Hiking, Camping, Rafting Gear - Air Matteres Air Beds and More

Mayan Hammocks – Summer’s Best Kept Outdoor Decorating Secret Accessory

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:02:24 +0000

Sociologist and anthropologists trace back the Mayan hammock some 3000 years. It made its appearance arrived in the Yucatán more than two centuries before the Spanish conquest. As the Mayan cultural grew in dominance, the hammock became synonymous with the Mayan civilization. One could say that the Mayan hammock is what helped their civilization thrive. The hammock provided the Mayans with security and protection as they slept. The Mayan hammock protected the sleeper from snakes and other ground crawling dwellers as well as raising the sleeper above mud and other unhygienic conditions. An elevated sleeping area also exposed the sleeper to cool breezes necessary for staying comfortable in the humid rainforests of Central America. The fist Mayan hammocks were woven from the fibrous bark of the hamack tree before the evolution to more standard material found today.

The Mayan hammocks of today are found throughout the region and Southern Mexico. In Mexico, authentic Mayan hammocks are still made by Mayan women and families in villages surrounding the capital city of the Yucatán, Merida, and are sold throughout the world as well as locally.

The Mayan hammocks are still very much a family business. Using two needles and a loom, it can take several weeks to make a decent sized Mayan hammock. Made in the small villages of the Yucatan, the Mayan hammock trade contributes to the economic independence and self sufficiency of the Mayan communities. The finished Mayan hammocks are gathered by wholesalers before they make it to market and your favorite spot.

Mayan hammocks are made with cotton or nylon string. The most comfortable Mayan hammocks are made of a cotton weave which makes them very flexible yet incredibly supportive. Most cotton Mayan hammocks do not use spreader bar allowing the hammock to cradle or contour to your body for even greater comfort. This feature has also made them especially practical as a natural infant cradle to gently rock their children to sleep.

Mayan hammocks are extremely light weight, but have the ability to hold large amounts of weight. Mayan hammocks can be used outdoors on a stand or easily strung up between two trees. With their beautiful, vibrant colors, Mayan hammocks are the perfect summer accessory. Their comfort is unmatched and their colors bring a sense of serenity to your backyard and patio environment. For those looking for those elusive outdoor accessory, Mayan hammocks bring a unique decorative touch to your outdoor space. Mayan hammocks make for a great garden hammock too.

Mayan hammocks can also be accessorized with pillows or Mexican serapes. Serapes are handcrafted striped cotton blankets that are synonymous with the post colonial Mexican culture. Wrap a serape as you lie in your Mayan hammock or lay one out on the grass for an afternoon snooze or picnic. These colorful Mexican serapes can also be used indoors to add a touch of Mexican decorative style.

Mayan hammocks can also be strung up indoors as well, by inserting hooks in wall studs or ceiling beams. They are great for all climates and are especially convenient for small apartments and dorm rooms for extra seating or even an extra place to sleep. They can also be used to store goods like sleeping bags and packs while traveling or camping.

The general rule is to get the largest hammock you can because the larger your hammock is, the more comfortable you will feel when using it. Mayan hammocks are woven with an open style, with no spreader bar, which allows the hammock to expand and contract freely. This means that larger size hammocks will provide more strands in the same amount of space when stretched out to your body’s length. For example, a tall person will have to stretch a single hammock all the way out like a net, to lie in it. On the other hand, a king size Mayan hammock will open effortlessly and provide extra webbing even for a tall or large person. This means the weave will remain tight so the Mayan hammock looks and feels like a solid piece of cloth, yet gently rapping the extra webbing around your body, providing a superior level of comfort.

With summer on the way, there is no better way to make the most of those lazy days of summer than with colorful Mayan hammocks. If you plan to entertain with afternoon barbeques and backyard picnics, you can expect your Mayan hammock to be the hit of the party.

Related Blogs

Hurricane preperation tips from MEMA

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:02:23 +0000

Hurricane preperation tips from MEMA
As Hurricane Earl approaches, The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) recommends a number of steps people can take to help minimize potential damage during hurricane or tropical storm conditions. “Early planning and preparation can be the key to your safety,” states MEMA Acting Director Kurt Schwartz. “It is important to use your time wisely [...]

Related Blogs

MetLife Auto & Home Offers Hurricane Preparedness Tips

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:00:58 +0000

MetLife Auto & Home Offers Hurricane Preparedness Tips
WARWICK, R.I.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With much of the East Coast, from the Carolinas to Maine, bracing for a close encounter with Hurricane Earl, residents in harm’s way are being urged to take precautionary measures to help minimize property damage and protect loved ones. To help consumers prepare for the storm, MetLife Auto & Home offers the following tips: Decide in advance where to go, if you’d …

Related Blogs

Kids’ Backpacks – Benefits Of Making Your Kids Carry Their Own Backpacks

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:00:53 +0000

We parents always want the best for our children. And when we go for a hike, and they have grown up enough to accompany us, we try to reduce their burden by taking on additional burden for them. That’s not the right way.
The right way is teach them the rudiments of going on a hike. Teach them to pack their own clothing, tell them what kind of environment they can expect, and how to pack for it.
Buy them a backpack that is meant for the kids. There are many of them around. Get them a backpack that would carry a fairly decent amount of clothing, including separate pockets for dirty clothese and shoes. Backpacks now come with side pockets for bottles of water; some even have long pipes so that the children do not stop for that drink of water. While looking for the right backpack for your kid, look for backpacs that have so many pockets in the front and the back.
These can be useful in storing small items that children, say for instance, chocolates, or even toffees. Back pockets can be useful for carrying small lines of ropes, and also a pouch for holding a flash light, and another can carry a spare set of batteries.
The kid’s backpack needs to be of light material. It should have a harness both at the top and also near the waist. If the strap is just right for the child, buy one size bigger. It will come in handy next year as well.
Buy one with handles as well. It is easy for you to take it off your kid, and easier to put it back on.
The golden rule here is sure, help the child. But the kid’s have to learn to be independent, and packing thier own bags gives them a lot of pride, and a sense of accomplishment.
Finally, there are some things YOU need to take in your backpack. That’s carrying a first aid kit, which contains ointment for bruises, ant or other bites, and above all, if you child has some condition, then you must carry enough medication, in the event something untowards happens.
While on the trail, teach your kid what to avoid, how to overcome a gushing stream, use of proper footing, and watching out for ants on trees, and how to drink water from where, generally make it an educative experience for your child. Watch out for that sudden mis-step, and when fording streams, a protective ball of rope around your child’s waist would ensure that they don’t get a dunk in the stream unintendedly!
Best of Luck!

Related Blogs

Policewatch – Aubonne Bridge Rope Cutting

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:56:41 +0000

Seven months after a judge found two policemen not guilty for nearly killing two anti-G8 activists in 2003, the tribunal of the Canton of Vaud decided to reject the appeal filed by activists Martin Shaw (English) and Gesine Wenzel (German). Following on from the shocking «Innocent» verdict against Claude Poget (Vaud) and Michael Deis (Schaffhausen) of 17 February 2006, the tribunal of the Canton of Vaud decided today to reject the appeal. Gesine Wenzel, whose life was only saved when the activists on the bridge quickly grabbed her climbing rope as it was being cut by Officer Deiss, said, « I hope this decision has made it clear to everybody that this system is corrupt. All this talk of impartial justice and equality in front of the law is pure hypocrisy. We were found guilty for endangering the lives of the car drivers, and yet the police officers who very nearly killed us have had their violent actions whitewashed once again by the courts. Now the court of appeal has proven beyond doubt that there is no way to hold the Swiss police accountable for their abuse of power even when they are caught on video. Our case is only the tip of the iceberg. This is what passes for « justice » in Switzerland. » Martin Shaw will never fully recover from the 23-m fall where he shattered his foot and broke his back. In principle it is the responsibility of the government of the Canton de Vaud to pay compensation since they are responsible for the actions of their police, but now this …

Related Blogs

Talladega Superspeedway Offers Free Ticket for Mtn. Dew 250 to Blood Donors

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:50:34 +0000

Talladega Superspeedway Offers Free Ticket for Mtn. Dew 250 to Blood Donors
TALLADEGA, Sept. 3, 2010: Talladega Superspeedway is offering a free ticket to the Mtn. Dew 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race for each blood donor that participates in the Laps For Life Blood Drive on Sept. 9.

Related Blogs

Foul Odors Got You Down? What?s the Best Home Air Cleaner for the Job?

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:57:06 +0000

You’ve seen it on every air purifier website you’ve visited: Best home air cleaner ever! Removes everything known to man! Gases, odors and chemicals gone in seconds!But before you clean out your wallet in the hope of cleaning your air let’s expose the dirt on one common claim: Odor and chemical control. In particular, let’s reveal the dirty little secret behind home air cleaners that use activated carbon filter pads. Your Know Your Air Cleaner is of Questionable Parentage When:Air purification is suddenly a very big business. The demand for air purification has exploded the number of companies offering home air cleaners. However, many of these companies are consumer product sales organizations. Their business is blanketing the market with today’s hot seller, not designing and building the best home air cleaner they can. Never slow to seek a leg up in the market, they hype “multistage” air cleaners that presumably control every imaginable form of air pollution, including chemicals, odors and gases. Activated carbon filter pads are the heart and soul of the odor removing stage in these air cleaners. They typically are a foam mesh impregnated with a few token ounces of activated carbon. Is this really good enough to effectively control odors and chemicals? Are these companies being honest with you?Four Odor Control Questions You Need Answered First, let’s question the capacity of the activated carbon. Depending on how it’s produced the surface area available to adsorb pollutants can vary from 400 sq. meters per gram to over 1500 sq. meters per gram. The best home air cleaners will use carbon that maximizes capacity. Coconut shell derived carbon is common to many better quality air purifiers. Second, activated carbon will remove some of most chemicals. However, it may not be very effective against many common pollutants without a little help from its friends. That’s why the best home air cleaners use activated carbon impregnated with catalysts and chemisorbers. These enhance chemical and odor control. Third, how much can the few ounces of activated carbon on a filter pad really adsorb? Activated carbon adsorbs up to 60% of its weight in pollutants. But it needs “dwell time” or time spent in contact with the pollutants. A thin pad cannot supply much dwell time. This is why the best home air cleaners include a deep carbon bed that weighs many pounds. Fourth, a decision that defies common sense is including scent cartridges in air purifiers with activated carbon. Since activated carbon removes odors from the air, why is chemical fragrance included? Because the scent masks odors that the air cleaner isn’t removing and leads you to believe the air purifier is doing a good job. Key Features of the Best Home Air CleanerIf you need serious odor and chemical control then the best home air cleaner for you is one with a deep activated carbon bed. Look for information about added catalysts and which particular chemicals these catalysts help remove. Whether it’s volatile organic compounds or urine, there are a wide variety of carbon blends specially suited to your needs. Remember, too, no quality air cleaner fakes performance by using masking fragrances. You need clean air, not another petroleum derivative wafting about. Activated carbon filter pads are a cheap trick of marketing companies. These sales organizations are only interested in grabbing a piece of the air purifier market, not helping you to live a healthier life. They rely on lack of consumer education about air purification to succeed. You can make a much better choice.

Related Blogs

My disorganized hiking gear

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:17:18 +0000

Image taken on 2007-12-28 13:53:32 by brewbooks.

Related Blogs

Plymouth MA Johnny Souza Jazz All Stars – My Funny Valentine

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:56:36 +0000

Plymouth MA Johnny Souza Jazz All Stars Show featuring a rotating lineup of the Boston areas finest musicians. This group performs My Funny Valentine at Ricky T’s Jazz & Blues Club – July 2001Johnny Souza Vocals & Flugelhorn, Dino Govoni Tenor Saxophone, Kenny Wenzel Flute, Gray Sargent Guitar, Jeff Williams Piano, Steve Skop Bass & Gary Johnson Drums.

Related Blogs

Truck Bed Covers – Save Gas And Transform Your Truck

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:33:19 +0000

Truck bed covers are attachments to a pickup truck’s bed that protect against weather and provide security from theft. This allows you to store items in the bed away from the weather, from damage, and from the prying eyes of thieves. Unlike truck attachments like camper shells, bed covers do not provide additional vertical cargo space. Bed covers are best when you desire your truck to maintain a low profile or when you wish for your truck to have an easy on, easy off cover for its beds.

1. Save Gas!

As air flows over the front end of your vehicle, it careens into the hollow bowl of your bed and produces opposite force to your truck. This could easily eat several miles from your gas mileage every time you use your truck. These types of covers also provide extra gas mileage by reducing air drag that is exacerbated by the truck bed – an aerodynamic nightmare. You could even save about 10% on your gas with a good truck cover!

2. About Bed Covers

- Strong, rigid canopy covers
- Protect your transport items
- Some are detachable
- Easy to install
- Do not restrict the use of your tailgate

3. History Of Truck Covers

Truck covers are also known as truck bed covers. They have evolved from a number of versions that have been designed for a different uses. Because of this, no one person can claim to have invented the truck cover. Soft covers gained became popular on major speedways. Sport truck racers used soft truck covers to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag. Hard top truck covers rose in prominence as an alternative to camper shells. These highly-customized truck bed lids evolved to suit the various needs of truck drivers.

4. Truck Cover Storage Basics

When you need to transport items ranging from groceries, to heavy furniture, the truck cover does the trick. The cover shields your items from view, from the weather and from damage. Even simple covers can sufficiently protect your stuff. In some instances, truck covers employ strategically-placed weather seals that channel the moisture away from the covers. With such equipment, truck owners have a greater peace of mind when transporting items sensitive to such. With most models, installation requires no drilling into the truck bed.

Black is the standard color offered by most manufacturers, but many do offer a variety of other colors. When purchasing a truck bed cover, you need to decide between a hard cover (solid fiberglass) and a soft cover (vinyl). The differences between the two are highlighted below:

5. Hard Covers

Firmly attached, they do not blow off even at highway speeds. They are available with hinge systems to allow an easier lifting of cover to put or get cargo. It also is secure and lockable. These hard covers weigh about 100 lbs. Hard covers are also more expensive than vinyl covers. They are more durable and are also weatherproof.

6. Soft Covers

These, on the other hand, are easy to remove and install. They often just snap on to the truck rails and are ready to go. Although they may not be as tough as hard covers, they are still strong enough to provide protection for 1 to 2 people. If you are hauling large cargo, these covers come off easily to accommodate the extra space.