Hennesy vs. Clark vs. Basic Tent

[BushLite]

I have been looking at the idea of a camping hammock for a while now and i absolutely LOVE the idea!

However! price vs. quality concerns me, the Clark North American model looks awesome but for almost $400 to have it shipped to canada...Im not so sure

the Hennessy is much closer to my price range, but it looks fairly cheep and rather chilly and the website and customer server seems to be lacking the WoW factor for me.

Id like to hear other peoples opinion on this matter...is it worth spending the extra money and getting the Clark or do I cheep out and get the Hennessy with a weather shield or really cheep out and stay with my coleman hooligan?

also do camping pads work with the hammocks?

[traftonm]

Had a HH and loved it. I swiched to the Warbonett and LOVE it more get the to layer and your pad does not move around. Only chang I did was using the Whoopee sling. Sets up in less then 3 minutes.

[JCINMA]

My thoughts are that hammock camping is still a small enough community that the manufacturers who make low quality items are no longer around. There will be little compromise for anything you decide to purchase.

The Clark is great for cold weather camping, but it is difficult to get a flat lay and it is heavier and bulkier than many other solutions.

The HH is a very high quality hammock, and will stand up very well to whatever you throw at it.

If you haven't already, you should take a look at the Warbonnet Blackbird Hammock. It is reasonably priced and high quality. A double layer hammock will be best for a camping pad. You will need a separate tarp, however.

[Syb]

I've never had a Clark nor an HH. I do have an 11' single-layer DIY hammock that is incredibly comfortable. With rolled seams you could get this for under $25. Add the whoopies with straps and you're still under $50 and like traftonm said, you can be set up in about 3 minutes. Better yet, visit one of the cottage shops on here and get a double-layer of the 1.1 ounce fabric (depending on your preference) and you're still under $50 in materials and shipping - please note, I have no idea what it would cost to get 6 or 8 yards of material to Ontario. There are a lot of options and people on here rave about their Clark's and HH's all the time. Personal preference. From my point of view, I went DIY on the cheap to make sure I liked the hammock. Regarding pads in the hammock, many people use them and if their hammock is a double-layer the pad fits in between those layers to add warmth and it won't move around. Some use a SPE - segmented pad extender as well (search them on here for more info).

I'm hooked and will never go back to the ground willingly. My two cents. Best of luck!

[ChrisH]

the Hennessy is much closer to my price range, but it looks fairly cheep and rather chilly and the website and customer server seems to be lacking the WoW factor for me.

When you say it looks fairly cheap, are you judging from pictures or real life experience? I have the Deep Jungle XL and it feels and looks awesome. I cannot comment on the other models but mine is great for me.

When you say that the customer service is lacking, is this from real life experience or other? Please explain what you mean there. I have emailed HH back and forth on several occasions and always gotten a quick and polite response. They accidentally sent me a couple of extras with my package, I told them about it and they said keep it! One of the items was not a cheap item by any means, what better customer service could you want? This has happened on many occasions with many different people here on the forum. I don't know what else you could expect from any company. There are very few (maybe 1% that have dealt with them) people here that have had a negative experience with HH, they are generally known to have very good customer service.

That being said, there are many other hammocks out there for you to choose from. ENO, Warbonnet, Speer, Grand Trunk, Trek Light etc. These are all good quality hammocks and you will find that they are all recommended here on the forum. Warbonnet is by far the most popular but I cannot comment as I have not tried one out.

As for the "WOW Factor" in customer service, I'm not sure what you're looking for but you will find that all the cottage shops here on the forum have the absolute best customer service you could ask for.

Good luck in your quest and welcome to the forum!

[chillyhiker]

Ive owned a Hennesy hammock and it was a fine pieces of equipment at the time now I own a warbonnet black bird . The main reason is its a little more comfortable....look how many people on thei forum have one...or a DIY if your capable of that sort of thing...Im Not. #1 one thing I like about a hammock is I get the same sleeping surface no matter where i might be...like sleeping in your own bed at home as apposed to a motel. And by the way....welcome.

[Shug]

I have been looking at the idea of a camping hammock for a while now and i absolutely LOVE the idea!

However! price vs. quality concerns me, the Clark North American model looks awesome but for almost $400 to have it shipped to canada...Im not so sure

the Hennessy is much closer to my price range, but it looks fairly cheep and rather chilly and the website and customer server seems to be lacking the WoW factor for me.

Id like to hear other peoples opinion on this matter...is it worth spending the extra money and getting the Clark or do I cheep out and get the Hennessy with a weather shield or really cheep out and stay with my coleman hooligan?

also do camping pads work with the hammocks?

Lots of other hammock options out there. Lots on here have started with the Skeeter Beeter ...pretty inexpensive and add a tarp and some pads and your good to go.
I did some videos for new hangers and you can see some pad ideas in PART 2
Lots of pad info on this site as well. Most of us use or did use pads.
Good luck on your quest.
Shug

[SteelerNation]

I too have a Warbonnet Blackbird and absolutely love it. I've been backpacking for most of my life and have only transitioned to hammocking in the last six months or so. That said, one of the greatest facets of this community is its relative size.

Because there are so few hammockers (relative to the total outdoor market), the majority of the gear providers that I've come into contact with are cottage businesses. They may not all have the high-end websites that we have come to associate with quality dealers, but that is because they still have what those other dealers lost a long time ago - personal service. I will tell you that I have talked to a number of the manufacturers of the gear that I've purchased, explained my personal preferences and received custom solutions from them - at no extra cost.

It's a little hard to believe in today's technological world, but I highly recommend just picking up the phone and giving the folks you are considering a call or sending them a personal email. The vast majority will show you what customer service is supposed to be like.

Welcome to the community!

[Jsaults]

A HH Explorer DLX and a CJH NX-250. Both are fine hammocks but each has strengths and weaknesses.

HH is less expensive initially, but adding weather cover and SS System drives the price up. Both are well made, with a slight advantage to the CJH IMO.

HH offers a flatter lay. The NX-250 apparently allows a flatter lay than the earlier models, but I am still in a slight curve when I side-sleep.

I like the ability to unzip the CJH weather cover and toss it aside in fair weather.

I feel that the HH is a cooler hammock in sweltering conditions. The CJH is a bit warmer with the pockets providing some dead air space (but really needs insulation stuffed in teh pockets to make a difference).

Hope this sheds some light.

Jim

[lori]

The more you look at hammocking, the more options you will discover. There is an endless array of gear and people with all kinds of hammocks go out in all seasons.

A lot of us have multiple hammocks - some of us just get a hammock and keep tweaking the accessories to fit whatever challenges we run up against. It's not like any single hammock is the best - it's all preference. I like room to sprawl and typically sleep on my side or my back, or both, so the Blackbird works well for me.