SSG William Cavanaugh – Darvasahn, Afghanistan.
To borrow the phrasing, if not the sentiment, of Sylvia Plath, ‘relaxing is an art, like everything else.’ Like any artist, you’re going to need some good tools. Here are four gadgets that will add a splash of color to your hammock time.
1. Tropical Drinks Prepared like a Pro
Did you know you could peel, slice and and core a pineapple in seconds?! Before you laugh this off as just another outrageously unnecessary piece of plastic, hear me out. The Pineapple Slicer and Corer is not only delightfully fun, it’s entirely practical for anyone who enjoys a tropical beverage. It will never occur to you how inefficiently you’ve been slaughtering your pineapples until you give it a try. In a simple screwing motion, this ingenius instrument allows you to harvest the fruit from the middle while coring away the dense center, and leaving a hollow, pineapple shaped shell that is just begging to be filled with chilled juice or a smoothie. You don’t need to travel to the Bahamas to fulfill your lifelong dream of sipping a chilled drink out of a real fruit, all you need is the pineapple corer, a long straw and a good place to sway.
2. Combat Ambient Noise
Whether it’s the shrieking kids next door, the wail of a firetruck or your roommate in the next room eating Grapenuts, sometimes even the most experienced hammocker can’t escape the ambient noise. To optimize your relaxation experience, you need a pair of Noise Canceling Headphones , a must have for anyone who appreciates the sound of silence. These headphones use a combination of dense foam and advanced physics to battle extraneous sound waves to provide an paralleled music experience, or just a moment of quiet. When you leave your roommate and his deafening cereal behind and hit the road for the hottest (and most soothing) spring break getaways for the hammocker , these will come in handy on the airplane.
3. A Twist on Self Portraiture
Hammock time is primo self portrait time: you’re engaged in an enviable activity, your cheeks are blushed by the sun, your smile is natural and relaxed. Take your photos to the next level with this Handheld Telescopic Pole Extendable Monopod – a long name for a simple idea. The monopod allows you to extend the camera a foot or two away from our face, cutting out the awkward, give-a-way angles and extended arm that of the classic self snap. Also check out the Olloclip , a tiny snap on lens for your iphone that includes fish eye and wide angle, both adding a creative spin to your….er….photographic study of self. Now, filter away and post!
4. Stay Sharp
Perhaps the greatest quality of the brain (an organ with a panoply of fine qualities) is its neuroplasticity. The brain can (and should be) shaped, molded and exercised throughout your entire life, and what better place to do that than in a hammock? When the pineapple is drained and forgotten, the Instagram feed updated and the playlist is over, pick up a Rubik’s Cube or any of these hand held, IQ-enhancing puzzles, mazes and brain bogglers , and enjoy a few moments of bettering your brain.
