosh, Nov 17, 2014.

  1. JoshPosh

    JoshPosh Pathfinder

    While camping at the beach there's always a lot of time to go adventuring on the beach. There is a lot of debri that gets washed up on the sand. From old flip flops to fishing nets and floaters. Anything and everything that falls off a boat or gets washed out to sea will end up on someone elses beach.

    As a kid one of the things that I loved to do with the overabundance of nylon fishing net is to make a hammock. I was just a little kid so making one was a big deal. The finished product was the nicest hammock in the world but it suited a 80 pound little kid just fine. I usually slept in it that night. I preferred it that way cause my older brother was a jerk. Here are some pictures I found on the internet of hammocks made from old washed up nylon fishing nets.


    This picture is the closet I can find to what I did make when I was a kid. It was green net also.
    2009:6:4-15+West+Coast+Trail+-+835.jpg

    8516181499_5047e4192e.jpg
     
    jc banks likes this.
  2. jc banks

    jc banks Novice Camper

    I never made a hammock at the beach but I made one out of blankets for the kids before and they loved it. We camped in the desert in Winter haven California and there are scorpions there and the ground didn’t seem like a good plan. A hammock would work great.
     
  3. campforums

    campforums Founder Staff Member

    Indeed, hammocks make very comfortable sleeping environments. There are some dedicated camping ones that you use instead of a tent which have full enclosures. If you enjoyed using hammocks (or your kids did) when you went out in the desert maybe you'll like using them on other future trips.
     
  4. killeroy154

    killeroy154 Survivalist

    I have slept in a single hammock last summer while camping. The first night it feels strange being out in the open, but once I got over it I slept like a baby. I kept trying to shift sideways instead of laying like a banana. I have just purchased a double hammock because I have read that they are more comfortable to sleep in. The regular size hammock did sleep well. I'll let you know when I try out the double hammock.
     
  5. SashaS

    SashaS Novice Camper

    Well done on that makeshift hammock, pretty smart using what is usually a readily available resource on most beaches. Hammocks are popular because they are effective, comfortable and easy to make. They also help against insects and things you don't want getting hold of you at night.

    It is said that the hammocks were invented by the Mayans of all people, which was pretty cool and as a result Christopher Columbus was the first to introduce it to Europe. It also turns out that the physics of a hammock helps you become more sleepy. There's even a hammock cafe in Tokyo!

    A cool summer project that you can spend some time on and save the environment at the same time involves gathering about 500 plastic bags and making a hammock, which could be pretty cool if done right.
     
  6. Northern Dancer

    Northern Dancer Survivalist

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT9ieWW4iw0eGPIlNA3Vnn-abiOdKylfMY5IZ5hsb0LP86eTU04Ag.jpg

    I have a Colleague that uses this Hennessy with insert.

    Here is another option - a bit off topic.

    upload_2016-4-8_11-31-44.jpeg

    Another Colleague has a String-ray tent.
    He calls it his flying saucer. :greyalien:

     
  7. SashaS

    SashaS Novice Camper

    That looks rather impressive, I never new people suspended tents up in trees like that, a rather smart strategy for staying safe in dangerous areas. I would think that you'd need some sort of strong, reinforced surface at the bottom so that you don't end up falling through the floor though. It seems like a reasonably easy and convenient thing to set up if you can easily climb the trees, great for not only camping but surviving in an isolated rural area if you somehow find yourself in that situation.
     
  8. Northern Dancer

    Northern Dancer Survivalist

    The tent [Tensile Stingray] has become very popular with all kinds of attachments - whatever you want.

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSGAhEvv4AVX_jZoRkTE_Z0rYGIpLkbjz8SQnz-HZs-CIrLfzbU.jpg images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRWRY0Ws46JeTqcRVPFMSqHCJgCPn7UIwOHmfdh9IDFWotN0h6UKA.jpg
    To get in an out you go through the centre that has a rope ladder.


    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT44fx3eVSi3Bcyc_QYLoD_EUQx2RklVxxO37KJ00CxOhu1bNOe.jpg images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSp8kIpqaRckkLbGPNLJ-hvUSegO8cC5b82XDf5i-qXgOdRc0BmlA.jpg

    Yes, you can use them in winter and also somewhere in Africa.



    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRDCda6J4drAKlLWZOCRCpreQb3P6mjTGZd7mL1NKtyVxQz-WI2cg.jpg Right out of space :blackalien:
     
    killeroy154 and SashaS like this.
  9. campforums

    campforums Founder Staff Member

    The banana effect may be because you didn't tie the lines tight enough. If it isn't tight enough the middle part will sag very deeply so you need to try to get it as tight as possible, at least that is the way I find most comfortable.
     
  10. killeroy154

    killeroy154 Survivalist

    Yes tightening helped conciderably. Thanks.
     
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