Posts Tagged sleeping aids
DoubleNest Hammock from Eagle’s Nest Outfitters
The hammock is a wonderful invention. Whether it’s the netted style from the Yucatan or embroidered cotton in Brazil, nothing beats an afternoon snooze while swaying in the breeze. Eagle’s Nest Outfitters (ENO) has built its whole business around the hammock, but in their case it’s a higher tech version that is packable but durable.
I’ve been trying out the DoubleNest Hammock from ENO lately. I haven’t had the fortitude to go camping yet in this iffy spring weather, but I’ve been trying it out in another real-world location: my back yard. Strung between a tree and a deck, it’s been a great location for a nap. Except when my daughter decides it’s her fun new toy.
The ENO hammock stuffs into a sack that can fit in one hand and it has compression straps on the outside to make it squish up even smaller. If you put some effort into it you can get the pack down to grapefruit size. It’s not super light at one pound six ounces, but a fair bit of that is the thick steel carabiners that will support 400 pounds and keep you from landing on your butt.
This is a very roomy hammock, nearly 10 feet long and more than 6.6 feet wide when completely unfurled. It’ll easily fit two adults—well, ones that can fit comfortably into an airplane seat anyway. The breathable nylon is strong and “triple interlocking stitching” means that this hammock should hold up for many years of abuse.
There’s one optional accessory that I can’t imagine being without now that I’ve used it: a set of versatile ENO SlapStraps. These are super-strong nylon straps that have loops positioned all along the length of them. They make it a simple snap to secure the hammock to two support points, easily adjusting the length on each end. Simple but ingenious.
The other accessory that can be paired up with this is a small comfy pillow that is fleece on one side and Coolmax on the other. You use the side that fits the climate. There’s a ProPillow and PakPillow that each stuff down into a smaller sack. While I found the one I tried quite comfortable, an inflatable pillow would take up far less room. Unless a good pillow is a high priority for you, this mainly makes sense if you’ve got room to spare, are just on a day hike, or are pulling a car up by the campsite.
The Eagle’s Nest DoubleNest Hammock comes in 13 color combinations and sells for around $65. The SlapStraps are another $23. See the details, colors, and lots of cool photos of the product in use (like the two I posted here) at the ENO website. While you’re there you can check out their single hammock, chair lounger, and other products.
Eagles Nest Outfitters DoubleNest Hammock at Backcountry.com
Sign up for the newsletter over at Perceptive Travel before Friday and you will get the chance to win an ENO hammock of your own in April!
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on March 31st, 2010
Squishy Travel Earplugs from Hearos
When Johnny Jet did his 5 things I always pack guest post a while back, he included earplugs as one of his essential items. Quite a few people I’ve traveled with feel the same way, including my light-sleeping wife.
She never goes on a trip without some kind of earplugs, so I let her put these squishy Hearos earplugs to the test on our recent trip to Ecuador. They got a big thumbs up from her and I can see why. These foam earplugs squish down to nothing when you roll them in your fingers. But then after you put them in your ears, they expand to form a tight seal that blocks out noise. No more jet engines and ventilation noises on a plane, no more traffic noise or annoying hostelmates at your cheap hotel.
These Hearos ear plugs are rated to block out 32 decibels of noise, which is substantial. Most of what gets through otherwise is coming through your skull vibrations as much as your ears.If this isn’t enough though, they make advanced ones that block out even more.
These earplugs are simple, effective, and easy to pack since they’re small and light. When they get gunky, you can afford to throw them away and pop in a new pair. After all, you can get two 20-packs at Amazon right now for around 7 dollars. That ought to last you plenty of nights of honking horns and garbage trucks.
Get them at physical drug stores, mega retailers, or online at Amazon.
See more at Hearos.com—including an iPhone ap you can download to measure decibel levels at that next rock concert…
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on December 6th, 2009
