Clark Jungle Hammock

**Sasquatch** · 10-28-2007, 12:12

I was very undecided on what I was going to do Tent or Hammock for sectioning the AT. After that first delemia was solved, Hammock, then the next one which one to buy. I read a lot of hikers trail journals and finaly decided to go with a Clarks. Part of the reason was for the ability to use it with out having to mess with an underquilt.

I have only used it down to the low 30's so far but have found that with the weather shield zipped it provideds a warm night sleep. I use a Cabela's ultra light self inflating sleeping pad and stuff extra gear into the pockets. the idea of the isulation comes from creating dead air space this is pretty much what all insulation is about. I have had some issues with the pad slipping down in the hammock but another hiker suggested the non slip "flowers" that sometimes are put in the bottom of a bathtub will stop this.

I did only go with the standard fly and this is really not big enough to do anything but keep the hammock dry. I would like space to cook and store gear out of the rain so I think I will buy or create a bigger fly for use with this setup. Any suggestions on this I will gladly listen to. I do like the fact that the whole thing very nicely packs into its pocket and if done correctly the hammock never touches the ground. The bowline took me some time to master the fact that I am dyslexic has not helped in this regard.

I plan to go out around the week before Thanksgiving over in the DWG of New Jersey so I am sure I will get a chance to test it below 30 degrees soon enough. I do find that it is very easy to sleep on my side in this and have never even felt close to tipping even the time i lost my footing getting out and fell back into the hammock. Glad to have been camped alone that day or it would have been the joke of the day.

**jscalia** · 10-29-2007, 09:15

The Sportmans Guide tarp is often praised by hammock users on these forums. Anyone else second it as a replacement tarp for the Clark?

**cavediver2** · 10-29-2007, 10:43

I feel like that the XL rain fly that Clark has is plenty big enough for me. Now haveing said that I thought when I put it up in the back yard it did'nt look very big to me but once I got it set up right and tied out right with the use of tree limbs because I dont have hikeing pools so tree limbs work just as well but anyhow with it set up right and tied out it affords me plenty of room under the rain fly to cook, change clothes, or set in the shade. I used the hammock as a seat to set in to cook which is really nice allot of people here do that and now I can as well.

If you order the XL in the new order of the hammock it's only 20 more to upgrade. As for the other tarps from what everyone say's the SG tarp that was 12x12 was really good but you cant get it anymore and I see some people on the forum that have the 9x9 SG that like it. Most people set it up in a diamond shape so each of the sides come down to a point and it looks big but I dont think in MHO that it is got near the coverage that the XL rain fly does when deployed I might be wrong and most of the time I am. I am very new to this but if you look at some of those SG tarps and then look at some of the pictures on here of the clark XL I think you might see what I am talking about.

and if you need it when it is a real hard driving rain I can only tell you that I just went through one of the hardest rains a week ago that I have ever seen in southern ILLINOIS and all I had to do is undo all four stay's and let them down and velcro up the Head end and I was dry. This rain had gail force winds and up to 2 inch's of rain it was like a hurricane. I think the weather sheild would have been enough to take care of it but I did'nt want to chance it and really I should have because I was at home and I could have tested it and if it was not and I got wet I could have went inside to sleep the rest of the night nice and dry but I did'nt and elected to put the fly down and still slept nice and dry.

Just MHO and .2 cents worth

**Sasquatch** · 10-29-2007, 10:57

I am not really sure that the weather shield is designed to be the main barrier to the elements I think that it is more to act as an additional wind screen and help hold some body warmth into the hammock area. If it was raining as hard as you said with that rain I dont think that I would want to go shield alone. Then again like you said best to know that in the backyard and not the backcountry. Do us a favor and next time there is some horriable weather coming your way can you try that out and let us know. hope you don't mind if i sit here warm and dry and wait for the results.

**cavediver2** · 10-29-2007, 11:05

No problem I will take a drowning for the team I guess if it get's to bad I can take my scuba equipment with me LOL. I do think you are right about the weathsheild I have used it a couple of times in small rains and it works fine and it's suppose to be waterproof just like the fly but I cant put any weight to the that as I have not tried in those conditions yet. But the tarp sure did and I am well pleased with it. Until the next driving rain. dont know if we will get anymore like that the rest of the year it might have to be snow and very very little of that if any where I live. but you never no NOV is a good month for rain still so I might be able to try it then.

**mataharihiker** · 10-30-2007, 18:47

My new, shiny Clark North American arrived today...took less than a week from the time I ordered it...didn't get home from work until almost 5 and it gets dark early so I literally ran into the woods to set it up...first impression, awesome! Gotta play more with the tarp but I'm pretty sure it's large enough for me to live under in poor weather...things I didn't expect but found really cool...you can see the ground through the bottom of the hammock where there are no pockets, the pockets go from edge to center of hammock, it's a nicer green than is shown on the website and I had no trouble stuffing it, with the XL tarp, inside the attached stuff pocket. Things I found that I expected...a really well constructed, well designed piece of gear...I didn't have much time to play but there's always the week-end!

**cavediver2** · 10-30-2007, 20:32

took me some time to get the tarp working like it is suppose to because I did excatly what they said not to which was not to take it off until you were sure you new how to put it togeather. should have read directions before but hay I am a man. In the process of it all I did just what I was not suppose to do and I broke the little bungie when I sat down and they sent me a two new ones just in case I broke it again ( they must know me ) but any how I got it all worked out.

so congrat's are in order for you getting a nice new shinny Clark I wish I could have been at last hangout south of nashville so I could show everyone the quality of workmenship that goes into these.

Hope you injoy it take pictures and put them on here.

**nogods** · 10-30-2007, 20:43

Cavediver2 - congrats on getting it set up to your liking. I simply replaced the partial bungee with a full bungie cord long enought to insure that it will not over stretch when I get in the hammock.

I'm still struggling with whether or not to return my second clark. I'm going to test it against my claytor in some cold weather over the next month before I make the final decision. If the clark is signifigantly warmer than I might keep it as a cold weather hammock and use the claytor for comfort in warmer weather.

**cavediver2** · 10-30-2007, 21:26

nogods let me know before you ship it off to them if you dont like it. I might buy it off of you.

well the other night I tried to put the other bungie on the foot end underneath the trap and connect it to the hammock it self on the foot end but then looking at picture it is suppose to be on the foot end of the tarp in the center going to the tree and the hammock it self clips to the foot end of the tarp underneath it. who would have thunk that. like I said before I should have read directions. and just looking at the bungie under the head end I just thought it should be just like that at the other end but nope it's suppose to go to the rope that goes to the tree.

Hell the directions even have pictures and I still did'nt look tell later on.

but I should have never taken it apart until I had it set up first the way they shipped it to me then I would have known.

oh well life is full of leasons

**mataharihiker** · 10-31-2007, 05:18

I do not like connecting my hammocks to their tarps for a couple of reasons...one, the tarp, especially a sil-tarp, seems to stretch out when wet and almost always will touch some part of the netting and wick water through in a good downpour...two, I like the option of setting the tarp up first and taking it down last when it's wet, either from rain or dew...so, I will be putting the tarp in another bag...this will make the stuffsack even smaller...good...it will make it easier to pack in backpack or kayak...

another question...since the rainfly holds the netting up, wouldn't you have to string up a separate ridgeline to hold up the netting if you do not want the hammock attached to the fly? According to the directions, you wouldn't have to ...when I get it up again I'll probably figure that out...I really need more than 20 minutes of quality time to try everything out...I can't WAIT for the week-end! I'll post pictures...