Enjoy Those Hazy Lazy Days of Summer

There's nothing quite like stretching out in a hammock under the sun or under the stars. Once you get the knack of them, hammocks are the perfect and most comfortable outdoor furniture for any occasion, and they add that extra cosiness to your garden. Be careful how you choose your hammock though, as you want to ensure that it is both durable and well-designed.

The main hammock pioneer was Joshua John Ward, a riverboat captain who went back and forth between Georgetown and Waverley Mills in the United States. He would transport supplies to the various rice plantations, and sleep on lumpy mattresses filled with grass. That was until he decided the lumpy mattresses were far too uncomfortable and he experimented with creating a softer and cooler bed that would be more comfortable for the hot coastal summers. He ended up inventing the hammock, a strong yet comfortable design that has remained the unchallenged since its invention.

There are many different hammocks to choose from, depending on the location, style and design of your patio or garden. A rope hammock is the most classical and versatile hammock available. Rope hammocks support the weight of the body very well and provide that island hammock feeling.

If you're seeking comfort, cotton hammocks are considered to be the best for comfortable indulgence. However, if you're seeking durability then polyester and DuraCord are the materials of choice. Cotton hammocks are made of a soft, natural rope with a light sand earthy tone. The cotton used to weave the hammock is of the finest quality and has to pass through a number of quality control tests before being twisted into a triple ply roping. Miles of fine yarn are first weaved together to create enough layers that will be thick and strong enough to withstand the body weight. The layers are twisted in a way that allows for the hammock to be balanced and provides a comfortable space for the body.

A polyester hammock is produced from a rope made of polyester. Polyester is highly resistant to al weather conditions but not as fine as cotton. These types of hammocks are bright white in colour. Polyester rope is man-made and it is spun on a machine, it is ore resistant because the fiber can withstand rotting in poor weather conditions and it is also resistant to mildew. If you are planning to leave your hammock outside for most of the time, the polyester is the way to go. Although the fiber is not as soft as cotton fiber, it is still the softest amongst all man-made fibers.

A DuraCord hammock is the perfect combination of rope and polyester, it as fine as cotton but as strong as polyester. DuraCord hammocks are made of fibers that are soft to sit on yet colourfast and strong. The DuraCord rope is both comfortable and durable. If you are looking for a hammock that will dry fast, then DuraCord is a better option than cotton or polyester. DuraCord also prolongs the life span of the hammock, as its fabric isspecifically made for withstanding mold and mildew.

Quilted hammocks are created with fabric that is padded and offers full-body support, durability in the outdoors and trendy designs. The fabric is dyed with acrylic, which makes it last longer and resist stains and mildew. The quilt used is made of polyester, which allows it to dry faster and look quirkier.

Then there is also the poolside, ocean or beach hammock. Poolside hammocks are ideal for those residing close to the shore. These hammocks are designed to dry quickly withstand the humid beach air and hot sun rays. Poolside hammocks are made of soft sling material, which is strong as well as, water resistant. The body of the poolside hammock offers the best combination of sling and polyester yarn with its durability and soft, earthy hues.

Sandy Cosser writes on behalf of Home to Life, which is an online design directory in South Africa, promoting interior design and home decor, including lifestyle furniture and bathroom accessories.

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Top Outdoor Activities That You Can Enjoy With Your Family

Family vacations can become too boring. You may be outdoors and in a loose environment but there can be no new activity that you can do. Fortunately, here are some ideas that can help you spend some quality time with your family.

Obstacle courses can be the easiest to do. You can look for a wide enough space to play your game. You just have to choose what types of obstacles you are going to use. The most common will be using old tires and laying several of them on the floor. Making the participants crawl on the ground while trying to move through an obstacle made from strings. These obstacles may be appropriate for older persons. But for kids, you may also use these types of activities. You can just adjust the level of difficult. Getting down and dirty on the ground can be fun to do. A carefree attitude can make your activities even more fun. But if you are worried about the difficulty and safety of such obstacles for really young kids, you can modify the activities. You can make use of something like trying to shoot or hit balls into a goal. You do not need to install the obstacle for every team. Letting one team go at a time can make use of less resources. You can just fight for who has the least time used when completing the whole obstacle.

A game that can be related to an obstacle course is a relay game. This activity is not only fun, it might also be able to foster teamwork among the participants. The things that they can do in the relay can range from moving eggs with a spoon from one teammate to another to activities that challenge the physical fitness of the participants. Again, you have to consider the age as well as the capabilities of those who will enter the game. The level of difficulty which you are going to have in your game should be based on what you expect the participants can complete.

Incorporating water into your games can provide a lot of fun. Activities like this can be best to conduct during the summer months. Getting wet can reduce the amount of heat that anyone is experiencing. A playful fight in the pool can be a good idea. If you don't have a swimming pool at home, you may make use of a large enough kiddie pool. Water balloon fights may be possible as well. Just make sure that you do not have really young kids playing with you. A seemingly harmless bag of water balloon can already cause some harm to a small child who doesn't know how to protect himself or herself from it. Also, when inside the swimming pool, make sure that everyone knows how to swim. If not, choose a pool that is not too deep.

There are tons of activities that you can do. Aside from the things that are listed on this article, you may also be able to try to conduct games that you made up completely by yourself. As long as it works, it may be fun to do especially if you are doing it with your family.

William G. Steinmetz enjoys writing for Targettossgames.com which sells cornhole game and all weather bean bags as well as a host of additional products.

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