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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, Hammocks; The nap elevates to luxury stage when in the Spring and Summer you can relax, suspended gently off the ground in a hammock, swaying to and fro, in the breeze, supported by a sturdy stand (mine is rated for 600 lbs which means sharing is OK) with your refreshment of choice just a stretch of the fingertips away on a Tiki table.

Choices are plentiful as you look for a hammock. Mexican rope hammocks, Quilted fabric hammocks, Caribbean hammocks, Classic hammocks, Brazilian hammocks or my favorite; the super sized, super soft, cotton Mayan hammock; Which is the right style hammock for you and your space?

It is not hard to find the right hammock; there are many companies that specialize in hammock sales; Hammocks.com ships on the same day as purchase as does Hammock-Company.com. Island-Joes-Hammocks.com ships for free and advertises a 5 year warranty.

It is not expensive and you will discover that there is a hammock for almost any budget (Island Joes is a discounter and XL Hammock, stand and pillow sets start at around $250.00USD). What a small price to pay for such comfort.

I know that when people envision hammocks they see them stretched between two swaying palms on their favorite island, separated by a few feet off sugary sand from the azure waters of a lagoon with bronze natives leisurely delivering drinks in halved coconuts. The truth is that it is difficult to find two trees of any kind that are suitable for hammock usage in your yard and once affixed, you are stuck with that location for the duration unless of course you plant some new trees and wait the 15-20 years for them to reach hammock support size.

There are two other drawbacks to tree bound hammocks; leaves and bugs. There is nothing like being awakened from a snooze by a line of ants who have detoured off of your tree and over your arm as a foraging shortcut, or have a good breeze come along and deposit enough pollen on you and your hammock to supply a bee hive. You are completely right to choose a hammock with a stand.

There is more good news. When you have a hammock on a stand you do not have to choose a single place to set up. You may want to snooze on the porch in the morning and nap in your favorite spot on a side or back yard in the afternoon. No problem; hammocks and the stands are easily portable with just a few minutes needed for breakdown and set up.

The colors to go with the varied styles and designs are far too numerous to examine here but I will say that no matter what your decor or taste in outdoor furnishings, you will be able to find a hammock that will succeed in getting the envious glances of neighbors and guests alike.

My best advice is to stay away from the seasonal departments of box stores like Target, Wal-Mart, The Home Depot and Lowe's when making your purchase. You may save 20% but in the long run it will not be worth the convenience. Stick with the pros and you will pay a little more but will almost assuredly have better quality and more customer support on how to take care of your hammock so the investment spans more than a single season. I think I hear my Mayan hammock calling me outside right now.

Learn more about this author, Derek R. Snow.
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