15lifestyle

Sept. 22, 2016
defenderLIFESTYLE 15
Hanging
Around,
Literally
By Tyler Manley
Staff Writer
If you go for a walk around campus
while the weather is still nice, you will
likely see at least one person swaying
in a hammock strung up between two
trees. Generally students are just lounging
around in them, but they could also
be napping, listening to music, reading,
or just hanging out with friends. This
semester especially, more and more students
have joined a trend on campuses
across the nation.
“I think that hammocks are part of
the culture that students come to St.
Mike’s for, the outdoorsy, hippie type
culture,” said Adventure Sports Instructor
Jasmine Powell ’18, Hammocks
are comfortable and we have trees on
campus to put them up with so they are
convenient as well.”
While originally designed for camping,
these hammocks have been adopted
by students as a way to lounge around
and enjoy the nice weather while it is
still here. All you need is two trees and
you’re ready to relax.
Not only are they easy to set up,
but they also store well in a dorm. “It
consolidates and forms into a little ball
about the size of your fist, so it fits in any
bag,” said senior, Jack O’Callaghan, as he
showed off his hammock packed up in a
tiny bag comparable to a fist.
But it is not just college campuses that
are seeing a rise in the use of hammocks.
More campers are beginning to choose
hammocks over tents for some of the
reasons previously listed. “I think the
rise of the hammock is definitely broader
than just here on campus,” O’Callaghan
said. “It’s coming to be a really great
alternative to camping, that’s not only
cheaper than buying a tent but also
more functional, more portable, and it
expands access to places you otherwise
normally wouldn’t be able to easily camp
in.” Hammocks can be set up almost
Students come to St. Mike’s for, the outdoorsy,
hippie type culture.”
- Jasmine Powell ’18,
Adventure Sports Instructor
anywhere, and they fit much more easily
in some places where a tent might not if
you are camping.
Hammocks can be much more than
just a piece of nylon that a person lies
in, said hammock enthusiast Jay Gilbert,
’18, who has two hammocks for a variety
of uses. “One of mine is like the ones
you see on campus, a little nylon sack
tied to two trees. My other one is a four
tree hammock that you lie across with a
bug net and a rain fly built into it so it’s
more weather proof.” While a hammock
with a rain fly and a bug net is more
suited for camping, it can let a person
relax even if the weather isn’t so great.
While this whole idea of hammock
camping and lounging may seem relatively
new, it has been around for quite
some time. When asked about why he
first bought a hammock Gilbert said,
“Well when I was 12 years old I was
chilling with my grandpa and we went
into a army surplus store. Hanging
from the ceiling there was this camping
hammock from the Vietnam War. It
was like a war relic, and I was like, ‘Hey
gramps, we have to get that and so we
did and I proceeded to sleep in it at our
cottage in the Thousand Islands every
night we were there.’” This type of nylon
hammock is not something new, but
is something that is starting to pick up
more traction and popularity as time
goes on.
If you are looking for a nice way to
relax on campus while the weather is
nice, maybe you should think about purchasing
a hammock for yourself. They
can be purchased at almost any camping
supplies store like the Outdoor Gear
Exchange, or even online from Amazon.
PHOTOS BY MADDY HANSEN
Top: Several hammocks hang outside the
porches of 200 townhouses.
Left: Karianne Shetter ’17, Emily Clinch
’19, and Olivia Marr ’19 lounge in their
hammocks outside the 400 townhouses on
Friday.