Recommend a hammock

[Duffy]

I was asked to recommend a first hammock for a close friend who:

-Has hiked most of the AT

-Does long hikes every year(200-1000 miles)

-Has always used light/ultra light TENTS

-Will be hiking Key West to Canada starting winter of 2011

-Is will to spend money for quality

I would appreciate your advice and opinions. Thanks in advance!

- Duffy

[tjm]

If the weight of his sleep system is his main criteria, it is going to be tough to choice a hammock set-up over a tarp, bivy, tylek groundcloth arrg't or a solo tarptent using hiking poles.

That said, I am hopeful that HF members will list the weights of their set-ups so we can see what the state of the art UL hammock set-up weighs.

I know my JRB BMB will be on the high side of the group but compared to the MH Light Wedge 2 I was hauling around it was a significant weight reduction.

Good luck.

[Duffy]

If the weight of his sleep system is his main criteria, it is going to be tough to choice a hammock set-up over a tarp, bivy, tylek groundcloth arrg't or a solo tarptent using hiking poles.

Weight is definitely a factor, but probably not the main one. I think his reason for considering the transition to a hammock is the possiblility of long swampwalks on the Florida Trail, which include saturated (if not liquid) camping surfaces as well as insect issues.

Thanks for the reply.

[Just Jeff]

You'll get lots of recommendations for the Warbonnet Blackbird...it's one of the most comfortable around.

My current recommendation would be the Blackbird with a Yeti partial underquilt and a torso-sized CCF pad for under the legs, and as a backup in case he had to go to ground or just felt like sleeping in a shelter one night. It's a great balance between features, comfort and weight.

I use a MacCat Standard tarp with mine most of the time.

[Bradley]

I know that I am a newbie . . . but

With the info offered the all in one Clark system would be the choice . . .

what with sleeping over water and the like . . .

Pockets to store things
a quick easy one piece set up
(if need be - two suspension lines two knots and your done)
Many more reasons for this one.

(I have hit the dozen times that I wanted to post about the CJH and didn't)

[Just Jeff]

Clarks definitely have their fans, and they seem to be pretty loyal, which says a lot about the quality of the product.

Clarks do tend to be heavier than other options, though, and the OP said that was a consideration.

FWIW, one-piece suspensions are offered stock on many hammocks now...some Warbonnet models, the JRB bridge, etc.

[Bradley]

Clarks definitely have their fans,. . .
Clarks do tend to be heavier than other options, though,
and the OP said that was a consideration.

You'll get lots of recommendations for the Warbonnet Blackbird...it's one of the most comfortable around.

My current recommendation would be the Blackbird with a Yeti partial underquilt and a torso-sized CCF pad for under the legs, and as a backup in case he had to go to ground or just felt like sleeping in a shelter one night. It's a great balance between features, comfort and weight.

I use a MacCat Standard tarp with mine most of the time.

Warbonnet Blackbird + MacCat Standard tarp = 3.325 lbs

CJH NX150 + Fly = 3.37 lbs

What does the CJH have over the other
1. 4 season compared to a summer unit
2. Storage pockets compared to zero
3. Weather shield compared to open netting
4. No see-up netting compared to mosquito netting
5. (Mosquito) Impenetrable ripstop nylon compared to ordinary RSN

Clarks do tend to be heavier than other options ???
by .045 in this case
But look what you get . . .

. . . The Hammock Hilton

[Just Jeff]

Like I said, Clark owners tend to be very loyal!

My WBBB is 25 oz, plus 10 oz for my OES Standard. That's 35 oz, or just over 2 lbs...not 3.325.

1 - What winter temps have you taken the bare Clark to, with absolutely no other bottom insulation? I often hear this claim, but not many people say they've actually done it themselves.
2 - The WBBB has a shelf, which is very popular and WBBB owners wouldn't call it "zero." Plus, a peak bag can be reached from inside the hammock so I don't need to unzip it and let the bugs in to get to my stuff.
3 - With a proper tarp, I don't need the weather shield. Especially in summer, it's just extra weight in my pack.
4 - WBBBs come with noseeum.
5 - I've never been bitten from underneath my WBBB. Or any other hammock, for that matter. I've hammocked in GA, SC, NC, FL, VA, NJ, PA, CO, Afghanistan and Iraq...most of those in the Blackbird. Besides...no skeeter can bite thru bottom insulation, whether it's an underquilt or a pad.

I'll add a #6. The NX-150 is $389. My WBBB is $160 and the MacCat Standard is $95, totaling $255. That's a difference of $134, which would buy a partial-length synthetic UQ and torso-sized CCF pad, resulting in a much more versatile system than the all-in-one Clark setup.

I'm not saying anything negative about the Clark...it's a great kit if that's the kind of setup you're looking for. But there are other options out there that fit some folks' styles better.

Different strokes for different folks, brother. Glad your Clark works for you! Personally, I like the modular approach b/c I take different kit for Colorado winters than for Georgia summers, and my approach makes that easy.

But we can still share a campfire...as long as we're all having fun in the woods, it's all good!

[Bradley]

. . . . we can still share a campfire...as long as we're all having fun in the woods, it's all good!

Now your talking . . . and that would be good.

[TinaLouise]

I too am one of the very loyal Clark owners!! That said, I agree with Jeff, there's all kinds of different hammocks and you've got to find the one that's more comfortable for you. And price and weight wont mean a thing if you end up with a hammock that's uncomfortable!!!

I have the Clark Tropical. I hang all year but during the summer, when temps are soaring I can remove my summer UQ and have only the one layer of hammock fabric and no skeeter's have been able to bite me through that. So, no... skeeters can not bite through multiple layers of fabric and insulation but they can bite through one layer. Just not the one layer on the Clarks!!! It is skeeter proof.