Beach hammocking, a new teen trend! If your teen is like mine they are always bored.
But they always want to be with their friends. As the pandemic of 2020/2021 became longer and longer, she found outside actives to do with her friends to stay social distanced.
This is a great boredom buster that they can do with several friends and costs very little money.
When did this Beach Hammocking become a thing?
All summer long my teen daughter would ask to go to the beach and meet up with her friends. Western Michigan has the best beaches and piers which sits along Lake Michigan.
My cousin, Mandy Schram of Mandy Schram Photography captured this beautiful Manistee sunset.
The beach is only 10 minutes from our house in Manistee and is a popular gathering place of our area kids. We have beautiful beaches, lots of boating, swimming, tubing and sunbathing, gorgeous sunsets, artwork and so much more.
Most of the time she had her hammock bag in tow along with all of her other beach gear and few snacks like my Chocolate Covered Berry Scomuffie.
At first, I paid no attention to her extra bag but as summer came to a close, my daughter started asking to go to the beach so she could hammock with others. I had never heard of beach hammocking.
Teen hammocking get-togethers, ever hear of such a thing?
It started several months earlier when my daughter went to a friend’s house that had a hammock. The insistence and begging for a hammock started!
After searching on Amazon, she had found the perfect hammock. She had the money saved up to buy it so I let her order it thinking she would get little use out of it.
Every time she went to her friends the hammock went with her. Then the stories came when I picked her up. They hammocked in the back yard till early in the morning. Other friends would come over so they could all hammock together.
Then the beach hammocking started.
So how do you beach hammock?
The first thing you need is a good hammock. Deciding what kind you will want to get would depend on your height and weight. There are even double hammocks if you plan to go with a partner.
The next thing would be to find the perfect spot. You will need a cluster of sturdy trees to be able to hang your hammock.
And a great view of Lake Michigan is a must (or other beautiful beach will work)!
How To Hang Your Hammock
Hanging the hammock might take some practice but is not to hard to master. My daughter had her hammock up in just a couple of minutes.
Secure the hammock rope around a sturdy branch above your head and connect the ends of the rope to one end of the hammock. Untangle your hammock. Repeat for the other end of the hammock.
Trying to sit in a hammock might take some practice. You will want to back up to the hanging hammock about in the center.
Open the hammock, carefully sit and stay balanced as you lay back. Swing legs up and into the hammock.
In my teens case you can’t forget to bring the cellphone along!! Add in a few friends and the sound of the calm water as it washes up on the beach along with watching the sun go down.
I had to go one day to see what all of this hammocking was about and WOW!! So relaxing!!
My teen looked at me and said, “Now you know why I want to come to the beach all of the time!” She now has her sights set on a newer better hammock for her future adventures.
Lowering their stress level and making priceless memories is what these teens are doing! Maybe I should find a new hobby – Beach Hammocking!
How To Set Up A Hammock
How to set up a hammock is easy with a few tips and it only takes a couple of minutes. All summer long my teen daughter would ask to go to the beach in Manistee and meet up with her friends. Western Michigan has the best beaches and piers which sits along Lake Michigan. Making priceless memories is what these teens are doing!!
Materials
- Hammock - 1
- Rope Cord - 2
- Carabiner - 2
- Trees - 2
Instructions
- You will need to find a cluster of sturdy trees that are spaced the right distance according to the length of your hammock. The area under the trees should be cleared of debris for easy set-up.
- Wrap one of the rope cords around a heavy duty branch closest to the trunk of the tree. A branch that is about a foot above your head is the perfect height.
- Attact the carabiner (metal hook that is secured to each end of the hammock) on one end of the hammock to the rope that you just attached to the tree. Untangle the hammock.
- Wrap the second rope cord around the second heavy duty branch closest to the trunk of the tree. Attach the second carabiner (metal hook that is secured to each end of the hammock).
- To get into the hammock back up the middle part and slowly sit back making sure to seperate the material with your hands.
- Enjoy a relaxing day with friends and family!!
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