Best fall destinations to hammock camp in each of the 50 states

The ultimate hammock basecamp We teamed up with TAXA Outdoors to put a Kammok spin on their Woolly Bear habitat. The result is a go-anywhere, do-it-all trailer that's ready for any hammock adventure. We could all use a little more time outside, and the Kammok Edition Woolly Bear is the perfect tool for getting out and staying out. The Camp Chef's Dream Kitchen One of the biggest barriers to getting outside is the comfort you leave behind at home, one of the most crucial being a fully functioning kitchen with everything you need at your fingertips. The Woolly Bear kitchen offers the best of both worlds, with clever organization, plenty of workspace, and the ideal outdoor setting. Now you can get outside with confidence and cook to your heart's content. A Gear Closet on Wheels The Kammok Edition Woolly Bear has a place for all your camping essentials. No more packing and repacking: Load up once, and you're always ready for the next outing. Introducing the Outpost We knew a Kammok Edition Woolly Bear wouldn't be complete without a robust, full-size hammock setup. The Outpost easily attaches to the cargo deck of any Woolly Bear and allows you to hang a full-size hammock in virtually any setting. The Outpost's lightweight frame make it a cinch for anyone to deploy, and the tool-free setup means it's ready to go with the press of a button. Adjustable legs and a 360 degree swivel mount allow you to hang your hammock on any landscape, from smooth blacktop to the roughest backcountry campsites. Create the ultimate hammock basecamp by attaching up to six Outpost hammock stands to your Woolly Bear. With the addition of a rooftop tent, your Woolly Bear can comfortably sleep up to nine happy campers. Arriving Spring '22: Outpost 2.0 will allow for attachment to your vehicle's roof rack or a single tree.

Once you’ve picked out which Kammok hammock style works best for you and your favorite color (we think that’s the hardest part), it’s time to learn how to hang and care for it. We’ve compiled a guide for all your hammock care needs that can be applied to any Kammok hammock type (Roo Single, Roo Double, Roo Jr., Roo Double XL, and Roo Single UL)   How to Set Up Your Hammock Applies to all Kammok hammock types excluding the Roo Single UL. Find two points to hang your hammock between. Each hammock size calls for a slightly wider or narrower set up, however the standard to look out for is 12-15 feet. Grab your hammock straps. Wrap the widest part of the strap around the tree or post. Pull the strap through the end with the single loop. Ensure to loop your straps around the tree about 6 ft high. Unbuckle the rolled up top from your Roo hammock and pull out the fabric. Clip the hammock carabiner through one of the Python strap loops and repeat this step on the other side. Tip: Clip the strap bag onto hammock carabiner for safe keeping. For a safety check, press into the center of the hammock to test before sitting down. Adjust your hammock as needed to rest at a 30 degree angle and try out the other ways of hanging below.     How to Hang In Your Hammock  Applies to all camping hammock types. Who said hammocks are only for laying down? There’re so many ways to hang in your favorite Kammok hammock depending on where you are and who you’re with. Here are a few of our favorite ways to hang.  The Chair - Perfect for talking in a group, watching the sunset or hanging around a campfire. An easy way to sit upright and relax with legs hanging over the hammock or cross legged.  The Lounge - Our favorite way to nap, relax and look up at the sky on a starry night. Lay diagonally, spreading the hammock fabric for space and comfort. This one is great for cuddling with your adventure dog (or human). The Perch- A good way to hang while reading a book or hanging with a buddy in a Roo Double or Double XL. Scoot to one end of your hammock and sit upright while keeping your legs straight.   How to Pack Your Hammock  Applies to all camping hammock types. When you’re done using your hammock for the day, it’s important to pack it after each use to protect the fabric from long-term exposure to the elements.  To do this, unclip one side of the hammock and pack it into the stuff sack, one side at a time. Then, unclip the second side of the hammock. We recommend keeping the carabiners on the top.  Roll the stuff sack twice and and buckle the sides.  Roll up each Python strap and place them back into the stuff sack.     How to Wash Your Hammock Applies to all Kammok hammock types excluding the Roo Single UL. Hand wash Roo Single UL only. If your hammock is soiled or stained from all your epic adventures, we recommend hand washing when possible. However, avoid washing your hammock frequently since this will deteriorate the DWR coating and lessen durability of the fabric over time. If using a washing machine is necessary, make sure to use one without a center agitator as this can tear up the fabric. Remove the carabiners and slings prior to washing. Place the hammock fabric in the washing machine. Fill the Grangers Down Wash + Repel cap to the recommended level. A gentle powder  detergent will work as well. Do not use fabric softener, bleach, or stain removal products. Wash the hammock fabric by itself on a gentle, cold-water setting.  Hang dry in a warm and non-humid environment until the fabric is no longer damp. Once the fabric is completely dried out, attach the slings and carabiners to the ends. You can use an unopened pen to help thread the sling back through the hammock fabric. Your hammock is clean and ready for more time outside.   These tips and guidelines will help you make the most of your Kammok hammock. Make sure to check out our Help Center FAQ for all of your product use and care questions.

Alisha McDarris is the co-founder and writer at terradrift.com, a sustainable travel and outdoor adventure blog and YouTube channel where gear reviews, how-tos, and guides help folks get outside to play more and do so safely, responsibly, and sustainably.   There’s little more thrilling than outfitting yourself with a few new pieces of gear. The excitement! The thrill! The compelling urge to get outside to use it as soon as humanly possible! But constantly buying brand-new gear is hard on the environment. Virgin materials, resource-intensive manufacturing processes, and harsh chemical dyes all contribute to harmful greenhouse gasses, and often, the well-loved gear we just replaced gets tossed in a landfill where it could take hundreds of years—if not longer—to break down. But there is a solution: used gear. Buying used instead of new is good for the planet, good for our wallet, and good for overflowing landfills. And it’s still just as exciting. It’s new to you, after all. So if you want to make your camping setup more sustainable, consider buying used instead of new. Here’s how (and where). Where to find used gear If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to used gear, don’t sweat it; there are plenty of places to find it online or in person. Start by checking at a local gear shop if you’re lucky enough to have one near you. Many local shops have used or consignment sections. Some cities even have stores dedicated entirely to used gear. If there’s not a used gear shop where you live, keep an eye out for sample sales. Kammok isn’t the only brand that hosts them as a way to offer solid used gear at a discounted rate! Next, check larger retailers like REI. The stores host several Garage Sale events per year that offer returned and used gear at deeply discounted rates. During COVID, most stores still place Garage Sale items around retail locations so savvy customers can still find a good deal. You do have to be an REI Co-op member to shop Garage Sale items, though, so keep that in mind. Online is a great place to look for used gear too. REI has a used gear section, as do many outdoor brands like Patagonia, Arc’teryx, and The North Face. Another favorite is GearTrade.com, which is all used outdoor gear all the time. You may even find items with the tags still on! Lastly, it never hurts to check sites like Ebay, Amazon Warehouse, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace. You can often find used outdoor gear in your own neighborhood. How to score the best used gear Of course, not all used gear is quality used gear. There’ll be plenty of used and abused, weathered and battered gear out there, but there’s also plenty of gear that’s barely been touched. On online listings, look for wear ratings like good, fair, or excellent. Then check for details on what’s wrong with it if it’s not in great condition. Sometimes a pair of boots may have been worn thin. Other times, all that’s wrong with a tent is that it has a small puncture hole in the floor (more on repairing used gear below). Make sure the item you’re considering suits your purposes, then buy with confidence. If you’re shopping locally, either from a retailer or individual, don’t be afraid to ask to unpack a sleeping bag, set up a tent, try on a jacket, or inflate a sleeping pad. Make sure it’s in as good of shape as the seller claims before you buy. Check for warranties Many quality outdoor gear brands and manufacturers offer excellent warranties with their gear. Osprey, for example, offers their All Mighty Guarantee on everything they make (whether or not you bought it used), and Kammok gear comes with a lifetime warranty too, which even backs their used gear! So check which manufacturers offer lifetime warranties and find out if that warranty extends to a second owner or used gear sold directly from the manufacturer. Then, if it needs repairs, find out what it takes to ship it in and get it fixed up like new. Repair worn or used gear Finally, if you found an amazing piece of gear for a stellar price, but it has a small tear, defect, broken buckle, or the like, don’t shut it down just yet. Most gear can be repaired, and often, all that’s required is a wash, re-waterproofing, patch job or zipper lubrication. Learn how to perform basic maintenance on your gear and you’ll not only be able to keep it in use longer, you’ll be able to score great deals on slightly defective gear as most people won’t bother repairing it. For example, I scored at least half off an expensive Big Agnes tent that was probably used once at an REI Garage Sale because it had a small tear in the floor. I took it home, patched it in two minutes, and the tent is just like new. Sell your old gear Now that you’ve replaced a few items in your gear closet with quality used camping gear, don’t forget about your old gear! If it’s still in decent or better working order, clean it up and resell it! Use sites like Craignslist or Marketplace or gear-specific sites like GearTrade.com. REI also lets members sell their used gear on REI.com now! If it’s time to retire an item permanently (say, if a tent is falling apart at the seams, or a sleeping bag is so old it’s lost all of its loft), take a minute before tossing in the garbage can. Many materials, buckles, and accessories can be removed and reused on other repair or DIY projects. And some repair shops and universities may even take the old gear for certain specialized programs. It’s always worth it to check as most plastic and synthetic materials won’t break down in landfills.   Bottom line Used gear is more sustainable than the shiniest new eco-friendly gear. So if it’s sustainable camping you want, it’s out with the new and in with the old! Fill that gear closet with quality used items and feel good about reducing your footprint, being kind to the planet, and saving yourself a few bucks in the process.

The past few weeks have been filled with discussion, both internally as a company and as nine individuals in pursuit of social justice. At Kammok, we exist to promote human flourishing through adventure outside, but people cannot flourish when racism is putting lives in danger every day. We believe community is transformative to create lasting change, and we all need to address the racial divide in this country. We champion love as our chief core value, and staying silent about systematic injustice is not loving. As an ally to the Black community, people of color, and underrepresented voices in the outdoors, we are committed to fighting for justice, and to acting on what is right. Immediately, we are donating to nonprofits, matching employee donations up to $2K to organizations fighting against injustice, inequality, and racism. This isn’t a one-time donation. As part of our ongoing commitment to give 1% of revenue to social and environmental initiatives, we are identifying organizations that build inclusivity and equity in the outdoors so that Kammok can invest and enable them long-term. We've supported Explore Austin since 2017 to empower youth through outdoor mentorship, and we will continue to support as we expand our scope for giving. We have a platform, and eyes and ears from a receptive community that shares our mission to elevate time outside for all people. We ask our Kammok community to reflect on the impacts you can make. These are our first of many steps to hold us accountable for the change we wish to see. It's on us to work towards change together.   Greg McEvilly CEO/Founder and Team Kammok