I just replaced the stock suspension on my Clark Ultralight and it is fantastic! I've got 15' polypro straps (rainbow colored, no doubt) which I just cinched to the trees by running 1 loop through the other. These go to SMC descending ring buckles which have a 16" long Amsteel Blue loops which are prussic'ed to the rings and larksheaded to the hammock channel. I ran more Amsteel Blue between the rings to act as a ridgeline and hold up the netting. I got it hung in about 3 minutes, made a couple of adjustments and was hanging happily in no time. I was worried about a banana hang, but the Clark is shaped such that I get what I call "a recliner lay": my torso's slightly upright but my hips and legs are pretty flat. I wasn't able to get a comfortable side position- I was getting bent at my ribcage. I can play with the ridgeline length and see what that does. Still, I'm sure I can get a good night's sleep in it on my back. I'm very pleased with the out-of-the-box quality. I like the mosquito proof hammock bed and the pockets are handy as well. I'll be testing it in the real world next weekend at Black Balsam Knob, off the Blueridge Parkway in North Carolina, picking blueberries with my mom and 2 nephews. There will 3 of us hanging and 1 hugging the ground- he's a big boy and doesn't trust the hammocks. His loss!
The pics are of my first hang yesterday using slap straps in a heavy downpour- not recommended! I ended up bouncing off the ground and had to abandon ship- the lightning strike that was too close for comfort also played into my sprint to the house
I'd appreciate any tips from my Clark brothers and sisters as I'm a Clark newbie.
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