I don't always use a hose support, but sometimes it helps to avoid low spots in the hose, so everything keeps moving along. Just depends on the terrain, and how long the hose has to be. And in some less well-thought-out sites, it takes a lot of hose.
It is hard to beat those accordion supports, for light weight and compact size when stored. Maybe a little tedious to setup and arrange. I'm all for DIY, when it makes sense. Hard to imagine a DIY solution that would be better, but my curiosity is up about what the OP remembers.
Then there is the long-term site dwellers. Different priorities for them.