Clark NX200 maiden mini-voyage

[sir_n0thing]

The Clark arrived today (FedEx was on the ball! Wasn't expecting delivery until Monday). Being that I lack trees close enough together in my yard to hang this baby, I took my daughter to the local park under the pretense that she could play on the playground... meanwhile, I was trying to find someplace to string this sucker up. ;) Turns out every tree in the park is about 900 years old I'm guessing, and about three times too big for the tree straps. Luckily the picnic pavilions provided me with a makeshift hammock birth.
Well, after a brief 45 minutes with it, I found it to be everything I hoped. Set up was pretty straight forward and the hammock itself was comfy. My daughter thought it was really cool. She didn't want to come out of it!
Tear down was a bit more of a hassle. The integrated stuff sack in the pocket is a neat idea, but was a bear to get everything stuffed back into it. Watching vids of people using snakeskins on their HH systems has made me think that a DIY project is in my future. :rolleyes:
The fly seems to be fine and adequate, though I think I will invest in a 3rd party tarp in the future. Maybe a Speer winter tarp, or a Superfly. Or, maybe I'll try my hand at a DIY tarp of some sort...

All in all, I'm pleased with this hammock right now. Initial impressions are that it was money well spent.

I have a blue WallyWorld CCF pad, and a couple of self-inflating pads, but I'm not sure I want to use them in the Clark. I think my next purchase will be an underquilt. I have my name in the hat for one of Hangnout's daughter's underquilts over in the gear 4 sale section. linky-clicky (http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9649). I'm also eying up a KAQ New River (http://kickassquilts.com/?page_id=6).

I'm looking forward to a real outting with this puppy! Might have a Rock Island trip last weekend of August, if I can get a day off work. I'll definitely be leaving the tent at home for my next trip! :thumbup1:


n0thing


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[RAW]

Nice first setup!:thumbup:
Sag looks good.

But explain the problem with the stuff sack to me.
I've heard a few people express frustration with that, and I've never understood . . . cuz the Clark stuff-sack seems so easy to me.
I have a much easier time packing my Clark away than my Blackbird.

Just curious.:)

[TinaLouise]

The integrated stuff sack in the pocket is a neat idea, but was a bear to get everything stuffed back into it.
The fly seems to be fine and adequate, though I think I will invest in a 3rd party tarp in the future.

I have a blue WallyWorld CCF pad, and a couple of self-inflating pads, but I'm not sure I want to use them in the Clark.



not sure what kind of problems you're having trying to stuff the clark back into it's sack??? I start at the head end rope and just roll it up (not stuffing per say) and keep rolling the hammock until I get near the sack. Then I sort of roll/fold it into the sack (you're gonna have to kind of turn the sack inside out) Then I finish by stuffing the foot-end of the hammock into the sack. Then the rope at the foot in goes in last. That way when I next open the sack, the foot rope is the first thing I grab and I tie that up first then unroll the rest towards the other tree. I find that by starting out rolling the hammock up, that it's smaller and easier to handle.
I too like the clark fly. I do have a gear guide tarp for extended stay camping trips (where my truck is near by)
You've got the ccf pad and the self-inflating pads, you might as well test them out in the Clark. I've got an EXPED down 9 that I found to be very comfortable (and very heavy to carry). But since you've already got the gear, use it (at least until you invest in an uq:D )

[sir_n0thing]

Nice first setup!:thumbup:
Sag looks good.

But explain the problem with the stuff sack to me.
I've heard a few people express frustration with that, and I've never understood . . . cuz the Clark stuff-sack seems so easy to me.
I have a much easier time packing my Clark away than my Blackbird.

Just curious.:)

Thanks! I think having watched Cavediver2's vids helped me visualize the set up.

I spent some time last night in the living room playing around with it. I think my initial trouble with stuffing was just due to unfamiliarity. Eventually I worked out a system similar what TinaLouise described....
I start at the head end rope and just roll it up (not stuffing per say) and keep rolling the hammock until I get near the sack. Then I sort of roll/fold it into the sack (you're gonna have to kind of turn the sack inside out) Then I finish by stuffing the foot-end of the hammock into the sack. Then the rope at the foot in goes in last. After doing it a few times it's gotten allot easier. :)

I also added a ridgeline inside, strung between the two loops near the ends of the bug netting. A mini-biner lives on there now so I can hang small items at night.

Now I'm off to shop the interwebs for a nice hammock stand system of some sort that will fit on my enclosed porch (6'x18'). The lack of appropriately spaced trees in my yard has me ready to abandon the existing porch furniture (tables and chairs). ;)

n0thing

[Powerbird]

I'm not sure if one Clark model is harder to stuff than another...
When i first got my NA, I had trouble getting it into the sack... But it's easy now, i even have some extra room.
Starting at the foot end, i stuff the hammock into the pocket that the stuff sack is in. (The pocket should be inside out) Once I have the entire hammock in the pocket, i squeeze the air out and stuff the pocket into the sack. I find it is easier to stuff the filled (and compressed) pocket into the stuff sack than trying to stuff the loose hammock directly into the sack...
I probably didn't explain that very well, but that's what i do and i don't have a problem with the stuff sack. Hope that helps a little. :)

[sir_n0thing]

Thanks for the tip. Yep, you explained it well, I get what you mean! All I really needed was a few practice runs. It's going much smoother for me now.
Now, after the fact, I found this vid on Youtube illustrating the "pack into the pocket, then into the sack" method you described!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph50ib9JSds

Ph50ib9JSds