Hammocks Online

    After leaving an illustrious career as a mathematician, Count Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811) joined the French army and served in the Americas defending French interests, participating under the leadership of Montcalm in the fateful defense of the city of Quebec, which was ultimately decided on the plains of Abraham.  

   
   His New World adventures never diminished his passion for exploration, and he eventually became the first Frenchman to circumnavigate the globe (1766 to 1769), visiting many of the Polynesian islands and even having another, large island 
named after him. His renowned Description d’un voyage autour du monde contributed much to the then popular beliefs regarding the high moral character of the “noble sauvage” living in harmony with nature.

   However, before that famous voyage he still served some years in the French navy and was sent to South America, where he established a French colony on the present-day Falkland Islands and spent some time exploring the South American coast.
 

 During one such exploration of coastal Brazil, the expedition’s botanist, Philibert Commerson, discovered the colourful vining plant which he named Bougainvillea in honour of the Count.  Its bounteous beauty of cascading flowers has made the Bougainvillea a favorite plant in tropical gardens around the world, typifying the exuberant visual experience of the tropics.

   On these coastal expeditions, the explorers also had the opportunity to confirm the central role hammocks still played in indigenous everyday life, just as the Portuguese explorers had observed more than two hundred and fifty years earlier.
 
“Like the Bougainvillea, the hammock is one of the most enduring gifts the Americas have made to the world. Hammocks had already been used for centuries by indigenous people in South and Central America as a hanging bed or carrying device, before they were discovered in the “New World” by Columbus, who then introduced them by name and concept to Europe. Just a few years after his discovery, Portuguese explorers in the early 1500’s found hammocks in use in Brazil, where the indigenous people taught them about hammock construction.”
  

   The Europeans adapted the original design to fit the tight confines of their sailing ships, making a narrow, less comfortable hammock that unfortunately to this day informs the design of many Western hammocks. When it became viable to give consideration to comfort, improvements could be made: The hammocks were once again made wider to accommodate a proper and comfortable sleeping posture, and sliding (“floating”) spreader bars were introduced at each end. The advantage of these spreaders was twofold: First, this design was more bed-like, and so prevented the hammock from enveloping the sleeper and leaving him trussed up. Second, by allowing the hammock’s harness ropes at each end to slide freely through evenly spaced holes in the spreader bars, stability was optimized and the essential comfort of the original hammock was restored.

   Through circuitous dissemination over time, the knowledge of the hand-woven hammock was handed down and found its way back to the Canadian territories where to this day the hammock making craft is practiced, on the shores of the mighty St. Lawrence river in the heart of the Thousand Islands. There, durable, comfortable hammocks are now made with soft, braided spun polyester cord, the furthest evolutionary steps removed from the treebark and sisal originally used centuries ago.
 
    In appreciation of two exceptional gifts from the “New World”, we have brought them together again: the Bougainville name lives on in our hammocks, ever evoking the beauty and comfort of pure tropical relaxation.

Have you ever gone to the park and seen two trees that were close enough for you to rest your hammock on?  If you have, it might not be such a bad idea to purchase a hammock bag.

Storage bags allow you to transport your hammocks to anyplace you desire so as to make the most of your leisure time – the beach, the park or camping – the portable properties of the hammock is what makes it such a desirable resting device. 

Often associated with the laze of summer, hammocks actually benefit your health. 

With most people spending a majority of their days at work or commuting to and from work, the concept of relaxing has morphed into a foreign desire, perceived to be sought by those who are personally wealthy.  But the stress of day-to-day life can lower your immune system and make you susceptible to even the simplest strain of the flu.

By doing something as simple as laying down in a hammock, you’re training your body to relax.  Hammocks conform to the shape and size of your back for maximum comfort and muscle relaxation; the back-and-forth swing of it can also ease your mind and you can find yourself becoming engulfed in bliss sooner than later.

So while other people could snicker at the idea of lying down in a hammock, you could get the last laugh while they’re scrambling to the store looking for throat drops.

Hammocks made today are generally easy to clean, making them even more appealing. Keeping your hammock cleaned and dried each season will help it to last much longer.

For washing your hammock in the washing machine, start by holding the two end rings, one in each hand, and then bring them together, which folds the hammock in half. Next, tie the hammock together using string placed below the rings. Starting on the opposite end, tie the hammock again, and then one last time in the middle portion. The reason for this is to prevent the metal rings from becoming tangled in the hammock string, or the tying string. Take the hammock and place it in a pillowcase, using string to close the opening. Always use a mild detergent, or a hammock cleaner and restorer found at home improvement or stores that specialize in hammocks, and never use bleach. When the cycle is complete, gently remove all the strings and hang the hammock to dry, preferably on a clothesline outdoors.

Some people prefer to hand wash their hammock, which is another good option. In this case, tie the hammock as described above and then place the hammock in a large sink or bathtub. Fully immerse the hammock, again using mild soap or hammock cleaner with no bleach. Use your hands to agitate the hammock for several minutes until clean. Once the hammock is clean, use clean water to rinse it until all the soap or cleaner is gone. Carefully untie the hammock, and again, hang it up to dry.

Drying and storing your hammock is also important in extending the life and condition of the hammock. For storing, you want to wash the hammock by using one of the two options listed, and dry it thoroughly. Once the hammock is dry, make sure it is stored so no bugs, dirt, or moisture can get to it, thus causing damage or mildew. The best method is to purchase a storage bag constructed from weather resistant fabric that is durable and breathable. Many hammock companies sell bags that are designed specifically for this purpose. If you do not have nor cannot find a storage bag as described, using the metal rings of the hammock, hang the hammock in your garage, basement, or somewhere where it can stay dry. After setting up your hammock for the next season, if you see any mildew, use a hammock cleaner to remove it.

For hammocks that do not have removable spreader bars, machine washing or using a bathtub or sink would be impossible. For this type of hammock, you can lay it flat on your driveway or a large deck, and using mild soapy water and a soft bristle brush scrub each side. When finished with both sides, use the garden hose to wash off the soapy water. Once completely cleaned, find a place for it to hang until dry.

Hammocks first began appearing in Central America about 1,000 years ago. The earliest hammocks were woven from the bark of the Hamack tree. Later, the Sisal plant {similar in appearance to an Aloe Vera plant} replaced the bark as the material of choice for the hammock because it was more abundant, and rubbing them against the thigh could soften its fibers.

No hammock has a richer history than the Mayan Hammock. The hammocks originated in the Yucatan region of Mexico, a region know for its exquisite food, its rich history and pyramids, its temperate climate and its beautiful, gulf coast beaches.

Today, Mayan Hammocks are made of nylon and cotton, but the original Mayan Hammocks were made of cotton, soon after the fiber was introduced to the region by the Spaniards. Mayans quickly discovered the comfort of cotton. It can take one person as much as several weeks to make a single, handmade Mayan hammock. Today entire villages across the state of Yucatan make the hammocks to meet the growing popularity and demand for these hammocks.

The hammocks are special to Mayan people and they encompass almost every part of their lives: they are the place where people are born, sleep conceive and die.