The history of hammocks

Valentine’s Day is just a few days away! Still coming up with last-minute plans? Don’t worry—you’re not alone. We’re here to help with four easy wins to make any date a success. Hammock picnic for the win! (Budget: $50)There’s no better way to picnic in our opinion than in the comfort of a Roo Double (Bonus: it’s currently 30% off). Step one: Pick out the ultimate secluded hammock spot. Step two: Charge your bluetooth speaker and curate a playlist with all your favorite songs. Step three: Hit up your favorite local market for a bottle of wine, some fresh fruits, crackers, and cheese, and you’re ready to go! Don’t forget to pack your Dragonfly bug net to keep those pesky flies away, and bring a headlamp if you plan to stay for sunset.     Hike to your morning coffee. (Budget: $15)Coffee dates are easy wins, but they can get pretty boring. And no one wants a boring date. Pack up your favorite bag of local coffee and hit the trail with your brewing supplies for an early sunrise to take this coffee date to the next level. Bonus points for dropping by your favorite bakery or pastry shop! Take your Field Blanket along so you’ll have a comfy place to enjoy your morning.     Rent a van for a weekend getaway! (Budget: $300-500)As much as we love to romanticize it, we can’t all live full time on the open road. Luckily, companies like Outdoorsy make it possible to get a small taste of van life. Surprise your valentine with a weekend getaway for two at one of your favorite local parks, and book an awesome RV or decked out van to make the experience unforgettable. Remember to bring your Firebelly if cold weather is rolling in!     Venture out to see the stars. (Budget: $50)This date will only cost you as much as a tank of gas and a six-pack of beer, but the payoff will be just what you and your valentine are looking for. Unfortunately most of us live in areas with high levels of light pollution, and seeing the wonders of the Milky Way is impossible at home. Take a trip outside the city to a nearby state or county park, and bring your Swiftlet along so you can gaze for hours at the night sky. Find amazing places to see the stars near you by checking out Space Tourism Guide. They’ve put together stargazing guides for cities like Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, and on and on and on.  Celebrating Valentine's Day in Austin? Check out these two guides for spending some time outside in The Capitol City: 5 Hidden Gems on Austin's Barton Creek Greenbelt Everything you need to know for 36 hours in ATX

Depending on where you are in the world, and how cold it is outside, the thought of camping right now might not have even crossed your mind. While you’re bundled up at home this winter, take the opportunity to plan your adventures early! Texas state parks allow you to book campsites five months in advance while most national parks allow you to do so six months in advance. Backcountry and lottery permits are a tad trickier, and there’s no time like the present to apply before they’re all snatched up.  We've put together eight bucket-list-worthy trips that take a bit more logistical planning than a simple reservation. Best of luck to everyone who applies for these epic permits! 1. Thru-Hike The Narrows, Zion National Park Hiking The Narrows is a bucket list item for many, which contributes to the ultra-competitive booking system for the 16-mile through-hike. A backcountry permit is needed whether you want to hike it in a single day or camp halfway, but if you plan to camp, a backcountry campsite booking is required as well. The trick here? Booking opens at 10 a.m. Mountain Time on the 5th of every month, and the NPS reports “most spaces will become fully booked for the next month within minutes of reservations opening.” Don’t be discouraged. You can plan for an out-and-back trip in the narrows with no special permit required. Plan for this one in late spring and summer when temps rise and water levels drop.     2. Rim to Rim, Grand Canyon National Park A backcountry camping permit for Grand Canyon is even tougher to nab than The Narrows and more logistically challenging as well. You’ll need to plan months in advance and mail or fax your request to the NPS in order to get approved. A Rim to Rim hike in Grand Canyon National Park is extremely challenging when you consider the elevation change and hot, dry conditions. According to HikingGuy.com, the most viable windows for a trip like this is the end of May or beginning of October when hotter temps are least likely. Check out the full guide at HikingGuy and start making those plans now!     3. See the fall colors in Lost Maples State Natural Area This state natural area outside of San Antonio is best known for its fall foliage. While most Texas trees like pecans and oaks turn to brown and shed their leaves during winter, Lost Maples offers the Lone Star State some true fall colors. Bigtooth maples not common in most of the state still thrive in this unique microclimate and offer a spectacular show come November. But you’ll have to plan in advance if you want to see the brilliant orange leaves in person. Based on the Fall Foliage Report from 2021 and a quick phone call to the park headquarters, it sounds like planning your trip around Veterans Day is the ideal time. Since Texas state parks don't allow you to reserve campsites more than five months out, set a reminder in your phone for June as spots fill up quickly. Day passes are sold a month in advance and also sell out well in advance.     4. Visit The Wave at Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness This gem in Arizona is a highly sought after photo destination for social media influencers, but it’s so much more than a selfie spot. The Wave is one of the most visually interesting geological structures in North America. Due to its popularity and the fragile nature of the unique ecosystem, permits are limited to a highly competitive lottery system. From the Bureau of Land Management website: “Forty-eight people or 12 groups (whichever comes first) each day are awarded permits through an online lottery four months in advance.” A same-day walk-in lottery is also available, but they limit numbers to 16 people or four groups. Best of luck on this one—the lucky few are in for a heck of an adventure.     5. Summit Mt. Whitney, Inyo National Forest Looking to escape in the beautiful Sierra Nevadas? Might as well summit the tallest peak in California while you’re at it. For most hikers, this is a 12-hour day minimum: 22 miles out and back with over 6,200 feet of elevation gain. If this doesn’t deter you, then it’s time to call your friends and put some dates on the calendar! Best hiking conditions run from July to late September when the trail is usually free of snow. Not so fast though—the success rate for 2021 applications was a measly 28%, meaning you’ll likely have to apply multiple times to get a shot at this one. But if you’re a peak bagger, or if you’re just looking for an epic adventure, this one’s definitely worth applying for. The lottery for Mount Whitney runs from February 1 to March 15, so mark your calendar!     6. Float Hell’s Canyon, the Salmon River, or the Selway River You’ve only got a few days left to put in for these sought-after river floats as well as a few others. The last day to enter the lottery for the 2022 season is February 1st, so you’ll have to make a quick decision. Still, these rivers offer some of the best of the west when it comes to scenic and technical paddle trips. And don’t worry: If this isn’t your year, you can always plan for 2023. For a full list of upcoming lotteries, click here.     7. Hike the Half Dome Cable Route, Yosemite National Park 16 miles with 4,800 feet of gain is nothing to take lightly, but reaching the summit of the Half Dome in Yosemite is definitely a once in a lifetime kind of experience. Hikers have been using this cable route since 1919, and it remains one of the most popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts today. If this sounds like your kind of adventure, know that the preseason lottery runs during the month of March with more daily lotteries to come in May. The cable route opens in late May depending on conditions and is open through October 11. Make your plans and find more info here.     8. Paddle the Devils River, West Texas Of all the adventures on this list, aside from the Lost Maples trip perhaps, this one might be the most achievable. Why, you ask? The Devils River lies in barren west Texas, completely remote and relatively unknown in comparison to the national park giants listed above. Lucky for you, it’s one of the best kept secrets in Texas. The Devils River is a 94-mile, spring-fed river considered by many experts to be the most pristine river remaining in Texas. To help keep it that way, Texas Parks and Wildlife limits the number of visitors to the river, and especially the number of paddlers given river access permits. TPWD recommends planning your trips for spring and fall to avoid extreme temps. A quick Google image search of the river will tell you everything you need to know about why you should put this on your list, and why if you go you should be extra diligent with your Leave No Trace principles (as always). Want to learn where the Devils River got its name? Check this out from the Devils River Conservancy, and while you’re on their website, read about why this river is so important to protect.   For those of you ready for a winter adventure, check out our Guide to Hammock Camping in Cold Weather.

Another National Camp at Home Day has come and gone, and we can’t say thanks enough to everyone who participated. You wowed us yet again with your creativity. From indoor campfires and starry skies to an actual outdoor igloo, you guys absolutely crushed it. We geeked out over your clever hammock spots and perfectly roasted mallows, but with over 500 campsites globally, more than anything we were in awe of the sense of community that continues to develop around this event. This year, as we focused more on preparedness, we invited a few of our friends to share a bit about hitting the trail, sustainable camping, adventuring with kids, and a whole lot more. Check out our previous blog posts if you haven’t already, and get ready for the camping season! It’s spring here in Texas, with wild flowers blooming and bright green leaves budding from formerly barren trees, and the Kammok team is ready to hit the trail. We hope you’ll do the same. Take the confidence of having just pitched your tent in your backyard or living room, and go check off a new national or state park! This day started as a way to cope with the quarantine blues, but with your help, we hope to build this into a community event for campers who are always learning and preparing for the next big adventure. If you haven’t already, join the conversation on our National Camp at Home Day Facebook group. We created this space for people to learn and get inspired from one another, and as a way to help each other get ready for whatever campsite is calling you next. Share your favorite gear, camping recipes, parks, or whatever gets you excited to be outside with the people you love.  Until next year, campers! We’ll see you on the trail.

There are many options when it comes to what kind of insulation to use on your outdoor adventures. Down insulation is one of the most popular options because of its weight-to-warmth ratio and compressibility. It’s also extremely durable if taken care of properly. Kammok’s Bobcat, Firebelly and Arctos quilts are examples of gear that uses down insulation. The down’s ability to trap heat depends on how well it lofts, which is measured by the amount of space a certain weight of down takes up. The fluffier it is, the warmer it will keep you.  When your down insulation has been compressed in a stuff sack or storage, the fill can appear flat or displaced when taken out. Before using, we recommend allowing it to loft.  How to loft insulation: Give the quilt a good shake.  Lay it on a flat surface to allow the down time to loft evenly.  Let the gear lay out for a few hours, shaking occasionally to bring to its full loftiness. Where your down trail quilt or sleeping bag is stored when you’re not using it affects its lifespan. Here are a few tips on how and where to store your down insulation. How to store insulation: When down gear is not in use, keep in a roomy storage bag to maintain gear lofted.  Store the bag in a climate-controlled room or a sealed container. This will help your gear avoid getting wet or damaged by pests.  Pack into the stuff sack only when needed for travel.   How to wash down insulation: Sleeping bags and trail quilts don’t have to be washed after every use, however, as with any great adventure gear, it’s bound to get grimy after regular use and will need to be washed on occasion.  If using a washing machine, only use a front-loading washer or a machine without an agitator.  If the inside of your washer has the center ‘agitator’ part, hand wash with warm water in a large bucket or bathtub. When using a washing machine, place the product in the washer by itself, and add the recommended amount of insulation cleaner. We recommend using Grangers Down Wash and Repel. Wash on a gentle cycle with warm water.  Do not use fabric softener, bleach, or stain removal products.  To dry, place the product in the dryer with 3 dryer balls or clean tennis balls. Heat is required to activate the water resistance on the fabric. Tumble dry on low-medium heat. Your insulation is now clean and ready for the adventures ahead. We put our gear through a lot, and sometimes we get too close to an ember from the fire or snag it on a sharp rock. If you have a small hole in your insulated gear, you can repair it with a patch kit. We recommend using Noso Patches, though any fabric gear patch brand will do. You’ll also need rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab handy.    How to repair insulation: Tuck in any loose down feathers or snip away loose threads from the damaged area.  Clean the spot with rubbing alcohol. Allow time to dry. Crack and peel the paper release liner.  Center patch over the damaged area. Apply pressure from the center out to the edges.  If using a Noso patch, apply the patch permanently by tumble drying on low for 10 minutes.  Remove from the dryer and press the patch in a circular motion for 30 seconds.  These tips for down insulation care and repair will increase the lifespan of your sleeping bag or trail quilt. If something went wrong with your Kammok gear that isn’t easily repairable, remember that we have a lifetime warranty on all our products. Please reach out to our customer experience team or fill out the warranty form for any concerns regarding the durability of your elevated gear.