Hammocks spell 'relaxation'
Kevin McClintock gatehouse plus

They're the poster child for luxourious laziness. Be it a beach, a pontoon boat or your backyard, hammocks scream sleep and rest for millions on vacation or a long, holiday weekend.

The hammock is a device used for sleep and rest. It consists of cloth or a network of twine or thin rope, either natural or synthetic, s t r e t ched between two firm points.

Because of their simplicity, hammocks come in all shapes and sizes. There are some designed specifically for backpacking, others are lightweight versions for daytrips. Additional versions include a self-standing metal or wood structures that support a hammock.

Aside from the preferred beds by Gilligan on his famous island, hammocks found their niche during the 20th Century after both world wars, when Allied soldiers by the hundreds of thousands were shipped throughout the world in sprawling naval caravans. Soldiers were often stuffed inside cargo holds and slept on free-swinging hammocks, sometimes three deep.

Hammocks also flew to the moon, the preferred sleeping arrangements for Apollo astronauts inside their tiny Lunar Modules.

The sides of traditional hammocks wrap around the sleeper like a cocoon, making an inadvertent fall, or for a beginner a deliberate escape, virtually impossible.

Hammocks today can be found in a number of places. Your local discount store or home improvement warehouse will probably carry a few, but your best bet for choosing from a variety of sleepers is the Internet. Hammocks.com, fo r instance, has an allencompassing selection of regular and exotic hammocks. Choose from your standard, beach-side rope hammock or a colorful, ornate Nicaraguan hammock. Other styles include Mayan and Brazilian, or choose between such brand names as Island Bay, Paw l e y s I s l a n d , Tranquility, Hammaka, Hatteras or the Outback Chair Company. Most hammocks start around $100, although someone with a taste for high-end luxuries can certainly feed their need for excessiveness. The Mom's Serentity Package, for instance, inc ludes a quilted, hand-crafted hammock on an four-ply, cypress, arc hammock stand, and runs a low $549.99.

Hammocks were sleeping beds for pre- Columbian households 800 years ago. Today, hammocks are as popular as ever, thanks to the growing households and popularity of backyard lifestyle living. People are again discovering hammocks as effective methods of combating stress and the rigors of everyday life.