Thinking about a Clark Jungle Hammock for my 2012 thru hike. Has anyone used one, need some feedback.
_Randyman_Clark Hammocks - Appalachian Trail
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#1
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#2
I just got a Clark Hammock and "attempted" to set it up last weekend just to try it out. I apparently set it up incorrectly because it broke a bungee, tore a screen and dumped me out. I called Clark today and they said that they could probably fix it a get it back to me for just the cost of shipping. It sounds like there customer service is pretty good, however; at this point i cannot speak to how well they work on the trail. Good luck on your thru hike. I am planning one myself for 2012 on the AT.
_Deshka_
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#3
I have a Clark North American model in camo that I have used for several multiday camping trips with our church group. On my first outing with the hammock we had some serious rain. I initially had set up my rainfly up in a flat configuration. I quickly found out that this was not proper since there were at least 3 gallons of water collected on the fly and I could feel drips coming through. All of my overhead space was gone. After dumping the water, climbing out in the rain and repositioning the fly with the ends down, I went back to sleep through the remainder of the deluge. The next morning, while others in our group who were sleeping in their tents were totally soaked, I was totally dry. I have used the hammock several times since on these camp trips and will not return to a tent as I found the comfort of the hammock to exceed even any air mattress that I had slept on in the tent. In addition, you don't have the issue of sliding downhill in the middle of the night because you are set up on sloping ground. As far as for use on the trail, you can read TJ entries and find numerous folks who used a hammock on the AT. Not always the Clark, but when I am able to get me on the AT for more than just a day hike, you can rest assured that my North American will be in my pack instead of a tent.
_Gordon_
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#4
I have used both the Clark and Hennessy hammocks for a few years now and much prefer them to a tent. In my opinion the Clark is the better hammock if only for the side entry which I find much easier to use. They do sleep much colder though and you will need some kind of insulation underneath such as an underquilt of sleeping pad in the cold weather. Excellent in warmer weather. You can set up virtually anywhere on the AT so its easy to find a camp site for the night. Plus if you get the over sized rain fly it makes a nice porch to sit under in a rain storm for cooking and such. I have slept in thunderstorms that would leave tenters soaked and remained perfectly dry. My brother uses them in the jungles of southeast asia where he does science research. The locals who help him out love them so much everytime he goes there he ends up giving away his hammock as a gift to one of his assistants.
_Big B_