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  1. #1
    Brian Miller's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Tacoma WA
    Hammock
    Clark NX-250
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    UGQ WD12, Vertex
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    All In - NX-250 First Hang

    I had never used a camping hammock. With a forecast of 2 days and nights of thunderstorms at my primary 2 mile hike-in lake location I selected an alternate, near a road but the road was closed and gated. I had a hip replaced in January and this was to be an easy first solo shakedown float/fish/hang to test me and my (mostly good vintage 80s-90s mountaineering-backpacking) gear for a 4-day 18 miler planned in August with my remaining brother, that we had done 40 years ago, as a celebration of life and good health so I thought, OK I'll try the original hike in just to see if I can do it, and hike back out.

    I actually made it to the lake in about 45 minutes and started looking for a hang site. Maybe it's my inexperienced eye, but I saw a lot more sites suitable for tents than hammocks in the Northwest old growth Douglas Fir forest with 100 ft trees having 5 to 7+ foot circumference trunks spaced naturally far enough apart over the millennia for each tree to carve out its niche of sunlight with vine maple in the open spaces, that are usually too far apart to span with a hammock, but there were also many too close together, so just a case of odds, right?

    After a thorough search of the north end of the lake I finally saw two trees about 15 feet apart 40' above the lake in a small patch of brushless level ground but with a big rock I would later use to lay out wet gear, about 25 feet from two tent sites. After a hike in under partly sunny skies, clouds had thickened overhead to a dark gray. I thought this is it , but I had come so far and felt strong . While having a bite to eat I asked, Lord God please give me a sign. As I finished my water and gorp, the clouds parted and sunlight filled the valley ; time to rig the NX-250 .

    One tree is 6.6 feet in circumference at head height; too large for my 6 foot tree hugger strap. Using a second carabiner I can just get the strap fastened to the tree. The other tree is 5.5 feet in circumference so it's in the bag. Using the stock Clark ropes, I quickly tied the drip ring slip-clamp knots from the Clark site and I scoped out perfect 30° angles with a protractor app on my phone (also my GPS) to adjust the knots with the foot about 1 foot higher than the head and some sag; all things I picked up here on HF-CJH .

    But I did not like the fact that I was applying so much torque to the sides of the 'biner gate so I restrung the rope through the ends of the strap and reset the drip ring knot; piece of cake! I rigged the Vertex tarp in porch mode, open to the lake, to the strap 'biners, one of my trekking poles, and to vine maples next to the trees. I admire my work and then fit my Thermarest into my Enos SPE, then spread out my (son's) 40° summer bag. Oops, it's a right hand zipper and I've got the hammock rigged with the left side to the lake and the open side of the tarp . OK, noted. I'll deal with it and try to remember next time. I'm a little concerned because it was forecast to drop to the low 40s overnight. I unload my pack and distribute my "soft gear" in the hammock's pockets, and rigged a bear bag.

    I unstow and inflate my backpacking float tube, rig my rod, put on my waders, fins and take a couple of laps around the lake trolling streamers and saw ZERO signs of fish. I went back to shore, secured my tube, fly rod and gear, and prepared a scrumptious homemade dehydrated dinner and tea. After a quick clean-up, it's dark so I retreat to the hammock. I stow the weather shield, take off my hiking/fishing clothes and slip on my silk (sleeping) shirt, wiggle into my sleeping bag and play a game of electronic Cribbage on my freshly solar-charged phone. I'm so toasty warm with the bag unzipped I leave the weather shield stowed. I have a sore shoulder and sleeping on my stomach and opposite side relieves the pain, but turning over onto my stomach isn't happening in the hammock. I manage to get comfortable and off to sleep but wake up a couple of times with my shoulder aching, figure out how to relieve it and go back to sleep.

    It rained overnight but it's dry as a bone under the Vertex tarp. In the morning I'm thinking, ugh I gotta pack up wet gear and hike out in the rain . So I asked God to be merciful and clear the skies. I get up, fix a quick but hearty breakfast and the clouds have parted . I pack up my mostly dry float tube, gather up everything and pack up the hammock under the tarp. By that time the tarp is totally dry so I put it in the hammock stuff sack, and load my pack with my still wet outer wader socks strapped outside the pack. A quick look 'round and oops, tree straps . I wish they were hot pink. I stuff them into a corner of the pack and I'm off hiking back to the car through the old growth forest trail under mostly sunny skies.

    As I type this at home thunderstorms are rumbling through and I had to let our Labs in because they were freaking out.

    What an AWESOME trip . Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge.





















    Last edited by Brian Miller; 06-20-2013 at 01:27.
    Brian
    (formerly Oblique Angler)

    Job 41:1, 2

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  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Apr 2013
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    Auckland, NZ
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    Quote Originally Posted by Oblique Angler View Post
    What a beautiful, peaceful-lookin' spot!

  3. #3
    Senior Member Mannowar's Avatar
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    Feb 2013
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    FREE RANGE Human
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    Nice trip report, I too had an "All In" NX-250 trip back in February. What a great hammock!
    I swapped my stock suspension out for the whoopie slings all in one (6' whoopies with 8' straps). It shed a little weight and made setup and breakdown super easy.
    Love my vertex too!

    Safe Travels.
    Fair Winds & Following Seas.

  4. #4
    Senior Member WV's Avatar
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    Feb 2008
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    southeast WV
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    Great trip, great report. Lucky you! (And smart enough to make your own luck. ) Next time take longer tree straps. Also catch fish.

  5. #5
    Brian Miller's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Tacoma WA
    Hammock
    Clark NX-250
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mannowar View Post
    Nice trip report, I too had an "All In" NX-250 trip back in February. What a great hammock!
    I swapped my stock suspension out for the whoopie slings all in one (6' whoopies with 8' straps). It shed a little weight and made setup and breakdown super easy.
    Love my vertex too!
    Safe Travels.
    Since there is a descending ring permanently attached and the rope thimble, how do feed an AiO Whoopie sling system through Clark NX-250 channel?
    When you need to shorten the AiO Whoopie tree strap when it's too big for the tree but not long enough to wrap multiple times around a tree do you just use a MSH around the 'biner and let the tag end dangle?
    I can't find a link to the AiO system on the Whoopie Store page. How do I order an AIO system?
    Last edited by Brian Miller; 06-19-2013 at 12:32.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Mannowar's Avatar
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    Feb 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by Oblique Angler View Post
    Since there is a descending ring permanently attached and the rope thimble, how do feed an AiO Whoopie sling system through Clark NX-250 channel?

    Exactly, untie the stock suspension bowline and I zip tied the end to the eye of my whoopie and pulled it through the sewn channel, then the fixed eye is larks headed to the hammock side.

    When you need to shorten the AiO Whoopie tree strap when it's too big for the tree but not long enough to wrap multiple times around a tree do you just use a MSH around the 'biner and let the tag end dangle?

    I just wrap the strap and use a caribiner to clip the bitter end back to the running end. All adjustments are made with the adjustable eye of the whoopie once it is hung ( too easy). Unfortunately I don't have any close up photos.

    I can't find a link to the AiO system on the Whoopie Store page. How do I order an AIO system?
    I just looked myself, and couldn't find it either. I would e-mail Stuart, he is the owner and his customer service is second to none. He has a YouTube video on the suspension swap as well. If you search YouTube for Clark nx-250 whoopie sling conversion, there are a few other helpful videos as well.

    Hope this helps.
    Fair Winds & Following Seas.

  7. #7
    lattie11581's Avatar
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    Dec 2009
    Location
    long island, ny
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    DIY , HHASYM
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    Nice trip!
    "It's better to keep your mouth shut and let people THINK your stupid than to open it and PROVE it" - SFC Kagawa, United States Army (my old platoon SGT)
    *Originally -Abraham Lincoln 16th president of US (1809 -1865)

  8. #8
    Senior Member AngryDaddyBird's Avatar
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    Jun 2013
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    Spokane
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    WBBB XLC 1.7 DBL w/winter cover
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    That place is beautiful!

  9. #9
    Senior Member Sparkfly88's Avatar
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    Dec 2012
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    Sarasota, Florida
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    494
    That's a pretty spot you got there for sure!

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    Dec 2012
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    Europe, The Netherlands
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    Thanks for sharing! Nice trip report and beautiful pics

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