A backpacker doesn't need an excuse to go backpacking. But this trip felt more urgent than others. I had been working at a crowded biological research station in the Appalachians of North Carolina, eating, sleeping, and snoring with a dozen others in close quarters. Spilling 12 servings of boiling spaghetti in my lap was the last straw. I needed to excuse myself from communal … [Read more...]

Rope hammocks are perfect for relaxation during the summer season. They offer occupants a chance to rest and enjoy the outdoors. This type of lounge chair can be easily handmade with simple materials such as steel rings, polypropylene or cotton cords, hooks and some long wood pieces. Dappled with sunlight and cradled by gentle breezes, these hand-knotted cocoons let you … [Read more...]

My father used to get a new hammock every couple of years and set it up under the lone sycamore tree in the backyard, but I never saw him use it. Maybe that was because his hammock was the cutesy kind, sort of a surrey with the fringe on top, only without the wheels. The dark-blue canvas was taut and unforgiving, and the chains that held the hammock to its metal frame made it … [Read more...]