Greetings, this is my first post here. I have been eyeing a Clark for several years but something always gets in the way of my getting one (new roof, water heater, etc.) So nice to find this forum, I didn't even know about most of the other brands out there. I have been reading everything I can find here on hammock camping, and it seems like a great idea to me especially since my trips are mostly on the Ozark Trail where we have two types of camping spots -- up and down! Level sites are a premium and usually to be found in swampy bottoms.
My question is, do the various companies let you test their products and return if you just hate the experience? Or is there some other way to test drive a hammock before you buy? Anyone here from Missouri? I hate to drop $300 on a Clark NA and find out it won't work for me.
I'm going to guess it will. When I was a kid, we used to camp in two Army surplus jungle hammocks my dad had. Don't know if anyone has had the experience, but these things were WW II vintage I'm sure, and featured hemp rope and oiled canvas everything else. They must have weighed 50 pounds each. Same concept as the Clarks though, with bug shield and an awning attached. You put sticks in the awnings to hold them open when you wanted ventilation.
Young outdoor people today need to experience the smell of that oiled canvas on a hot day, nothing else like it. The last time I used one of these the ropes (rotted) broke in the middle of the night. I'm sure they are still tucked away in his vintage camping trailer, which is another story, a JC Higgens that doubled as a motor boat!
Anyway, thanks everyone for your posts, info has been helpful.
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