Hammock Innovation History

[lazarus]

Long nights in the hammock recently got me thinking… Lightweight backpacking hammock design is evolving quickly – oh what exciting times we live in! Does a chronological list of hammock innovations, with date, design criteria and credit to the designer or designers (if known – I’ve got to admit, the credit thing is least important to me) exist? If it does, please point it out. If it doesn’t, please contribute to what I would love to see as an article here. Just to reveal my hand, I’d love to graphically see the trajectory for the number and magnitude of hammock innovations.
These would be the suggested guidelines: 1. The innovation must be related to hammocks, hammock specific shelters or accessories. 2. The innovation can be small or large. 3. Multiple credit for design ideas is gladly granted. 4. Patents by no means required! 5. A description of the problem and the solution should accompany each innovation. 6. The innovation must have been a “good” idea at the time of first use – it doesn’t matter if the technology has since been surpassed.

[angrysparrow]

The closest thing there is to that was a video that Grizz did about the evolution of the bridge hammock. (Part 1, Part 2)

There are honestly probably too many 'good ideas' that lead to cascading innovations to chronicle accurately.

[Rat]

I would think the Ed Speers, Youngbloods and Dave Wombles of the world would need to put that together. I have been around awhile and can't keep it all straight. So much has been done in such a small time.

Putting together a timeline would be a huge undertaking and would proly require it's own site; it would definitely have to be a group collaboration. That's a big request...

[Cannibal]

Agreed that the magnitude of such a project is daunting. It would be really cool to see it, but I can't even imagine the effort it would take.

[Wentworth]

Agreed, Speer, Youngblood Womble and also Risk would have to be in there somewhere.

[angrysparrow]

I don't think anyone considered leaving them out?

But, where the oldest origins starts at would be blurry. Hammock patents from the early 1900's? Images of mayan hammocks? etc?

There have also been many people arrive at having similar setups, having followed different design paths..

[lazarus]

I would think the Ed Speers, Youngbloods and Dave Wombles of the world would need to put that together. I have been around awhile and can't keep it all straight. So much has been done in such a small time.

Putting together a timeline would be a huge undertaking and would proly require it's own site; it would definitely have to be a group collaboration. That's a big request...

none of us obviously have anything better to do... so why not? It would indeed be very interesting...

[Cannibal]

But, where the oldest origins starts at would be blurry. Hammock patents from the early 1900's? Images of mayan hammocks? etc?

The dude in my signature line (James Bogan) has actually done quite a bit of that research. Europeans brought them back with them from the Caribbean, whose residents brought them from the southern Americas. Although, there is some discussion of hammocks in ancient Egypt. Still, credit is generally given to the people that still use them today in central and south America. I've got a copy of a book that features Mr. Bogan and contains a lot of the hammock history, but I can't remember the name. I'll look tonight at home.

Modern designs is where it would get really confusing.

[tight-wad]

I thought that hammocks were the only beds for sailors world wide in antiquity?

[MacEntyre]

I thought that hammocks were the only beds for sailors world wide in antiquity?

European sailors did not use hammocks until after Columbus. Before that, they slept on deck, or where ever they could.