NX-250: Further Explorations

[Jsaults]

Heck, that sounds like a Star Trek series!

The weather in southern WV has turned more temperate, with cooler nights and lower humidity days, so I had a chance today to explore the features and comfort of my new NX-250 without feeling that I was in a sweat lodge.

1. I complained earlier about the pockets being difficult to retrieve wire-rimmed glasses from. Well, it turns out that the right side pocket is tighter and more readily sealed than the left - that one lacks hook & loop and is open toward the head end of the hammock. Just slide your glasses in from teh end and they are secure and easily retrieved.

2. Big Guys with bad backs who do not bend at the waist well are gonna have a difficult time reaching the farthest zipper pull to close the net. Today I added a zipper pulls on those sliders made from the CJH guy line that are about 12" long and have a single line and no finishing knot on the end. They hang towards the center of the hammock body, and are still easy to grip betwen two fingers. Problem solved!

3. A non-structural ridge line makes it nice to hold the net or weather cover up off you when partially unzipped. I heartily endorse it.

4. OK, I give up. Whoopie slings ARE way easy to adjust.

5. I never sleep on my back in bed. Atomic snoring. But there is a comfy position in the Clark on my back that does not seem to cause my (whatever that thing in the back of the throat is - glottis?) to sink down and cause a snort.

6. I am impressed with the sewing of the CJH. And darn, there is a lot of it! It would be interesting to find out how many hours go into a CJH versus a HH or other gathered end hammock.

7. For some unknown reason, Bald-Faced Hornets find the CJH interesting. Maybe at this time of year when they are looking for sugars the hammock appears to them as a large flower.

I am becoming more and more pleased with this hammock!

Jim

[Miguel]

Heck, that sounds like a Star Trek series!

The weather in southern WV has turned more temperate, with cooler nights and lower humidity days, so I had a chance today to explore the features and comfort of my new NX-250 without feeling that I was in a sweat lodge.

1. I complained earlier about the pockets being difficult to retrieve wire-rimmed glasses from. Well, it turns out that the right side pocket is tighter and more readily sealed than the left - that one lacks hook & loop and is open toward the head end of the hammock. Just slide your glasses in from teh end and they are secure and easily retrieved.

2. Big Guys with bad backs who do not bend at the waist well are gonna have a difficult time reaching the farthest zipper pull to close the net. Today I added a zipper pulls on those sliders made from the CJH guy line that are about 12" long and have a single line and no finishing knot on the end. They hang towards the center of the hammock body, and are still easy to grip betwen two fingers. Problem solved!

3. A non-structural ridge line makes it nice to hold the net or weather cover up off you when partially unzipped. I heartily endorse it.

4. OK, I give up. Whoopie slings ARE way easy to adjust.

5. I never sleep on my back in bed. Atomic snoring. But there is a comfy position in the Clark on my back that does not seem to cause my (whatever that thing in the back of the throat is - glottis?) to sink down and cause a snort.

6. I am impressed with the sewing of the CJH. And darn, there is a lot of it! It would be interesting to find out how many hours go into a CJH versus a HH or other gathered end hammock.

7. For some unknown reason, Bald-Faced Hornets find the CJH interesting. Maybe at this time of year when they are looking for sugars the hammock appears to them as a large flower.

I am becoming more and more pleased with this hammock!

Jim

Wait until winter rolls around. You're really going to it!

Miguel

[Shug]

Makes my heart happy when a feller continues to be smitten with his hammock of choice.
Really terrific.
Shug of the Misty Eyes

[bigbamaguy]

Jsualts:
Glad you are starting to find the likes of the CJH. It will serve you well and like others have said: wait til winter time, that weather shield is a great piece of kit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TinaLouise]

#1, Just incase, for someone reading this, the pockets you're talking about are the "inside" pockets. Your glasses pocket is where I put my headlamp and my neck knife at night to have them handy.
#2, I like your idea of adding that zipper pull on the inside. I normally just move the zippers to a position that I can reach them but sometimes it's a streach.

TinaLouise

[photomankc]

Hopefully I find the NX-250 to be a worthy upgrade from my current NA. I'm commisted to getting it before next spring as I have prommised my little girl she can have mine! I think I will really like not having the tarp needing to be connected to the hammock.

I have also found that wasps here in MO find my hammock increadably interesting for some reason.

[TinaLouise]

Hopefully I find the NX-250 to be a worthy upgrade from my current NA. I'm commisted to getting it before next spring as I have prommised my little girl she can have mine! I think I will really like not having the tarp needing to be connected to the hammock.

I have also found that wasps here in MO find my hammock increadably interesting for some reason.

HUH???

As soon as I figured out how my tarp was connected and how to set it up, I disconnected the tarp from my hammock. I've got whoopies on the ends of my tarp and I set it up seperate from my hammock... or not at all... or just the tarp... or I set it up first if it's raining.

I can't help you with the wasp situation Maybe they just like being near to you

TinaLouise

[Jsaults]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald-faced_hornet

Many insects eyes are attuned to the UV end of the visible light spectrum, so the Clark irredescent green may reflect sunlight in an attractive way. Of course, one or more hornets literally flew into me - bumped into my chest and back - and I was wearing a white tee shirt. Go figure.

And yes, I was referring to the interior pockets. The "secure" one will be great for holding my plastic vial with my earplugs, and the other is ingeniously designed for secure glasses stowage.

Jim

[photomankc]

HUH???

As soon as I figured out how my tarp was connected and how to set it up, I disconnected the tarp from my hammock. I've got whoopies on the ends of my tarp and I set it up seperate from my hammock... or not at all... or just the tarp... or I set it up first if it's raining.

I can't help you with the wasp situation Maybe they just like being near to you

TinaLouise

I did for a while too, not the whoopies or anything, but just separate lines for the netting to the trees. I never could get the netting right in the field though so in the end I still end up connecting the hammock up to the tarp and then setting up the suspension so that the netting is held at that perfect angle which then seemed to be about the right sag angle for me too. That ended up being faster for me than trying to get it setup with seperate lines to hold the netting. If I got it wrong then the netting would get too tight or so floppy it was closing up over my face.

I just like that the NX-#50 series will have the netting all nice and wide based on the spreaders not the suspension angle. At least it seems like that's the case.

[Jsaults]

An impromptu excursion to Ohiopyle PA to visit with an extended family of friends gave me an opportunity to finally sleep in my new Clark. Up to this point I had only had time to do test set-ups and hour-long hangs.

Located in the Laurel Highlands of western PA, Phiopyle is known for the Youghiogheny River and it's white water. I was staying near the top of a ridge (Tharp Knob area) several hundred feet in elevation above the river, so breezes through the forrested area are common.

My Crow's Nest was only ordered last week, so with the temps getting down to the low 50s at night I was looking for insulation alternatives.

Saturday night: After setting the hammock, and attempting to set the foot 3-4 inches above the head (difficult to do on a slope with one tree lower that the other!) I packed the six under-pockets with what I had on hand. Fleece vest. Lightweight fleece hoodie. Wadded up cotton shirt. Sleeping bag drysack partially inflated. The cotton shorts I had been wearing during the warm day. Etc. I had a synthetic SS shirt, underwear, and wool socks to sleep in. As a top quilt I used my old Marmot Grouse down bag partially unzipped.

Was not warm. My set did not have enough foot elevation, so I slid down past the pockets and experienced CBS. Shoulders wer OK though. And the sleeping position(s) were just fine - back, semi-side, or side. I had removed about half the foam filling from a TheermaRest pillow, which turned out to be a bit too flat. Easily correted.

Sunday night: The temperatures dropped off quickly, and by sacktime I could see my breath. I had re-set the hammock, and was confident that I would not slide down as I did the previous evening. And I used a LL Bean fleece bag as an interior pad - zipped shut and folded in half it insulated from shoulder to hip. I also wore the hoodie with the hood up, and donned a fleece jacket as well. Much more comfortable! The fleece bag was a hassle to deal with getting into the hammock, and after a 0200 bladder break. I am really looking forward to the Crow's Nest!

As for the NX-250, it functioned well and was a pleasure to use. The weather cover was great, allowing me to zip it closed with just about a foot of vent open above my head. No condensation noted anywhere, but the RH was probably quite low both nights. The tarp pitches very nicely - a fine catenary cut.

Jim