BY JEFF WILFORD, Journal Times, 7/12/02

On some summer days -- not every day, but on those particularly nice days when the mood strikes him -- Craig Urban will climb into the hammock swing in the yard behind his house at 3513 N. Main St. It's a rope hammock, strung between two trees that are 8 1/2 feet apart. It's a couple of years old, bought for $80 at Kohl's Department Store. It's not the fanciest or most expensive hammock on the market -- the big names can cost close to $200 -- but it serves its purpose well.

"I think I fell asleep on it a week ago when it was real nice out, about 30 or 45 minutes," Urban said. "It's just real relaxing."

Few things symbolize summer relaxation as strongly as a hammock swing. Whether it's hanging between a couple of trees or from a stand specifically designed for that purpose, a hammock swing provides a tranquil place to lie down, stretch out and take it easy.

"No matter how you get into (a hammock swing), the thing fits around you," Urban said. "You've got the swing effect -- no matter how you get into it, it swings for awhile. I think I fell asleep because it was rocking me to sleep."

Such is part of a hammock's appeal -- the swaying motion, the feeling of being suspended in air.

"People love ... rocking chairs, and this is like the ultimate solution to a rocking chair," said Christine Burger, assistant home store manager for Milaeger's Home & Garden Store on Douglas Avenue. "It kind of gently rocks you to sleep. You can be looking up at the sky, it conforms to your body."

Hammock swings can be made from several kinds of material. Milaeger's, for instance, carries Hatteras hammocks made of either rope or acrylic fabric. Which is better is a matter of personal preference, Burger said. On the one hand, rope conforms to the body better than fabric.

On the other hand, some people don't like the rope hammocks because you can put your hand through it (which might complicate getting in or out of the hammock swing).

Some hammock swings even have a poly-fiber fill sandwiched between two pieces of material, for an even softer surface, Burger said.

"For some people, it makes a big difference," Burger said.

Wayside Furniture Inc., in Milwaukee, also carries quilted hammock swings made of sunbrella awning material, floor manager Ron Wischer said. Rope hammock swings are still his best seller; quilted hammocks are second.

Wischer said most of his hammock swing sales are to people under 50. Come Father's Day, hammock swings practically fly off the shelves.

"They're very popular," Wischer said. "At our store, for example, we can probably go through an average of about 300 or 400 a year."

You can also get accessories for your hammock swing, like pillows or a canopy to sling over it, Burger said. You can also get hooks to screw into trees, or straps if you don't want to damage the wood, to hang a hammock swing from.

If you don't have anything to hang a hammock swing from, you can get a stand.

The stands can be made of metal or wood, and can cost from just over $100 to $450. The stands are made of aluminum frames with a powder-coat finish. They are 15 feet long and weight 66 pounds, so they don't tip over easily, Burger said.

While hanging a hammock between a couple of trees may be the more traditional way to do it, using a stand does have one distinct advantage, Burger said. You can move the stand -- and the hammock -- around your yard to follow the shade, she said.

Similar to a hammock is a swing chair. It's like a hammock in every respect except that, in it, you're sitting up instead of lying down. Swing chairs can hang from a tree or a frame.

Because hammock swings conform to the shape of your body, it may take a little while to make the hammock swing a perfect fit, especially rope hammocks.

Rope hammocks stretch when you first use them, Wischer said. When you first hang the hammock, stretch it as tight as you can with your hands, then get in and let the rope stretch out. If it stretches too far, then readjust the hammock to where it is comfortable for you.

"Because if you just took a brand new hammock, hooked it to the stand and jumped in, you're probably going to bump your butt on the bottom," Wischer said.

Actually, jumping in is not the way to go about getting into a hammock.

Burger likened getting into a hammock to getting into a boat -- both you do "very, very carefully." If you just sit down on a hammock while it's horizontal with the ground, "you will flip over."

"Yeah, actually the smartest move in the world is to back into a hammock, not just go ahead and dive into it," Wischer said.

Burger offered more detailed instructions. "What you're going to do is, you're going to stand kind of sideways, you're going to push back on it. You're going to have the hammock cocked back slightly, you're going to have your rear end pointed to the center of the hammock," Burger said, "and you just kind of sit down."

Getting in the hammock is not the hard part, Urban said. "Getting out is the hard part, sometimes."

His advice: Swing your legs around so your feet are over the sides. Hold onto the sides as you slide out. "You could roll out," Urban said, "but that would not be good."