Picture this: You're on vacation, and the weather is perfect, a gentle breeze is softly caressing your skin while you sway by the sea in your hammock.
Every worry that comes your way gets deflected by the relaxation aura surrounding you. Sounds perfect, I have to admit, except for one little detail.
How the heck do you hang a hammock on the beach?
Now, I know people think hanging a hammock on the beach is impossible, and they shouldn't waste their precious holiday on these sorts of things.
But here's the deal: It can be done, but with a few tricks in your pocket.
There's a ton of tips and tricks on this matter, and once you figure it all out, it is worth it, honestly.
However, do not imagine those hedonistic moments you see on postcards and in commercials. Beach hammock are mostly customized products, designed for easy setup.
So, we went through every piece of advice on the internet and summed it all up in one short, comprehensive guide on how to enjoy your hammock on the beach.
Hence, keep reading and learn how to bring your holiday vibe on another level!
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Why Should I Use a Hammock on the Beach in the First Place?
So, I guess you can't help but wonder what are the actual benefits of a beach hammock besides setting your Instagram on fire?
Well, hammocks generally have many beneficial effects on your health, mainly related to the quality of your sleep. And as we tend to nap a lot on our holidays, why not get the best out of it?
But let's see what exactly are hammocks doing to our body.
A scientific study has proven that hammocks are excellent beddings as the gentle rocking motion shortens the amount of time we need to fall asleep. So, in other words, you nod off faster than you usually do.
Furthermore, swaying affects your brain, synchronizing the brain waves, getting you into a deep sleep, which is characterized by muscle relaxation and slow-wave activity of the brain. What this means is that you will wake up refreshed and well-rested.
Finally, no one likes lying on the hot sand, and especially not falling asleep and waking up all burned up. With a hammock, you can lie back and enjoy sunbathing while you doze off into the best sleep of your life.
What is the Best Beach Hammock on the Market?
Of course, every hammock has a specific purpose. So you don't want to buy an expensive camping parachute nylon hammock and end up not using it.
The hammocks you see on holiday commercials are mostly cotton rope hammocks or hammocks with a spreader bar. But are they the right solution?
Cotton rope hammocks, or Caribbean hammocks, are excellent for firing a lit photo shoot on the beach. But besides the aesthetic moment, they are not very practical for vacation. They usually come with a spreader bar and therefore are not easy to hang without a stand.
Furthermore, they are not entirely comfortable; the rope can create an unpleasant feeling under your back, so you'll need some extra cushions and additional costs.
On the other side, if you have a beach resort and you're willing to invest in a high-quality rope hammock with a stand, go for it. A heavy-duty wooden stand will be an excellent solution here, with a cotton rope hammock, maybe with some cushions.
Now, the comfortable hammocks are Brazilian models, especially the cotton ones. Cotton is a natural material, highly breathable, and gentle on the skin. Consequently, it creates perfect bedding on a hot summer day when you need air circulation.
My recommendation is either this Best Choice Double Hammock or the legendary Vivere Brazilian Hammock.
The Most Efficient Way to Set Up a Hammock on the Beach
Finally, we're getting to the crucial part of our article, where we present the best ways to set your hammock up on the beach.
So, before we dive deep into the matter, we have to say that there is no right way to do this. It would be best if you improvised with what you find on the beach.
Therefore, consider our recommendations as ideas susceptible to adjustments.
1. Buy Portable Beach Hammocks
The best way to avoid all the hustle and set your hammock up in minutes is to buy the one specifically designed for these purposes.
Portable hammocks are specially designed hammocks that come pre-attached to the stand. They are incredibly compact and foldable, so they take very little space in your car and require no assembly.
Once you open them up, you are ready to relax and have a decent weight capacity of around 250 pounds. To get a better picture, check the Pure Garden Portable Hammock on Amazon.
2. Buy or Make a Hammock Stand
The chances for finding proper supporting objects to set your hammock up on the beach are minimal. Therefore, buying a stand is a safe choice.
If you have your apartment on the beach, you can buy a heavy-duty wooden arc stand, as it is the strongest and can support any hammock.
However, If you're planning on bringing it with you in your car, opt for the metal stands that you can disassemble, so they do not take up too much space.
Our recommendation for the best hammock with a stand is the Vivere Double Cotton Hammock with Space Saving Steel Stand.
3. Between Two Trees/Supporting Objects
If there are two young, healthy trees on the beach, you can safely attach your hammock, but the key here is to use tree straps since they are effortless to use and don't require complicated knots.
So the distance between the trees or two supporting objects should be from twelve to twenty-five feet.
Now, you want to wrap the straps high enough to create a thirty-degree bottom angle between the rope and the tree. There should be 16 to 19 inches between the lowest point of your hammock and the sand.
Furthermore, buying the tree straps is also convenient for another reason. You can adjust the length of the suspension system to create a perfect sag every time, no matter the distance between the trees.
So, They are pretty convenient for the beach where improvisation is of crucial importance.
The Big Don't in A Beach Hammock Setup
While surfing the internet, you can find a tone of advice on how to create your supporting objects to hang a hammock on the beach. One of the most frequent is to dig a hole in the sand and put a beam or a pole in it. So is it really doable?
It is debatable whether you can do it if you really invest yourself in it. But there are countless reasons why you shouldn't.
First of all, are you willing to dig a hole in the sand on your vacation? Does it sound effortless?
Secondly, where will you find a beam long and robust enough to hold a hammock? And even if you do, there is no chance you would be able to attach the suspension system properly to get a thirty degrees angle and enjoy your hammock comfortably.
Finally, the sand is an extremely loose ground, a stronger tide may come, and your construction is no longer stable. So you'll end up waiting for everything to fall apart.
Plus, you will need to remove everything once you decide to go back to your residence, and that will cost you time and effort. Let's not forget a small matter of permission you would need to get for digging a hole in the beach.
Now, think for yourself, and decide whether you are ready to go through all this hustle while on holiday, just to hang your hammock up. I seriously doubt it.
Final Thoughts
From all the given and said, you can conclude there are many reasons you should buy a hammock. Besides the obvious, aesthetic moment, the hammocks are a true haven of relaxation If correctly set up.
Since we all love napping on our holidays, hammocks are a perfect choice for that, as it has been proven that they help us fall asleep faster, and furthermore reach the state of the so-called deep sleep, responsible for the feeling of freshness and energy we have when we wake up.
However, the perfect solution for the beach set up is to buy portable hammocks designed explicitly for this. They are compact, come with an attached stand, so no assembly is required.
As soon as you get out of your car, you're ready to relax. You can, of course, use some alternative methods to hang your hammock up, but be prepared to use your imagination!