On the Blue Ridge
On the Blue Ridge features conversations with people shaping the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hosted by Asheville-based journalist Jon Page, the show explores the ideas, creativity, and vision driving Western North Carolina forward.
Through long-form interviews and on-location storytelling, each episode captures the evolving story of these mountains. The conversations focus on people doing meaningful and inspiring work across the region, from conservation and outdoor recreation to the arts, agriculture, food and beverage, entrepreneurship, and beyond.
On the Blue Ridge
Anna Rawlins of ENO on the Power of a Hammock
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Anna Rawlins is the Chief Marketing Officer for Eagles Nest Outfitters (ENO), an Asheville-based maker of hammocks and outdoor gear that inspires people to adventure anywhere, and relax everywhere.
Thanks to a compact design and innovative straps that can wrap around trees, ENO helped redefine the hammock from something associated primarily with the backyard into portable, lightweight gear that’s equally at home on a mountain overlook, at a campsite, or just about anywhere.
The company was founded in Florida in 1999 by the Pinholster brothers, who sold their products out of a van at music festivals and community gatherings across the Southeast. ENO later relocated to Asheville in the early 2000s, where it has remained ever since. Today, ENO products are sold by outdoor retailers around the globe. While hammocks remain at the heart of the company, the product line has expanded to include hammock accessories, stands, chairs, and other outdoor gear.
In this episode, Anna explains how Western North Carolina helped shape ENO, why hammocks have become such an enduring part of the outdoor experience, and what goes into designing and testing ENO products. We also talk about smart and safe ways to hammock, what it takes to spend a comfortable night camping in a hammock, and how she plans to celebrate National Hammock Day on July 22.
ENO
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Theme Music
The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.
Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.
You open it up and it smells like campfires, and it brings back these memories of that first festival, of going camping on our anniversary trip, of you know, friends' birthday parties and seeing kids hanging out in them, of going to the river with my parents, of cross-country road trips, of like so many adventures. It's this sentimental piece of gear that you have for such a long time, and it represents all of these joys and memories that you've had throughout your life.
SPEAKER_02Today, on the Blue Ridge, our guest is Anna Rollins, the chief marketing officer for Eagle's Nest Outfitters. An Asheville-based maker of hammocks and outdoor gear that inspires people to adventure anywhere and relax everywhere. I'm your host, John Page. Let's begin. Thanks to a compact design and innovative straps that can wrap around trees, Eno helped redefine the hammock from something associated primarily with the backyard into portable lightweight gear that's equally at home on a mountain overlook, at a campsite, or just about anywhere. My family has been enjoying Eno hammocks for years. It's the first thing we set up on camping trips and a welcome addition to picnics and hikes. And more recently, my wife gave me Eno's Parkway stand, and we're spending even more time hammocking in our own backyard. The hammocks take up very little space in a pack, but they've become one of those essential pieces of gear that makes our family far more likely to slow down, take a break, and simply enjoy where we are. The company was founded in Florida in 1999 by the Pinholster Brothers, who sold their products out of a van at music festivals and community gatherings across the Southeast. A few years later, Eno relocated to Asheville, where it has remained ever since. Today, Eno products are sold by outdoor retailers around the globe. And while hammocks remain at the heart of the company, the product line has expanded to include hammock accessories, stands, chairs, and other outdoor gear. Anna joined Eno in 2017 and today serves as the company's chief marketing officer. In this episode, Anna explains how Western North Carolina helped shape Eno, why hammocks have become such an enduring part of the outdoor experience, and what goes into designing and testing Eno products. We also talk about smart and safe ways to hammock, what it takes to spend a comfortable night camping in a hammock, and how Anna plans to celebrate National Hammock Day on July 22nd. I met with Anna in late June at Eno's headquarters in Asheville, where the company's products are designed and tested. We spent most of our conversation at a conference table, but halfway through, Anna gave me a chance to try out a new chair that Eno plans to release early next year. To start, I asked Anna to tell me about her own journey to Eno.
SPEAKER_00After graduating from college, I did what most millennials do, and I worked in restaurants and joined the gig economy on Craigslist, which led to a lot of promotional work. From that, I was able to work with a running belt company, Fitletic, and sold running belts at different marathons around the U.S. I started managing the event program for them, eight or nine events each weekend across the country. And during that time, I went to a local music festival here in Asheville, French Broad River Festival. Was introduced to Eno there, fell in love and was like, I would much rather be going to music festivals than marathons. I applied for jobs at Eno for a couple of years on the road, never got the job. A job opened up for managing the event program. I was able to get it. And as soon as I joined, I realized I would not have hired myself for the road position either. Oh, wow. It was like full-time in a van traveling to different music festivals. And I had noted I'm available some weekends. It's a little bit different, not the not the best alignment there. From there, uh in 2017, really managed the events program, um, started to take on a bit more partnerships, learned more about PR and digital marketing, and over the past nine years have kind of grown and taken on more to now where I am the chief marketing officer.
SPEAKER_02And what what does that entail? What does a chief marketing officer for Eno do?
SPEAKER_00I oversee the brand for our D2C business. So our website, Eno Nation.com, as well as all retail. Um, that is all channels of advertising and marketing for the brand. We're a pretty scrappy team of about 14 total at Eno here in Asheville. Um, and our marketing team is three, um, four in the summer when we have an intern.
SPEAKER_02Oh, nice. Okay. Uh and and what was what do you remember about your first uh Eno hammocking experience? So it was it was at that festival. Um, like do you remember getting in a hammock there or just seeing them? Like what was your first memory of it?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so we we walked, we're touring the vendors, we walk up to a booth that's in the middle of some oak trees, gorgeous booth, um, met Eric, who was working for the company and did for years. Hey, Eric. Um, and fell in love with this red, golden, green Rasta hammock, bought it, strung it up besu between some trees, hung out in it, went back, bought a bug net, bought a rain tarp, um, got the full camping set up. And then that night my husband and I were relaxing in it, and we actually missed the headliner because we were so comfortable we fell asleep. That was the beginning of the end.
SPEAKER_02So that's like, I mean, that's a that's a really strong memory. Uh I I was trying to remember recently, like when my wife and I got our first one. I was like, I think you got this for me, and she was like, I'm not really sure. It's just we've had it for so long. Um, and then we've added another one because we have kids, and it's like you've got to have multiple hammocks because everybody wants to get in them. Um, but I I think another thing that I've noticed in doing this podcast and and chatting with folks who are who I'm speaking with to interview or uh listeners or just neighbors and random friends, is that there's a lot of people who are like kind of in their own lanes here and don't realize that you all are here. Uh certainly there's a lot of people who know you are here, but there's people who don't know you're here. There's people who still aren't familiar with Eno hammocks. Um for people who are not familiar, can you just kind of quickly share the origin story?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So in 1999, Eno was founded uh in St. Petersburg, Florida, and our owner, Pete, was actually sewing hammocks in his living room, selling them at community gatherings and festivals in the state of Florida that expanded to the east coast of the country, and now we are sold globally. He relocated to Asheville after just hearing great word about the outdoors here, the hiking, the white water rafting, um, just the collaboration between brands and community. And we've been here ever since. Um, that first product that was our double nest hammock in uh Navy Olive has grown to now be a multitude of products that inspire people to enjoy their time outside.
SPEAKER_02It is crazy. Uh I I went and played around on the website last night just to just like look at the store locator. And uh within a hundred miles of us, it's just like dots all around. It's so it's crazy like uh how many places you can get it now.
SPEAKER_00It is. And it all started actually with there's a one of two retailers locally that was our first ever retail account, NAST General or Diamond Brand. Um, and they're still our retailers today.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell That's awesome. Uh and how would you say that Asheville in Western North Carolina have kind of helped shape the company over those years?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So something that a lot of people don't know is that Western North Carolina is actually the largest concentration of outdoor companies east of the Rockies. We call it the outdoor industry hub of the east. Um, having so many different outdoor companies here, one, it draws people into work that enjoy spending time outside. Um, and it makes it a lot easier to build and create products that help people do that if you yourself enjoy it. Um, there's a lot of plenty of places to play out here. There's also the business support and the collaboration. So there's the uh Outdoor Business Alliance of Western North Carolina, which is a nonprofit organization that works to cultivate, connect, and support the outdoor industry in the area. And through that, we've been able to connect with a lot of other brands, learn from their mistakes, um, as well as mentor other brands, collaborate, partner on different products, giveaways, um, a variety of different things. And so it's a really unique ecosystem here that's very supportive when it comes to outdoor businesses.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's awesome. Um so National Hammock Day is coming up on July 22nd. And I think most people sm I think most people smile when they hear the word hammock. Um I know I do. Um, why do you think people have such a strong emotional connection to them?
SPEAKER_00There's a few things. I think one, hammocks are easy. Um, you don't have to train for it. You don't have to do anything hard. You know, you can string it up between two trees wherever you are, or um put it on a hammock stand if there are no trees. And the main intention when hammocking is to relax, which is something I think is hard to do these days with this society that kind of pushes us to keep going and moving and accomplishing things. Um, this idea that like restoration and relaxation is productive for us. Um, I think it's this intentional place, too, where you probably notice this, but once you've had a hammock for a while and they last for a long time, our first one, we still have it today. And it's still the main hammock that my husband uses anytime we go out. It is a little disgusting. Um, but every stain on it is a memory. You open it up and it smells like campfires and it brings back these memories of that first festival, of going camping on our anniversary trip, of you know, friends' birthday parties and seeing kids hanging out in them, of going to the river with my parents, of cross-country road trips, of like so many adventures. It's this sentimental piece of gear that you have for such a long time and it represents all of these joys and memories that you've had throughout your life. And it's a really, a really cool connection point.
SPEAKER_02It's sort of fair to say that when you buy a hammock, you're you're like kind of buying into a lifestyle, right?
SPEAKER_00Oh, definitely.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um I mean, I know for also you bring up the the smells, and it it occurred to me recently that I should be washing mine a little bit more often. Is that right?
SPEAKER_00Aaron Ross Powell You can wash them. You don't have to. Um but it's they're very easy to wash. Just take the carabiners off, put it in a washing machine, gentle cycle, mild detergent, and hang it to dry.
SPEAKER_02Okay. So I I listened to the the conversation you did with the Parks podcast last year, which I would I would recommend folks check that out because you at the very end give a really awesome recipe for a s'more that I need to try out. Um but I bring that up because you kind of went into like some really nice detail about the the diff all the different ways you can hammock. Um so if you could do that a little bit here, like uh all the scenarios for hammocking.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we'll start with those kind of closest to home. So one is you can actually hammock in your home. Um we have different hanging kits that allow you to hang your hammock in Joyce in a bedroom or in a living room. Um we have hammock stands that fit in your home as well. So you can actually hammock year-round indoors. You can hammock in your backyard with different backyard hammock stands of a variety of sizes. So even if you have a limited outdoor space, um there's usually a stand that will work for you. If you have trees in your backyard, we've got our tree straps, a few different versions of those. Um, and that's probably the most common way that people hammock is with tree straps. Um, in around 2001-2000 is when we came out with our knotless tree straps, so that you don't have to be some engineer or, you know, a boy scout with these skills of knot tying and more importantly, untying, which can be the challenging part. So it really lets you bring your hammock to different places and set it up on secure attachment points. For that, you just want uh two secure attachment points 10 to 15 feet apart. When hanging your hammock, you don't want it to be any higher than 18 inches off the ground when in use. Um and just make sure you inspect all your gear before using it for any discoloration, holes, tearing uh that could compromise the safety of using it. Um hanging your hammock between trees, you can hammock anywhere that there's trees. Camping at the lake. You know, when road tripping, I actually keep a hammock in my trunk just in case. Um I never want to hang out with friends and not have an opportunity to use it.
SPEAKER_02Um yeah, and I know for us, like when we get to a campsite, it's like the first thing that we put up. Um I have unsuccessfully tried to like overnight sleep in a hammock. And uh so I I know that like the the idea of like camping in the hammock, using that as kind of like an instead of a tent. And like when I was doing it or when I was thinking of doing it, it was to do like a bike packing trip. Um but instead of just like going to do that, I set it up like in my yard. And this is when I lived. Well, well, it was when I lived in uh in California, and I was about we were about two blocks away from uh an elevated BART train in the Bay Area, and it was like it was kind of loud and it was a little cold, and I just gave up uh in the middle of the night. Um but what advice would you give to somebody who was like thinking about trying to actually like overnight in a hammock? What are some things to set them up for success?
SPEAKER_00A few things that work kind of across the board, depending on the hammock that you have, is really working on the hanging angle of your hammock. So it's the angle essentially of your straps to the like ground. Um and you typically want that to be about 30 degrees, as shortcut that we say is the hangle. Hanging angle.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Um so about a 30 degree hangle. Um and what that does is it makes sure that your hammock isn't strung too tight or too loose. If it's too loose, you know, with the attachment points too close together, you get sort of this banana vibe to the hammock, which puts your body into a V where your feet are elevated, your head is elevated, and you're not gonna get a good night's sleep. Um, if it's strung too tight, then the sides of the hammock kind of wallop against you and you can't really move around. You're stuck, you know, almost like in a mummy position in the middle of the hammock. It also puts a lot of undue stress on the trees with that lateral pull. Um, so having that hammock, you know, that sweet spot right around 30 degrees lets you lay on a diagonal in your hammock. So head to one side, feet on the others, which actually gives you a pretty flat lay. Um a lot of side sleepers would prefer a hammock with spreader bars on the ends as opposed to a gathered end hammock. Again, it just creates a bit more of a flat lay. Um, you can also put a sleeping pad in the bottom. Um, if it has a higher R value, then that helps with that cold butt syndrome, is the technical term.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Um, or also getting an uh under quilt. So the reason that a lot of sleeping bags don't work in hammocks is that your body will compress the down or the fill in the sleeping bag. So there's actually very little insulation underneath you. An underquilt is like a sleeping bag that hangs below your hammock, so it maintains that loft and that airspace that traps that heat to keep you warm. Um, you can pair that with a sleeping bag or a top quilt, depending on comfort.
SPEAKER_02Okay. I I think I'm gonna have to try this again. Uh, I'm gonna have to make sure I've got the right angle. And I definitely think that I had the cold butt syndrome. Um but all that being said, like we we camped recently and uh used a air mattress that deflated in the middle of the night and was a disaster. Uh and so the idea that, hey, maybe, maybe if we just had hammocks, it wasn't raining, we wouldn't have even needed a tarp or anything.
SPEAKER_00I think that's my favorite part about hammock camping, is especially with like items that are modular. If it's gorgeous out, you don't need a bug net, you don't need a rain tarp, you can fall asleep looking at the stars and wake up to that sunshine. Um, you also don't get that like nasty, sweaty wake up as soon as the sun rises and the tent is like a hundred degrees. So you can typically sleep in a little bit longer.
SPEAKER_02Okay. All right. This is awesome. I'm gonna give it another try and I'll report back. Um what's the most surprising or creative way that you've seen um someone use an Eno hammock? And it or it could be like the top three or five or something.
SPEAKER_00We've seen a lot of people use hammocks. Now, the main thing here is making sure that whatever you attach it to is structurally safe. Um, but hanging their hammock as their means of sleeping on sailboats for long trips, which has been really cool. Um, you know, just a week ago, I gave a tour at the office and someone mentioned their son actually slept for three months on a balcony in Turkey in his hammock.
SPEAKER_01Wow.
SPEAKER_00He was more comfortable outside than indoors, which was interesting. Um some people who, you know, it's their main mode of sleeping in their home instead of a bed. They they sleep in a hammock. Um, I think it's it's interesting to just see the variety of ways and places and people who use it, you know, more so once or twice a year versus that that nightly cadence.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um and we should say it's not you you've you've alluded to this, it's not just hammocks here. Um you all have introduced stands, um, there's chairs, bags, games. Uh I I saw that game on the the website and was like, that's cool.
SPEAKER_00Uh I'm still be more games coming this fall.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Awesome. Awesome. Uh I'm I'm just curious in general, like how how do you all decide like what fits the Eno brand?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so Eno is fun. We, you know, we started selling hammocks at music festivals. It's always about having a good time, enjoying your time outside, connecting with people, exploring the world around you and relaxing. Um, and so really we aim for our products to fit within that vibe as well as be comfortable and functional. Um, being a a group of people who enjoy spending time outside, being surrounded by people who do that, we get a lot of ideas from customers, from, you know, friends, from other employees. A lot of times people will come in with just this fantastic idea and we try to take the ball and run with it. There's no way that everything that you think of is actually gonna work out and turn into a product. So it's a bit of discernment there of, you know, what what will other people like? What are the needs that we can fill, um, as well as just what's feasible from a business standpoint.
SPEAKER_02Is there a a product that's surprised you, like from, you know, that came from an idea or that surprised the all of you?
SPEAKER_00There's been quite a few products that have surprised us. Um, I'd say more recently, our Park Light hammock chair stand. Um, it is a smaller version of our parkway, which I think you recently received as a gift.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, and that was really popular. And it's a stand, you know, it adjusts from seven to eight feet, great for small spaces. It's made of steel, so it's about 30 pounds, but it lets you use your hammock in much smaller spaces. Um, we saw that take off and be very popular. Um, so that in of itself was a surprise. But we wanted to try something that you could use even more places. You know, 30 pounds is portable, but it's not as accessible as something much smaller and lighter. Um So our team designed the park light. It's made of aluminum, only seven pounds, comes in a nice carrying case, and it converts your hammock, your gathered-end hammock that you use camping into a chair that you can use anywhere. We thought this would be used a lot at soccer games, around the campfire, on the beach, um, getting customer reviews in and their pictures, the vast majority are in people's living rooms, which is fantastic to see. You know, instead of putting your hammock away for the year when you're not camping or not hanging out outside, it's another way to use it. And it's really at the forefront. We've seen it with kids playing video games, you know, with families gathered around, you know, uh a holiday tree, like so many different scenarios that it's it's really cool to see a hammock become like a mainstay of your living room.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I think my sister just recently got a park light and has been using it like between her porch and so yeah, it's kind of the same kind of uh user case for sure. Uh are there any products that you all have that you think deserve more attention than than they're getting?
SPEAKER_00That's a good question. Honestly, so many of our products are fantastic. And it's just a certain audience or like group of people that enjoys them. I would say one of my favorite products is actually our house fly. It's a rain tarp that has doors on either side that you can kind of close or open. Um, it covers so much space at camp that typically it's what we use to cover, you know, our general living area by the campfire, keep our firewood dry where we eat. Um, but it's also great if you are going to festivals or camping and want more privacy. Um, that's one of the things that's a bit more challenging with hammocks, is that you don't have like this 360 enclosed tent space and this housefly gives you that. Um, it's made of Sil nylon, so it's lightweight and packable. Um, and I just love the extra coverage. Like a few ounces for more space is appreciated.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Uh in terms of upcoming products that you're excited about, I think there's some in the room. Should we go check them out?
SPEAKER_00Let's do it.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Yeah. At this point in our conversation, Anna gave me a preview of new Eno chairs that will launch in 2027.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So this is our Cloud View folding chair. It's going to be launching in January of next year. Um, if you follow Eno at all, you know that we've done chairs for quite a few years now. They're a bit more packable. Um the current one, our lounger DL, comes in a backpack. So very portable. It's shot-corded aluminum poles. This was inspired by the success of that, um, as well as just trying to make it easier to set up and break down. So it folds very easily. It's got cushioned all around the headrest, the seat, the armrest, a mesh back so you don't get super sweaty. And it's just really wide open. It's super comfortable, sits a little bit higher. You can really curl up in it if you wanted. Um, and again, this is like the functional, easy to use, as well as just comfort that we strive for.
SPEAKER_01Okay. I'm gonna check it out. Oh man.
SPEAKER_00You can put that head all the way back to that pillow.
SPEAKER_02That's luxury. That's amazing. Um I I recently interviewed somebody at Graveyard Fields. Oh. And I realized that basically like my my chair game, my individual solo chair game is pretty weak because we have the hammocks and then we've got like some double love seat chairs uh that we take around, but all of my like chairs are the like cr crummy things you buy at like Walmart or something, and they're not comfortable. And this is extremely comfortable. This is really nice.
SPEAKER_00And that's the goal. There's so many camp chairs that elevate you off of the ground, but that's about the extent of it. Um, whereas something like this picture, you know, hanging around the campfire. I could probably fall asleep in this. Or going to a kid's soccer game and it's not an ab workout to like watch them run on the field. Um, something that you can actually relax in.
SPEAKER_02I I also I'll say another thing. Uh a lot of these chairs, uh, I think they worry too much about a cup holder.
SPEAKER_01Oh, there's one right there, you can attach it right there.
SPEAKER_02Well, so what I was gonna say though is that I don't like how they're like built into like the armrest. Like I don't need that right there. And because a lot of times I'm gonna knock it. So I actually appreciate more this idea that it's attached like to the side and it's kind of out of the way.
SPEAKER_00Like if you need it, you can use it, but and with it attached to the frame, it's a lot sturdier, especially as people's drinking vessels get larger and larger.
unknownYeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, there's also this thing called the ground where you can put your your like uh you know 32 ounce or 48 ounce uh gigantic cup.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, and this I I need to that is nice and light and it folds up nicely.
SPEAKER_00And then the bag that you use to pack it up in actually doubles as a ground mat.
SPEAKER_02Awesome.
SPEAKER_00So dogs, kids, if it's just a little damp out, you can put your gear on it. It's kind of this multifunctional aspect of the chair.
SPEAKER_02Uh I love this. I I'll I'll take four.
SPEAKER_00January.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, okay. January. Awesome. Back at the table, I mentioned to Anna how the new chairs would be great for my parents. And she also brought up kids and dogs. I've I've tried to get my dog into the hammock, and I I sort of wish that I had started earlier with with her when she was a puppy of like the conditioning. But I do see a lot of like dogs in hammocks like on your social media. Uh is that a thing that surprised surprises you that there's like all these dogs hanging out in hammocks too?
SPEAKER_00Not really, because dogs love to nap and be comfortable. So that's the perfect fit. The hardest part is usually them getting into the hammock. They will most likely need human support.
SPEAKER_02Sure. Okay. So if we shift gears to like the actual making and testing of, you know, uh hammocks and chairs, you know, I see that on your website that your products are made overseas, but tested here. So where do I submit my application to test hammocks?
SPEAKER_00You've got it. You're hired. So we do a lot of internal testing, especially early on in the in the ideation process. Um, and then generally as that idea gets fleshed out and moved a bit further along, we'll bring in different friends. We've done demo days um with a variety of people where we'll reach out through email or social media and have us have them meet us somewhere and see what they think. So I'd love to have you join us sometime.
SPEAKER_02Okay, awesome. Well, I mean, I was I was mainly just kind of curious like what the the process looks like. Uh, you know, if it's like you literally test every hammock, but it seems like it's more like in in the early stages, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So we test a lot during the creation and design of products. And then for quality control, we do also test each sort of like batch as well as randomly. And that's a mix of done at our factory partners overseas as well as here.
SPEAKER_02Okay. And is everything getting shipped out from here?
SPEAKER_00It is. Okay. So this is the one and only Eno in the world. This is the HQ. So everything that everything here is where customer service, you know, marketing, our finance and sales, all of it is housed under this roof as well as fulfillment. Um, so products will come from overseas here and then go out either if you order from our website or to our retailers across the world.
SPEAKER_02Okay. And in terms of the actual production, like what are what are the standards that are important to you all when you're you're working with partners?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So we require all of our uh manufacturers to follow a international vendor code of conduct. We are also a Blue Sign System partner. So we look a lot into materials and chemistry of our products, just ensuring that it's done in a way that will have the least negative impact on people and planet. And that's not only for the manufacturing, but for when it's come through to the end of its life. Um, we have a recycling program as well where hammocks are actually sent to uh South Carolina. I believe it's car door insulation. Um, so we really try to make things as circular and the least amount of waste possible.
SPEAKER_02That's really good to know that like when it's come to the end of its life, like you can you can do that. That's cool. Um I know you all have a giving back collection that supports causes like trail stewardship, conservation, uh, outdoor access, things like that. Why is it important for you all to move beyond simply selling outdoor gear uh and find ways to directly support the places and experiences that that make hammocks possible?
SPEAKER_00If there's nowhere for people to go out and hammock, we're not gonna sell any hammocks. But also we as people, it brings us joy to spend time outside. And I think anyone that does that realizes the importance of it. Um, I think too big part of our giving back program is that we are trying to increase access to the outdoors. And so redefining what it means to be outside. Um, and that's why you probably hear me saying outside a lot, as opposed to outdoors. You know, the great outdoors isn't this place that you have to go to. It is your backyard. It is walking from the car into the store. Um, so really letting people understand that they are outdoors people or enjoy time outside, even if they walk their dog around the block. Um, and I think redefining that and changing that perspective, you know, really expands and lets people realize how important it is to have access to these places, to clean air, clean water, places that you can walk, places that you can hammock to get outside. Because without it, you know, life would be horrible. Um, and so our giving back collection, we actually started this program back in 2013. Um, and we worked with a lot of our trail partners. In 2018, we joined 1% for the planet. So we donate 1% of our annual sales each year to different environmental nonprofits. And just this past year, we reimagined our giving back program to follow kind of three pillars, three core pillars of the company. And those are conservation, outdoor stewardship, and community empowerment. We have one hammock for each pillar and a partner that corresponds with that hammock as well. Um, and it's really great because these partners are doing national work, but are also doing work right here in Western North Carolina. Um, so for our conservation pillar, that partner is Trust for Public Lands. Um, the hammock is actually right here behind me, Vibrant Earth, designed by Adam Ninao. Um, and it shows a lot of the flora and fauna in the area. So $10 of each of this hammock that is sold is donated to Trust for Public Land. One of Trust for Public Lands' main goals is that every child has access to a park with a 10-minute walk. We're also partnering with the Outdoor Foundation and their Thrive Outside program. Um, and that hammock is our In Good Company, designed by artist Carly Barry. It's actually right behind you. And it features many of the different ways that people enjoy their time outside. And so this shows those urban landscapes, community gardens, as well as those like wooded areas. Um, and that is part of their mission, is really just expanding the diversity outside and getting underprivileged youth outside. Um, our final partner is American Hiking Society, which I think is might be the most well-known, which is protecting and preserving the trails. Um, and that is the print is called Keep It Wild, done by artist Rako Design, and it features these gorgeous landscapes of mountains and rivers and has a lot of hidden messaging in there as well as hidden recreation of mountain bikers and climbers throughout the print.
SPEAKER_02How do you all approach artists or do artists come to you? How does that process work?
SPEAKER_00It's all of the above. Um a lot of artists will come to us and we kind of keep an ongoing list when opportunities present themselves. Other times, you know, as our team sees different artists or different collaborations, we'll kind of add them onto the short list and reach out and see, you know, if they want to work together. We also have worked with quite a few local artists, um, like Logan Hall, he actually designed our 25th anniversary hammock day tonight. Um, he's also designs festival posters and he's in a band called Pinkbeds. So the alignment just with our you know, origin story was was really exciting there.
SPEAKER_02You bring up the 25th anniversary a couple years ago, right? Um what what are the next 10, 20, 25 years look like for Eno?
SPEAKER_00We hope to continue to be innovative, to expand, you know, what products we offer, as well as just getting more people outside. You know, the core is is trying to create a future and products that really inspire people to get outside.
SPEAKER_02So speaking of getting outside with National Hammock Day coming up, uh, how will you be celebrating it?
SPEAKER_00This is really complicated. I'm gonna hammock.
SPEAKER_02I thought you were about to say I actually have like a really long flight that day. It's gonna be tricky in the airport.
SPEAKER_00Nope. Uh I'll be getting outside. And it's funny that you mentioned the parks podcast earlier, Missy. She is doing a like 30 minutes a day, I think, for 30 days of hammocking. And so she inspired me to try that. I don't know if you can see this like horrible tan line on my neck. I've been reading my Kindle in my hammock after work every day with my dog, and it has been fantastic. So I will continue that for National Hammock Day.
SPEAKER_02Nice. Uh yeah, I was well, I was gonna ask you like if you have a favorite hammock spot or a favorite hammock like um scenario. Like, is it is it just being like in the hammock with your dog reading the book?
SPEAKER_00That's really my daily driver. Um, and that's our backyard hammock stand, the solo pod XL with a super nest hammock. In the warmer months, I use the super nest SL. It's mesh, so it's a bit more breathable, but it's like a floating queen-sized bed. It is amazing. Um, and we have a hundred-pound American Staffordshire Terrier.
SPEAKER_02So Oh, so this is not a like a little like lap dog that's in okay.
SPEAKER_00He thinks he is. So we need a little extra space in a hammock. Um, he and also when camping, he enjoys sleeping in it with us. But this is a bit more comfortable. And so that's what I generally use the most frequently. My favorite hammock situation, though, is definitely camping at a lake about two hours west of here. Um there's this gorgeous water access only spot and the perfect two trees to hang a hammock that overlooks the lake. And that is my my favorite hammock.
SPEAKER_02Nice. I we we recently uh went to Deep Creek in the Smokies to do some tubing runs with our kids, and uh I found a little spot um at the picnic area because we use that as like the base camp, and then you walk up like uh a mile up the creek and then you know slowly make your way back, and then we just kind of chill before we do the next run. And I found a great place to string it up like right by this little like uh side section of the creek where there's like water running and there's not as many people. Um that might be my new favorite spot. Um what do you hope um other people feel when they when they settle into an Eno hammock?
SPEAKER_00I hope they feel at peace. You know, that they use it to take take the time to slow down, enjoy the sound of birds or the feel of like the wind blowing on their face, you know, those that intentional slowing down and peace that is can be tough to find these days.
SPEAKER_02That's all for today. Huge thanks again to Hanna Rollins for joining me and showing me around Eno. Look for Eno products at your local outdoor gear shop or explore the full lineup at EnoNation.com. And if you don't already follow Eno on social media, it's well worth it. They host monthly photo contests, and you'll find no shortage of inspiration for your next hammock spot. Also be sure to follow OnTheBlue Ridge on Instagram at OntheBlue Ridge, where I'll be sharing some behind-the-scenes footage of Anna showing me those new chairs, as well as Eno's double offed hammock chair. You can also find us on Facebook and online at on the blueridgepod.com. Our theme music is the song Goa, written by Lindsay Pruitt and performed by the John Stickley Trio. Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you next time on the Blue Ridge