treehouseguy
06-25-2009, 10:55
I set up my NA for the first time this morning in my friend's driveway/yard. I had to use the metal wrack on his truck for one of the supports because his yard is fairly new and all of his trees are small and very widely spaced, but it worked out ok I think.
In short, I'm kind of disappointed - but I'm not writing it off yet.
I don't like the knots. It might be because they are new to me but I'm not comfortable with them enough to know how to (or if it's even possible) adjust things quickly. I like to be able to tighten things very quickly and I couldn't figure out how to do that with the knots Clark recommended, even after watching the video and trying it out a bunch of times. I could get the knots tight, but I couldn't make it work to adjust the tightness of the hammock. Instead I tied a loop in the line as it was headed to the 'tree' and then tied it off in like a pulley kind of thing (I'm sure there is a name for that but I don't know it.) That worked a lot better as I could pull it tight, and then adjust it's slack very easily but I don't know if the knots they recommend have a purpose, specific to the hammock, or if they're just another way to make it all work... If any of you guys have suggestions or pointers on how I can make the suggested knots work, please let me know.
Also, maybe it's not proper to compare my ENO (singlesnest) to my Clark but as I said before, I really like the ability to easily adjust things, quickly. On my ENO, on the ends of the rain fly ropes, there are plastic tighteners? (not sure the exact name), but all I have to do is pull the free end and it automatically tightens it up. I can do pretty much the same thing with the pulley tie knot deals that I do but the clips are cleaner (aesthetically... I don't like clutter... i.e. rope everywhere)... (I'm not really concerned with the look of the hammock persay, I just don't want to trip on stuff or get my gear caught up all crazy when I'm trying to manuever around camp. I'll pry look around online for something similar to my ENO hooks but for now the pulley knot thing worked fine.
I'm also surprised at how narrow? the inside of the hammock is. From all of the pictures I've seen and videos I've watched it appeared to be a lot more roomy than it seemed for me. This wasn't necessarily a problem as I'm used to that kind of thing from my ENO but I still thought it would be roomier?!? I thought maybe having a pad in the inside would maybe spread things out a bit but that didn't really do much. Not a big deal, but again, ideas would be appreciated!
I also kind of wish Clark had provided more of the thin grey line. They gave me 6 of them, but I think I could probably use 10 or even 12? I think I could tie out the little loops at my head and feet, on the sides of the hammock, to help with the roomy problem... and then I also think I could use another 2 on the rain fly... but maybe I'll just pick something up from a store or something. Also not really a problem... just meh... ('meh' being the technical term for being not really dissappointed, but not entirely satisfied either). :confused:
I did like the pocket thing and how much warmer the Clark is. I noticed that as soon as I sat in it! I've only camped in my ENO a few times, but when I'm on the road I often set it up in the parking lot of the whichever hotel we're staying in to either chill and take a nap or to catch up on sleep (since my hammock is far more comfortable than my hotel bed :D) and with that I sometimes freeze! Even if it's 70* out, if there is any kind of breeze my back/butt gets chilled in the ENO. I don't think I'll have that problem with the Clark.
Anyway, this was only my first coupla times of setting it up. I'm leaving in a couple of hours to go to the Sand Dunes (in Colorado) to camp for 3 nights, followed by a backpacking trip up somewhere near Humboldt Peak for a night or two so that should give me the opportunity to get a little more comfortable with it and maybe work out a few of the things I've mentioned above. Regardless, your ideas/suggestions will still be very much appreciated!
Still all excited about it... just 'meh'...
In short, I'm kind of disappointed - but I'm not writing it off yet.
I don't like the knots. It might be because they are new to me but I'm not comfortable with them enough to know how to (or if it's even possible) adjust things quickly. I like to be able to tighten things very quickly and I couldn't figure out how to do that with the knots Clark recommended, even after watching the video and trying it out a bunch of times. I could get the knots tight, but I couldn't make it work to adjust the tightness of the hammock. Instead I tied a loop in the line as it was headed to the 'tree' and then tied it off in like a pulley kind of thing (I'm sure there is a name for that but I don't know it.) That worked a lot better as I could pull it tight, and then adjust it's slack very easily but I don't know if the knots they recommend have a purpose, specific to the hammock, or if they're just another way to make it all work... If any of you guys have suggestions or pointers on how I can make the suggested knots work, please let me know.
Also, maybe it's not proper to compare my ENO (singlesnest) to my Clark but as I said before, I really like the ability to easily adjust things, quickly. On my ENO, on the ends of the rain fly ropes, there are plastic tighteners? (not sure the exact name), but all I have to do is pull the free end and it automatically tightens it up. I can do pretty much the same thing with the pulley tie knot deals that I do but the clips are cleaner (aesthetically... I don't like clutter... i.e. rope everywhere)... (I'm not really concerned with the look of the hammock persay, I just don't want to trip on stuff or get my gear caught up all crazy when I'm trying to manuever around camp. I'll pry look around online for something similar to my ENO hooks but for now the pulley knot thing worked fine.
I'm also surprised at how narrow? the inside of the hammock is. From all of the pictures I've seen and videos I've watched it appeared to be a lot more roomy than it seemed for me. This wasn't necessarily a problem as I'm used to that kind of thing from my ENO but I still thought it would be roomier?!? I thought maybe having a pad in the inside would maybe spread things out a bit but that didn't really do much. Not a big deal, but again, ideas would be appreciated!
I also kind of wish Clark had provided more of the thin grey line. They gave me 6 of them, but I think I could probably use 10 or even 12? I think I could tie out the little loops at my head and feet, on the sides of the hammock, to help with the roomy problem... and then I also think I could use another 2 on the rain fly... but maybe I'll just pick something up from a store or something. Also not really a problem... just meh... ('meh' being the technical term for being not really dissappointed, but not entirely satisfied either). :confused:
I did like the pocket thing and how much warmer the Clark is. I noticed that as soon as I sat in it! I've only camped in my ENO a few times, but when I'm on the road I often set it up in the parking lot of the whichever hotel we're staying in to either chill and take a nap or to catch up on sleep (since my hammock is far more comfortable than my hotel bed :D) and with that I sometimes freeze! Even if it's 70* out, if there is any kind of breeze my back/butt gets chilled in the ENO. I don't think I'll have that problem with the Clark.
Anyway, this was only my first coupla times of setting it up. I'm leaving in a couple of hours to go to the Sand Dunes (in Colorado) to camp for 3 nights, followed by a backpacking trip up somewhere near Humboldt Peak for a night or two so that should give me the opportunity to get a little more comfortable with it and maybe work out a few of the things I've mentioned above. Regardless, your ideas/suggestions will still be very much appreciated!
Still all excited about it... just 'meh'...