No more clark ultralight

[DemostiX]

Jazz:
What was it about the old UL you liked, in preference to the Tropical (2?)?

I feel differently about the poles, but because my Tropical 2 includes the weather- shield, with its bulk and weight, the UL stood out from the other Clarks for being L, if not truly UL.

Same for you?

Maybe I'm responsible for this, augmenting my UL (relative) cheapie into an NX150 on the light and cheap. (I sewed in my own interior pocket, too.)

Not really; I'm sure Gary Clark doesn't know and could care less. But, he might make an custom model for a current customer. What do you ask Clark to leave out, though? Interior pockets?

[Cadenza]

Jazz:
What was it about the old UL you liked, in preference to the Tropical (2?)?

I just found the UL to have exactly what I need, no more, no less, in the lightest model available.
I like having an outside pocket to put my pants in at night. If I need something out of a pants pocket I can reach it without getting out of hammock. I don't like a lot of loose stuff inside the hammock.

The thing I don't like about the Tropical is the netting and hood.
On mine, the hood is just a loose piece of fabric. It provides no structure. The mosquito netting hangs down very close to my face.

Jazz:
I feel differently about the poles, but because my Tropical 2 includes the weather- shield, with its bulk and weight, the UL stood out from the other Clarks for being L, if not truly UL.

Same for you?

I can't stand the poles. I had one break right off the bat because the wind inverted the poles such that they bowed DOWN into the bed of the hammock. (I was not in the hammock at the time.)
Clarks sent me a replacement pole, told me they had problems with the current batch, but expected a fix and would send me a new set when available. I haven't heard back from them.
But in the meantime, I discovered that I just didn't like the hassle factor of packing the poles. They don't fit well in my pack. I find them to be a worthless nuisance in setting up, tearing down, and packing. Just more dead weight.
I was spoiled by the simplicity of the UL.

Jazz:
Maybe I'm responsible for this, augmenting my UL (relative) cheapie into an NX150 on the light and cheap. (I sewed in my own interior pocket, too.)

Not really; I'm sure Gary Clark doesn't know and could care less. But, he might make an custom model for a current customer. What do you ask Clark to leave out, though? Interior pockets?

That's something I might look into!
If he can make a custom, ....he can make a discontinued model.

[DemostiX]

Jazz:
On the poles: I usually pack the shorter 13" ones I've described here before. 4 screw together to a near exact replacement length. From Harbor Freight.

While I modified two Clarks to take poles, I might have tried dual ridgelines and maybe a single pole / stick across the top, like DD and the Switchback from TTTrailgear. Like you, I am much-bothered by netting near my face.

I asked what you would leave out of the new Tropical UL because it is hard (for me) to see $70 worth of upgrade to the old UL. (My Tropical II came me at a UL price, previously owned by someone for whom hammocks or camping didn't work out at all.). For that matter, the UL also came to me at a discount from a short hmmkr who preferred a 10ft hammock.

Good luck on getting a discontinued model, because this seems to me mostly a raising of the minimum price of a Clark. Suggest you post in the Want to Buy here.

[itsjustbusiness999]

Also looks like they are giving these a new Tarp with cat cuts and no beak at the end, similar to the ones used for the NX series, just judging from the one picture on the website.

[DemostiX]

I'm not seeing NEW tarps / rain-flys. Clark discontinued the tarp with the beak 26 months ago. Who knows why Clark continues to show that tarp on the web page several places.

Not large, it substitutes design for area/ bulk. what with the sewn 6 panels and tailored 3 dimensional shape with saddle-back.

I first felt cheated when a previously owned Clark came to me with one. Since then, I've come to enjoy the benefits of its light weight. What with the hoods over the ends of Clarks, that mere 8 ft tarp is long enough to cover a 9ft NX250. My feet are sightless and don't mind a view restricted by low tarp sides at that point. Tarp ends attached to prusik's make it easy to center the tarp over the hammock with minimum fiddling, essential with a small tarp.

The other change in Clark tarps came a year ago when the Vertex became full figured and symmetrical head-to-foot, where it previously saved weight with a slightly tapered foot end. The old shape could be found for a short time at Lawson's, as one option for a DIY cuben tarp, and is also a feature of one of the AHE tarps.

[itsjustbusiness999]

Well, I think I'm going to order one tonight w/o weather shield. I'll do a full review once i get it in and set up.

[itsjustbusiness999]

Came in the mail. The hammock body - no tarp, suspension or anything else, w/o weather shield weighs 1 pound, 6 ounces. That's actually a little less than my DL WBB. This shaves about a pound of my TX 150 with weather shield : ]. It does not have the zippered head net like the tropical had, and I would describe it more as a longer ultralight with the 2 pockets on the inside of the hammock and a pocket to store the bug net. As soon as i string it up I'll post some pics

[DemostiX]

Please consider posting in General Hammock talk. The comparison to the Warbonnet should be sufficient justification, if the false prejudicial belief that Clarks are all heavy were not enough, and it therefor being worthwhile to present the actual weight outside of our Clark ghetto, in a place instead where others might see it.

There are some substantially heavier hammocks out there, using high denier fabric bottoms. If a maker doesn't use those, weight notable as surplus will come from the second layer, zippers, and weather-shield.