Something has been rearranging the leaves outside the Hemlock Mountain Outdoors workshop.
Not the raccoons this time. Not the deer.
Small piles of leaves and pine needles keep appearing around little mounds of dirt, almost as if someone has been carefully tucking the forest floor in for the night.
Naturally, we got curious.
A closer look revealed something peculiar. Little hooked impressions in the soil, leaves pulled tightly around tiny openings, and the unmistakable feeling that whatever was responsible didn't appreciate us poking around.
We have a theory.
There's a RootWampus living outside the shop.
Now, if you're unfamiliar with the RootWampus, you're not alone. These elusive little woodland creatures are said to live beneath the forest floor, using their unusually long, hooked claws to hold fallen leaves and pine needles over their underground homes.
Apparently, they're quite particular about their landscaping.
Rarely seen and notoriously stubborn, a RootWampus will hold on to just about anything that threatens to blow away. They're not especially sociable, either.
We haven't managed to catch a glimpse of our new neighbor, but we have developed a healthy respect for its work.
And somewhere between admiring its determination and wondering what those little hooked claws might look like, we had an idea.
Borrowing an Idea from the Locals
If a RootWampus can keep the forest floor from blowing away, perhaps we could borrow a little of that ingenuity to keep our ground sheets in place.
And that's how RootWampus Anchors™ came to be.
Four little aluminum anchors inspired by the hooked claws of our mysterious workshop resident. Lightweight, low-profile, individually hand-finished, and fitted with bright orange pull loops.
They're designed to keep the corners of your hammock ground sheet right where you left them, without the bulk of traditional stakes.
Each four-pack comes with a utility storage bag for $15.
A Little Help from Underground
We can't promise there's a RootWampus living outside your campsite.
For that matter, we still haven't actually seen the one outside our shop.
But if you'd like to borrow a little of its legendary stubbornness, we've got four little claws ready to go.
Just don't tell the RootWampus where we got the idea.
Hemlock Mountain Outdoors | Pennsylvania-made gear with a little woodland personality.