Leaning towards a Clark as my first hammock... help me decide!

[Saga]

I am going to live in the Amazon basin. I want a strong hammock that I can rely on. The Clarks seem like a good fit, and they are marketed as a jungle hammock. They do seem tougher because of their weight and the rope used in their suspension appears strong. And I like the mosquito-proof guarantee.

So do you think this is a wise decision? Or have a another hammock to suggest?

I am 6 foot tall, 150 lbs.

The Ultralight seems like a good fit, price wise and feature wise. The Tropical has a few more pockets and an air flow system but it is worth the extra $60?

Thanks in advance.

[Two Tents]

I saw a Clark close up on the pre hike for MAHHA. It was very impressive. A lot of attention to detail. Not sure of what model it was. Pm MML he has had 2 that I know of and really likes the Clarks. It is worth it to ask questions before you make a major buy like that.

[dejoha]

I rarely hear negative reviews for Clark except for the weight. They are robust and durable but with a small weight penalty. If that isn't a problem, you should be fine.

If weight is an issue, there are lots of other models available. I have a full list of manufacturers on my website for review:

> http://theultimatehang.com/hammock-manufacturers/

One hammock I just received in the mail the other day to test is the new Woodsman X from UK Hammocks. It has a sweet jungle net and an adjustable foot box (I haven't figured that part out yet, to be honest). It's very light and packs down to the size of a mini soccer ball or small cantaloupe.

Best of luck in your searching!

[Gary_R]

There's a guy on here that has been posting videos of him traveling the world in jungles and other places.. And I believe he still uses his HH.
Most of the big names are all fine for what your going to be doing.
There all great quality and if you take care of them wont fail you.

Ill try and find his posts..

Here he is on Youtube..
http://www.youtube.com/user/mcsparron

[MML]

I am going to live in the Amazon basin. I want a strong hammock that I can rely on. The Clarks seem like a good fit, and they are marketed as a jungle hammock. They do seem tougher because of their weight and the rope used in their suspension appears strong. And I like the mosquito-proof guarantee.

So do you think this is a wise decision? Or have a another hammock to suggest?

I am 6 foot tall, 150 lbs.

The Ultralight seems like a good fit, price wise and feature wise. The Tropical has a few more pockets and an air flow system but it is worth the extra $60?

Thanks in advance.

You can't go wrong with the clark anytime that you know that skeeters and another pesty things are flying around while your trying to catch some zees.
Plus where your going the Jungle UL hammock is a good match. I would upgrade to the XL rainfly if you choose the clark and pick up a spare set of the clark bungees ( for the rainfly attachment) just in case you break one.
Get a good alarm clock-You’ll sleep to comfortably in a Clark and will miss the sunrise on many occasions!!

[fixin2b1]

I just got an NX 250 and love it! I'm sure that you won't need the NX series where you are going, but you can't beat the sleep in a Clark. I slept til 10:30 am the first night. Even the three children that were in the same campsite didn't wake me! I also dreamed like crazy both nights.
I can't wait to get in the woods again!

[DemostiX]

For this or any hammock, it may depend on how much time you spend in it. I'll explain:

I've had a couple of months of nightly use of Clark Tropical, one of the small bed models. I had a Clark NX-250, big bed and hoops for openness, but hadn't used it much. I was comfortable in the Tropical, I'm 5 inches shorther than you, and I liked getting used to less. For sleep, it has been fine, and sleep is what the hammock has been for.

Well, I recently came into a small-bed NX (NX150? NX 200?), with hoops, like the NX-250. Same bed as the Tropical, but with the triceratops hood to open it up. Much as the tie-outs on a Warbonnet do not change the lay, the hoops "open it up."

Sad news for potential impact on your wallet, is that the hoops make a large difference to how you perceive the hammock when you approach it in daylight, and when you lay in it, eyes up, and awake. It is great to have the bug net well away from your face when you are awake to notice. The netting stays away, no matter how you turn. If I thought I was going to be spending much waking time in the hammock, for retreat and relaxation, then I would be tempted to sacrifice elsewhere if I could, to have this added space. But, that is alot of extra money, after you pay for the added pockets, and the weather-shield* too. Further, by US standard, the 8', small bed Clark is small. At your weight, it may be plenty, and Clark would say so. But, as I say often here, man wouldn't think of staying in a motel, even alone, in which the beds were even long singles and not queen size at least.

If you are comparing the Tropical to the Ultralight then if you were also a hammock veteran and a DIY, you'd scheme on adding the hoops --$5 in fiberglass rods and a long and wide sewn-on fabric hem to hold them --to the head end of the UltraLight, saving a lot of money. I'm looking at how it can be done to the Tropical.

The duplicated head-end hood on the Tropical, made of noseeum netting, is nicer than it should be, because the Clark netting is so fine all air-flow is not so great. This is a subject rarely discussed and maybe never measured. You should read this recent post, an exception: http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...0&postcount=10
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All that said: If you have a serious budget constraint, the DD hammock with integrated bug net and both-side entry is one you should look at, about $110 delivered. That's 1/3 the price of a Clark NX-250 (if you could get the Clark w/o rain-fly). But, then, there's nothing disqualifiying about Warbonnet BB's or TtTs kits with integrated bug nets, either.

[gexploits]

I use a Clark North American most of the time here in the northeast US, but the only issue I ever have is that sometimes it gets hot inside with the bug net closed- I attribute this to the incredibly small holed bug netting like DemostiX said. so better air flow may be something you want.

[Cadenza]

I have three Clarks hammocks.

1. Ultra-Light - The first one I bought 12 years ago,...and still my favorite!
Never found that I needed any more than the two pockets. I've never been wet in that hammock despite being in severe thunderstorms and heavy rain.

2. Tropical - I never liked it because the bug net hangs too close to my face.
It's the one I lend out to my son. He doesn't know the difference.

3. NX-150 - I just bought it a couple weeks ago. Slept in it out in the yard and planning to take it on my next trip in June. I am undecided on the fiberglass hoop poles. On the one hand, nice open space. On the other hand, just something else to keep track of.

If I had to grab one and go.....to the Amazon,...I'd take the Ultra-Light. It's a tested, tried and true friend.
But if I were going to the frozen North, I'd probably gamble on the as yet untested NX-150 just because of the weather shield. The North American model would also be a contender in cold places.

IMHO, you can't go wrong with a Clarks Jungle Hammock.