Over the past five years I have amassed quite a few nights camping in my Hennessy Hammock. I’ve become so fond of it that I rarely use my tent in the summer months except in situations where it’s unavoidable. For me, it has been a match made in gear heaven. In this post I’ll highlight a few of my more memorable adventures.
The most epic nights that I have spent in my hammock were surely during a road trip that my kayaking instructor friend Darren and I made from Utah to Boston in the summer of 2010. During our first day on the road we made the trek from Provo, Utah to Arches National Park. We planned to file for a backcountry permit to use after a sunset hike with some friends to Delicate Arch. I’ll always remember Darren’s interaction with the park rangers as we applied for the permit…
Two young women served as our park rangers. One was slightly more serious about her job and didn’t appreciate our sense of humor very much. The other was much more laid back and we had her rolling in hysterics. While in the process of choosing a camping zone from the map of Arches NP, Darren looked up and asked the following question without missing a beat: “Where would you suggest we could find some trees to pitch our hammocks tonight?” I couldn’t hold it together and burst out laughing. The serious park ranger threatened to deny our permit application if we couldn’t be serious with her. The laid back park ranger stamped the permit and sent us on our merry way. As it turned out, the really funny part was that we actually spent that night in our hammocks albeit we utilized poles and Darren’s car as our “trees”. I never imagined that I’d spend a night in the desert rocking in my hammock but it was amazing and I woke up cozy and warm in the Moab sun!
The second night of our road trip found us at a campground at ~9,000ft just south of Independence Pass in Colorado. This time we had trees at our disposal at a lovely site overlooking a lake with the Rockies glistening in the background. Warmed by a growler of Moab Brewery Derailer Ale, we tucked in for another night in the hammocks. This time around we were not so cozy. The temperature dropped into the twenties and both Darren and I woke up shivering. I wasn’t willing to be the first one to retreat to the car so I struggled through a sleepless night until 5:00am when I couldn’t take it anymore. I bailed out of my hammock and dashed for the car where I found Darren snoozing away in the driver’s seat. Being smart was better than being though that night. We struck camp and headed for our Denver hotel with the heated seats on high. Later in the trip the poor quality of the motels made me long for another night in the hammock!
Treeless deserts and freezing mountain heights aside, clearly the best place for a Hammock is strung between two palm trees in a tropical local. I’ve packed my hammock for two trips to the Carribean thus far and it will be coming with me again in the future. There is nothing like swinging in the breeze between two coconut palms with seven-shades-of-blue lapping on the shore and a light reggae vibe in the air, trust me!!
-Kayak Dave
Swinging between the palms on Playa Fortuna in Puerto Rico