lady reading a book relaxing in a hammock

 

Hammocks were developed for a specific reason: to provide a place to sleep in areas where it simply wasn’t safe enough to sleep on the ground. Portable hammocks were, in a way, the main concept of the hammock as a way of preserving one’s safety while sleeping under the open night sky in the wilderness. Over time, portable hammocks were replaced by fixed hammocks, once humans started inhabiting the same place for longer periods of time.

As you can see from this brief history of the hammock and the role it played in the history of man, everything we have today in terms of furniture concepts is a basic need that is rooted deep inside our genes.

 

Relaxation and hammocks

Even the notion of portable folding hammocks is not something that has come out of the need of modern men, but the essential needs of our ancestors to be as flexible as possible while still having a great way to relax.

Sure, one might not link relaxation to the dangers our ancestors faced during the hunting and gathering ages they lived in, in which they had to be constantly on their feet to escape dangerous animals and nature itself. However, relaxation is not a construct we invented in the modern age. A good night’s sleep could have meant life or death for our ancestors back then, and this is also true for today.

 

A brief history of relaxation

Relaxation doesn’t just mean laying around on a lazy Sunday afternoon doing nothing. It was and still is essential for us humans to this day as a mean of restoring the energy we lose over the course of the working week.

In the past, humans were obligated to rest well in order to survive the roughness of nature. Dangerous animals, predators and weather were our enemies back then, and not having a well-rested body meant you were not fit to survive these dangers ahead.

Let’s skip ahead a few thousand years, and we’re not a step closer to escaping nature’s wrath. Sure, we’ve built settlements and most of us don’t have to wrestle with wild animals or extreme weather conditions to survive. However, the number of heart diseases, high blood pressure and other illnesses linked to a lack of relaxation is nature’s way of telling us that we simply need to relax from time to time.

 

Ways to relax in a Hammock

  • Read a book: This is a time honored hobby that most of us put off to another day. 10 minutes of reading a day not only helps with stress and relaxation, but also educates and strengthens the mind.
  • Ipad/Phone Use: Sure everyone catches flack for using their phone too much, but there are also ways to relax while on your phone. Play a classic game like Tetris or strengthen your mind with Headspace, a meditation site.
  • Cat Nap: Just a 15 minute long nap can have great benefits for your alertness and overall productivity levels throughout the day.

 

Lady Relaxation on beach

 

 

Portable hammocks

In order to achieve the necessary relaxation needed for maximum productivity, people have come up with a number of ways for us to escape our daily lives and do something good to our body and soul. In this day and age, it is not enough for us to get 8 hours of good night’s sleep to be productive and avoid the aforementioned illnesses. Since our bodies are not the only things affected by stress, we also have to think about ways to relax our mind as well.

Portable folding hammocks are a great way to achieve exactly this. Although we’re creatures bound to a place, a home if you will, we still need the possibility to escape, from time to time, and change up the scenery. This is why so many of the people who work in closed offices and spend much of their commute in traffic are eager to escape to remote places and take up hiking or climbing over the weekend.

While these activities are great for getting rid of the surplus stress we’ve collected over the work week, there’s still the element of relaxation of the body that needs to happen in order to completely take benefit from these experiences.

This is where portable hammocks come into play. Imagine going on a hiking trip where your body is freed from the stress you’ve built up, only to return to your regular bed the same night. This is not only counterproductive, but also defeats the purpose of relaxing in nature in the first place. Portable hammocks can help you out with this, as they’re designed to be by your side exactly when you need them.

 

 

Types of portable hammocks

There are many different types of portable hammocks. Some of them are simply classical hammocks that can be brought to the destinations you want to travel. They require everything that normal hammocks require. You need to span them (usually between two trees) in order to be able to use them.

There is a big difference between a hammock you can carry around in your backpack and try and hang it up between trees or any other posts you might find, and other portable hammocks that have a stand with them. The latter tends to weigh around 25lbs. These are still highly portable, but if you are going hiking for the day, please understand that there is a decent amount of weight to them. These would be more ideal for going to the beach or pool side. Also in situations where space is an issue and it would be nice to fold up the hammock when you’re done and maybe tuck it into a closet or under a bed. We will mention more about home hammock use later.

However, a more practical type of portable hammock is the portable folding hammock. These hammocks have their own frames on which the hammock is spanned, making it extremely practical for carrying and setting up. Usually, folding hammocks are set up in a matter of seconds, making it much easier to concentrate more on the relaxation part of your trip. We did a great review of a portable folding hammock with a step by step guide on how to set it up here. You can also see our reviews of portable folding hammock chairs if you are looking for more of an upright relaxation station.

 

 

All in One Bag, Portable Travel Hammock

Portable folding hammocks have a very important feature that needs to be addressed regarding relaxation. While regular hammocks can be set up to make full use of the hammock’s design and ergonomics, their comfort also depends largely on the way they are set up. If, for example, you have your hammock with you in the wilderness and there’s simply no perfect way of spanning it between two trees, the hammock won’t be as comfy or relaxing as it should be.

The portable folding hammock, on the other hand, is always set up perfectly. The frame on which the hammock is spanned provides a consistent way for the hammock to be set up, generating the same level of relaxation regardless of the conditions you’re in.

Giantex Portable Folding Hammock Lounge Camping Bed Steel Frame Stand W/Carry Bag

Here is a beautiful example of a lightweight yet very durable travel hammock that you can take anywhere. It provides quick setup and maximum relaxation capabilities all in a back pack style bag to take your relaxation anywhere. It is very reasonably priced, around the $50 mark.

Product advantages and likes thumbs up PROS:

  • Back pack style straps on carrying case
  • Durable fabric for indoor or outdoor use
  • Coated frame for rust and weather resistance
  • Easy and Quick Setup
  • Great price

Product dislikes disadvantages thumbs down CONS:

  • The whole product weighs 19lbs which is considerable more than if you go for a hammock without a stand
  • 265lb weight capacity

Portable folding hammocks for your home 

To conclude, we need to address another aspect of relaxation, and that’s relaxing in your home. You don’t have to be an adventurer to enjoy the relaxation portable hammocks can provide. Folding hammocks are a great furniture piece for your home and garden as well.

The easy way folding hammocks are set up makes them extremely well-suited even for smaller spaces, which is another big plus for portable folding hammocks.  Like we mentioned earlier, when you are done using these, you can simply fold them up, place them in their carrying case, and slide them under your bed until the next time you use it.