Alright, I said I'd let you all know my thoughts after I got back from the Dunes so here they are:
I'm a lot more satisfied with my Clark NA now than I was before I left! A LOT MORE!
I'll keep this short cause I'm pooped and need to rest-up before my next adventure, but to address the issues I mentioned before, (http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=9202), my knots worked fine for where I hung it. Against my better judgment I hung between two very wide, very tall and very dead stumps - but had no trouble adjusting the ropes/straps to reduce the amount of slack. I also found that I didn't need any more grey line or the plastic tighteners that I mentioned before. I actually used bushes and a couple of dead logs to hold down my fly and they seemed to work just fine. And contrary to what I thought, the narrowness of the hammock wasn't a problem for me at all! If anything, I kind of think it helped keep my pad from sliding all over the place!
As far as how I slept... ((I have to add a disclosure here: I've been working nights in a different time zone and usually spend at least a week re-adjusting to days, so my lack of sleep can't entirely be blamed on the hammock.)) The first night I only used my +25 down sleeping bag. For some reason I relied entirely on the pockets alone to keep me warm. That was a mistake. My butt and back froze, as well as my feet... and it only got down to about 50*. I think I got somewhere around 2 hours of actual sleep.
The second night I added a Therm-a-rest self-inflating pad which helped a bunch but still didn't keep me from getting chilly. Not until after the third night did I experience 'Hammock Zen'! I'd added another sleeping bag under my bag, but on top of the pad which did an excellent job of keeping my shoulders and back and feet warm so that I could rest peacefully! I was one of the first to go to 'bed' and the very last to wake up! I was so fricken comfortable that it took me almost an hour to convince myself to get up! It was awesome!
Take down was a snap and I had no problems fitting it in the attached pocket/sack thing. And aside from all of the hammock jokes, I think everybody was a little envious of my Clark! After tryin' it out, four of the guys even told me it was a lot more comfortable than they thought it would be!
I can't wait to take it with me up towards Humboldt Peak (CO) for the night and I'm even more excited to take it back to Michigan and show it off to all of my family and friends! My dad even said he'd go backpacking with me if he got to sleep in the Clark!
Totally satisfied! Fricken awesome!
Attached are a few of the photos from my trip. The little kid is my buddy Owen.
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