I love hammocks. To me, they mean “total chill out” and “lazing around on a sunny day”. They remind me of impossibly long summers as a kid when it seemed there was nothing much to do but relax in the sunshine and read books and chat to friends.
Dreaming of a beach and a hammock!
Hammocks also say: “Back to basics camping.” They are for times when it is so warm and wonderful that all you need for a good night’s sleep is a couple of trees, a hammock and a light blanket.
And amazingly for Scotland, the last couple of weeks have been ideal for hammock lazing. The days have been warm and it has been necessary at times to seek a shady spot.
Sadly, I have not had enough time in between work and exercise to laze about too much. Instead, I have had to look on with envy (from my office window) as Little Miss takes advantage of a very long summer break (between school and university) for her very own brand of super-lazing in the sunny garden. The hammock has been very useful for this!
It even copes with a 6ft 6in teenager!
Setting up Grand Trunk Hammock
We are fortunate in our garden to have two trees that are the perfect hammock hanging width apart. I imagine this is essential for installing a hammock. Without the trees I have no idea where we might have installed the hammock.
I think you can buy hammock hanging structures but that seems a bit formal for something that should be as spontaneous as a hammock. And, of course, many of us have dreamed of reaching a beach, planting two easily found branches (coincidentally left by the receding ocean) and hanging a hammock between these. Then, as the sun sets and our hammock swings gently in the breeze, we drift into the best sleep ever.
Of course, this never happens in reality so two trees or a stand is what we actually require for a good hammock hanging structure in the UK.
The Grand Trunk hammock does not come with much in the way of instructions. There is a hammock that fits into its own neat bag. The hammock has two plastic carabiners, one at either end of the hammock.
There are two lengths of cord. The cord is for tying around the trees (or whatever you are using to hang the hammock on). The carabiners are for hooking on to the cord that you have tied around the trees.
My tip: Make sure the cord is tight and there is something to stop it falling down the tree if two teenagers happen to get in the hammock together! It put Little Miss off the hammock for a while after she felt it slip a bit!
I have also spotted Grand Trunk Hammock Tree Straps for £25.
Once taut around the tree the cord stayed nicely in place. It was very simply to hang the hammock with the carabiners. (It is also very simple to remove the hammock after use).
My view from the hammock.
The hammock is generously large. Two people can easily lie side by side (make sure you do not go over the 400lbs weight limit!) in the hammock. It is made of a brightly coloured nylon fabric that feels very strong.
The nylon is lightweight though and when packed into the accompanying stuff sack it is very easy to transport. I might pop it into my campervan for extended trips although I would need to take more cord or a tree straps sets with me for hanging the hammock wherever I might find the right hanging points.
Grand Trunks reckon the hammock is useful for “backpackers, trekkers, beachcombers, festival goers, campers, lifestylers, jet setters and widespread wanderers”. What do you think?
I think it’s more likely we will use the hammock in the summer garden. It looks great, it’s easy to assemble and it is the perfect place to hang out on a sunny day, especially if you have months of not much to do between leaving school and university!
For Grand Trunk UK stockist info see Eskimo. The Grand Trunk Double Parachute Nylon Hammock costs around £65.