Clark Jungle Hammock Decision

[6 feet over]

That sounds like a good idea. I will have to try it when the weather gets cold.

One issue with this would be if there is snow on the ground. Or worse, ice.

Lacking real hammock experience, I have to ask this question: Using my Clark (or any hammock) and being surprised with lower temps than expected. What’s the deal if I’m in my zero° bag with no leaves or pine needles in my zip bags due to snow & ice (thanks hacktorious )? Having my bags loft compressed below me, am I merely uncomfortably cold or am I in real danger due to the cold? Let’s say it dipped to 25°. What do you experienced guys think?

6 ft

[Just Jeff]

Loft isn't the only thing that matters for insulation...in a big air mattress, there is still circulation inside the mattress, which steals your heat. So you add insulation, like down or primaloft, to create small "microclimes" inside the insulator. Basically, each down cluster is its own little environment, and when your body heats it up the cluster will hold the heat rather than passing it along. That way your body doesn't have to keep the entire volume at the same temp.

So with a ziplock bag, any convective heat loss (from wind) will have a much larger effect than on an underquilt or pad.

Personally, I don't want to spend the time to fill up ziplock bags every night. I just throw up my hammock and get in. But that's just my style...you gotta find what works for you!

[slowhike]

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This doesn’t seem to be a site where I’ll have a lot of company, but I had plans to use it while archery hunting. The idea of setting up ‘camp’ without having to find a flat spot after dark was attractive. I have a Colorado trip planned and thought I would have a hammock with me to spike out from a main camp.
6 ft.

i believe there's a couple or more in this group that hammock camp & hunt. hogn8ter is one, but he's out of country.
i haven't hunted in years but i spend more time camping than hiking.
about using the leaves in a bag, i wouldn't want to have to deal w/ that unless it was an unusual situation (of course if you were base camping for a while it might seem less hassle), but instead of baggies, one or two trash bags w/ leaves would make a huge difference if your set up had space for a larger bag... like inside a pea pod or under quilt.

[hangnout]

I owned a Clark UL and have a HH Explorer UL. The idea of using ziplock bags with air to insulate will leave you cold and hating a great hammock.

The Clark NA is more of a base camp hammock IMO. For a hiker the Clark UL will save you over a 1lb and $120. I chose to use that $ and weight savings on my insulation. I have had the Clark UL into the low 20's with just a good pad and bag. The two pockets are in the upper body area so I would put any extra clothing in these. I never had enough to fill these up but it did help.

Spend the extra $20 on the XL tarp. You only gain 2 oz. The stock tarp will keep you dry but you have to hang it perfectly every time. The larger tarp will give you more flexiblity in hanging and give you more room on those rainy days.

One other note is that in the Clark you can lay slightly asym but not near as much as a HH. You can lay on your side very well in the Clark.

Just my opinions, and we all know what opinions are worth

[hacktorious]

I don't think I would be happy with the UL as my big attraction to this hammock is the weather shield. I think this would help a great deal with the comfort factor. I guess I could get the UL with a weather shield.

A big issue I have with my HH is the air above me is cold because the top of the hammock is open. Many times it is too hot to be completely under my quilt, but if I uncover my chest, my chest ends up getting too cold because of cross-breezes and colder air in the hammock. This makes it difficult for me to sleep. I think the weather shield on the CJH would eliminate this issue. It would help trap some heat and make the hammock warmer as a result.

I thought about getting the over cover for the HH, but that seems like a major pain in the neck. The CJH can be zipped up, or down within the hammock.

I just want to get a better idea of how well this system actually works before I invest any money into a CJH.

[hangnout]

On the Clark you can use the tarp to do the same thing,you can hook the bungie cord on the bottom foot end then bring the head end of the tarp as close as you want to block the wind. It will enclose you as much as you want to with just the tarp. I have use it this way in the winter and don't think the weather shield would have helped much more. I know that condensation will form on the head end so I would think that having it form on the tarp outside of the netting would be better. I went through the same thought process when buying mine. I wish the weather shield had been removable. I contacted them to see if this was possible and it could not be customized. You are going to have more of a cocoon feeling in the Clark than the HH resulting in less air space to deal with in winter. I like the HH in the summer for this reason.

http://junglehammock.com/na13.php Example of it fully enclosed. The weathershield and tarp do the same thing IMO

[hacktorious]

http://junglehammock.com/na13.php Example of it fully enclosed. The weathershield and tarp do the same thing IMO

That is what it seems like. I found a good review/comparison of the two hammocks on SGT Rock's site:
http://hikinghq.net/gear/clark_hammock.html

I think I will save some $ and stick with the HH for now. I will make a quilt and use my JRB nest as an under quilt. My only concern is that my under quilt might get wet in a bad storm with my small fly: http://f7.yahoofs.com/users/wLVPKvS5...QOvYGBQIhL1FMT

Hmmm, maybe I will make an under quilt out of momentum90. That's a topic for another forum.

Thanks for your help, ideas, thoughts, and opinions everyone.

[FanaticFringer]

That is what it seems like. I found a good review/comparison of the two hammocks on SGT Rock's site:
http://hikinghq.net/gear/clark_hammock.html

I think I will save some $ and stick with the HH for now. I will make a quilt and use my JRB nest as an under quilt. My only concern is that my under quilt might get wet in a bad storm with my small fly: http://f7.yahoofs.com/users/wLVPKvS5...QOvYGBQIhL1FMT

Hmmm, maybe I will make an under quilt out of momentum90. That's a topic for another forum.

Thanks for your help, ideas, thoughts, and opinions everyone.

I really think you'd be much more happy with a bigger tarp. Bet if you went to the Speer get together next weekend and saw all the different bigger tarps that were being used you would feel like your stock tarp was hammock floss. This is a little extra weight well worth carrying.
The JRB Weather shield bottom works great for protection from rain underneath your hammock. I have one and love it. Works great by itself in warm weather and can get you down to 60 degrees or so by itself. They are currently out of stock though.
http://www.jacksrbetter.com/index_fi...0Shield-v2.htm
I'm gonna buy a Hennessy top cover for the coming cold weather. I think it would work well.

[hacktorious]

I really think you'd be much more happy with a bigger tarp. Bet if you went to the Speer get together next weekend and saw all the different bigger tarps that were being used you would feel like your stock tarp was hammock floss. This is a little extra weight well worth carrying.
The JRB Weather shield bottom works great for protection from rain underneath your hammock. I have one and love it. Works great by itself in warm weather and can get you down to 60 degrees or so by itself. They are currently out of stock though.

I am considering making a speer style 8x10 rain fly. However, I really do like my small rain fly.

I might go with a kickassquilt so I don't have to worry about the additional JRB weather shield. I'm off to the quilt forum to start posting.....lol

[FanaticFringer]

I am considering making a speer style 8x10 rain fly. However, I really do like my small rain fly.

I might go with a kickassquilt so I don't have to worry about the additional JRB weather shield. I'm off to the quilt forum to start posting.....lol

Yea the stock tarp does have a couple of nice uses. It would work well in warm weather camping when you knew the weather was going to be really nice.
In the back yard trees where all you had to do was uncoil them snakes and wrap them biners around the tree and presto.