By Charles Lunan
Domestic production could become the next differentiator in the rapidly growing, but increasingly crowded hammock business, thanks to pressure from consumers.
Grand Trunk launched its OneMade collection of U.S.-made hammocks and trunk straps at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in January and Eagle Nest Outfitters (ENO) is evaluating whether to do the same. Both companies said they are responding to consumers who want their hammocks Made in the USA.
Grand Trunk’s ONEMADE collection features an exclusive MARPAT™ camo print hammock shown here, plus four Double Hammocks. Designed to be the lightest, most spacious on the market, each hammock in the ONEMADE collection is cinched with a continuous webbing loop that is the same industrial stitching used in seatbelts, ensuring no compromise in quality.
All five of the OneMade hammocks and trunk straps are cut and sewn in the United States from U.S.-made fabric. The collection features a hammock using the U.S. Marine Corps’ patented MarPat digital camo print, plus four double hammocks made from the company’s trademarked TrunkTech nylon cinched with a webbing loop stitched with the same process used to make seatbelts. At $99, the MarPat hammock has the same price point as the Kryptek Camo hammocks Grand Trunk introduced in 2015, while the OneMade double hammocks extend the brand’s price range for hammocks to $120.
In Spring 2016, Grand Trunk launched its ONEMADE™ collection of limited edition, US-made hammocks, including five new Hammocks and a set of Trunk Straps that are made in the United States from sourcing and stitching to dying and assembly. Pictured here is an orange version of the ONEMADE hammock.
“As we saw more players get into the hammock game, we recognized the need to innovate our collection by introducing American made products which are not only of the highest quality but also serve to bolster the recovering manufacturing industry in this country,” said Grand Trunk President and Co-Founder Kevin Kaiser. “We hope to expand our U.S.-made products.”
Grand Trunk traces its roots back to 2001 when Kaiser and Co-founder and Vice President Jon Neff discovered packable hammocks while backpacking in Thailand. The two formed The Travel Hammock, Inc. and began importing and selling hammocks. The company has since added dozens of travel products and now does business as Grand Trunk.
Grand Trunk’s new ONEMADE hammock’s proudly sport the American flag on their labels to show consumers they are cut and sewn from U.S. fabrics by workers in the United States.
“We had always discussed bringing the manufacturing process to the US, but had to be sure we had a partner that was able to provide us with the premium quality and innovative processes that we need to make the highest quality hammocks available,” said Kaiser.
Grand Trunk will continue to import the bulk of its hammocks from China and the Philippines. If ENO opts to begin sourcing hammocks domestically, it won’t come at the expense of current overseas suppliers or quality, said Marketing Coordinator Amy Allison.
“The employees of those partners rely on ENO to feed their families,” she said. “We don’t want to just push something out there so we can slap a Made in the USA label on it,” she said.
Grand Trunk’s ONEMADE U.S. made Trunk Straps offer 29 attachments loops and have a combined weight capacity of 400 lbs thanks to the same T70 stitching used to make seat belts.
