Well, the box was not full of Clark Bars........
With no chance for an over-nighter, I trekked out to the local State Forest for a test hang. I had already planned on swapping the ropes for straps, so that was a quick job with the pre-stitched webbing I had already sewn.
Dropped two pole sections on the grass (one for each end!) and realized that there may be a better way. Modifications are pending. One way or another, I will sew a pole bag for storage. At the very least I will add some reflective tape to each section for nighttime sets.
Unzip the weather cover and bug netting. Hey, where are the pockets for storage of these items? The website sez there are two pockets and my hammock has none! Defective! Oh, wait - the end fabric appears to be doubled......Ooopsie - there they are, neatly tucked flush with the zippers. Mystery solved.
Time to settle in for a test lie. Ooopsie agaain - too much sag. Tighten web,have a second go of it. Comfy, but feet need to be higher, so out I go again. This time all seems well.
Giant Deer Flies are buzzing outside, so it is time to zip the netting. Ugh. Us Big Guys have a hard time reaching the zipper pulls. Need to do more (some) sit-ups. Safe from the Flying Onslaught, initial impression is "Roomy!" Netting is waaaayyyyy above my head, unlike my Hennessey. Not that I had a problem with the HH, but if one had claustrophobic leanings the Clark would be a better choice.
Also, "Good shoulder room!" No pinching whatsoever, and I am broad in the shoulder. Definately a plus for Big Guys.
As I suspected from previous threads and questions, the Clark does not lend itself to an extreme diagonal lie. That is OK, as it seemed to be quite comfy with just a little diagonal direction.
Side sleeping? Does not seem to be a problem. I was able to find a position about 3/4 of the way from supine that made my back happy. It appears that I will need only a thin pillow to obtain a good night's sleep.
My test hang occurred mid-day Saturday. Stinkin' hot and humid. Sooner than I would have liked I was forced to open the netting for a breath of fresh air. Hey, I like the idea of being able to open the netting! (Definately going to get the mod on my HH this winter.) Now, if I can engineer an exhaust fan to fit in a small unzipped section of zipper...........
The XLfly that was included appeared to be reasonably generous in coverage. I appreciated the hook & loop pieces which allow closing up the ends during inclement weather. The cat cut appears to pitch nice and tight.
Likes: Great workmanship. Careful attention to packing the box (really!). Integrated design. Many included options.
Dislikes (minor): Weather cover lacks inside zipper pull tabs. This may or may not be an aggravation. Inside pockets: A bit smallish, difficult to slip my wire-rimmed glasses into. Probably going to hang a REI tent pocket from the interior loop.
Confusing: Clark logos are at the head of the hammock body, so finding the head end in the dark is easy. But the fly's logo is at the foot end - great for pictures, but one more bit of info to remember in the dark. I will add reflective cord tassels to jog my feeble mind.
Observation: The exterior pockets definately do reduce or eliminate any cooling effect that is seen in single bottom hammocks. I was expecting as such, and had planned on the Clark as being my "shoulder season" rig. I am seriously considering Clark's insulation system.
1st day mods: I like a separate ridgeline for my tarps and added one ASAP. This freed up two pieces of the included guyline material, and one became a non-structural ridgeline and the other became eight generous zipper pull fobs.
I did not spend as much time in the Clark as I wanted, as the 90+ weather at midday simply was not condusive to hammocking. Sure, I could have left the netting unzipped, but those Deer Flies, and the mozzies that arrived shortly afterward were not hospitable. And I was loathe to use insect repellant in a new piece of gear.
All in all, I am very pleased!
Jim
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