The Weekly Light Vol 26

The Weekly Light

Vol. 26 - June 4th, 2026

Collage featuring a sunset, plates of food, a vintage vinyl record player, a typewriter, and a framed Ace of Hearts card.

Listen While You Read...

Founder's Corner

Hey friends.

It's been a couple of weeks since the last Weekly Light, again. I'd love to tell you we were off on some grand adventure, but the truth is we've just been heads-down in the daily grind, and the writing time got away from me. The "Bi-Weekly Light" strikes again.

But here we are, and there's a reason it feels a little different as I write this: summer is here. Maybe not officially, but in spirit anyway. You can feel it, right?

The light is starting to stretch later into the evening, and our kids are at the age where summer is starting to mean something to them. Not the date on the calendar, but they can sense the change in these longer days, bare feet, and the surprise popsicles before dinner. And their awareness of it all is making me feel it even more too.

I've written before about how much of what we make at Trek Light is built around slowing down. The hammocks, the blankets, the whole idea of carving out a little space to do nothing in particular.

It's easy to talk about, but it's a lot harder to actually do. Especially running a business where the to-do list never really ends.

But summer has a way of forcing the issue for me. The kids definitely don't care about my inbox. They want me outside, in the yard, in the hammock, doing the exact thing I've been encouraging everyone else to do for 20+ years.

So that's my plan, and maybe yours too: let summer be the excuse. Say yes to the popsicle before dinner. Leave the work on the table. Get in the hammock with someone you love.

The list will still be there tomorrow. These fleeting, long summer evenings won’t.

- Seth

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Couple wrapped in Trek Light's Bowie Blanket with vintage rainbow design, enjoying a beach moment.

From Our Table To Yours

The Ultimate Smash Cheeseburger

Now that we're talking about summer evenings, we have to talk about burgers.

There's certainly no “right” way to make a burger, and as much as smash burgers have been my go-to lately, it’s a craving, not a preference. A thick, juicy burger, cooked perfectly, is simply a recipe for another time.

So, let’s talk smash burgers. Thin, fast, and the crown jewel: all those crispy, lacy edges.

The trick is right there in the name: get the surface screaming hot, press down hard, and spread out the edges to get the best crispy, lacy crust.

This is the recipe that got me started. Get creative with your own blend of meat if you want, and be prepared to practice.

The fun thing about smash burgers is that they’re way more about technique over recipe. Get good at the smash, dial in your heat, know when to hold 'em and when to fold…flip ‘em.

Your recipe may not change, but they’ll keep tasting better every time you make them.

If you’re having trouble with the patty sticking to your burger press after smashing, try using one of these between your press and the patty.

Fire up the griddle, always make it a double, and let me know if you’ve got any pro-tips or techniques to share in the comments.

Get The Recipe

Product News

Hammock Season Is Here

It's officially the most wonderful time of the year: hammock time.

All three of our Double Hammock styles are in stock and ready to ship right now: the classic Aqua & Charcoal, the best-selling Midnight Mushroom, and our newest print, the River Trout.

The Aqua & Charcoal is on sale right now for only $58 so we can make room for some more fun designs to come.

Every one comes bundled with our Go Anywhere Pro Hanging Straps (reg. $24.95), so you've got everything you need to hang in the backyard, at the campsite, or between two trees at the park.

I Need A Hammock!

What We're Listening To

Live At College Station Pennsylvania
John Hartford

Today marks 25 years since the world lost John Hartford to cancer, so I’m sending this one out to him.

Maybe you know John Hartford from the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. Maybe you know his song Gentle On My Mind, covered by countless artists across genres, from Glen Campbell and Frank Sinatra, to Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley (the Queen and the King!).

Or maybe you’re hearing his name for the first time right now, and for that, you’re just as lucky.

Fiddle player, banjo player, steamboat captain, historian, storyteller, torch bearer. John Hartford was all of these things and more.

This album is a live, solo recording, so it’s only a small slice of his life’s work, but it includes some of my favorites. And it captures his on-stage personality, which is an essential part of what made him such a bright light in the world.

“In Tall Buildings” is one of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard lyrically, and yet it makes me happy every time I hear it. Crazy how those things work, right?

If you want to dive in further, here’s 3 albums to listen to until they become a part of you: Aereo-plain, Morning Bugle, Mark Twang.

Thanks for all of it, John. I'll be listening today, and I hope you will too.

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