Hennessy and Clark

imported
#1

Hey, peeps,

I went to the outfitters and charged two hammocks for testing: HH Expedition and HH Ultra-lite.

I have slept in the hammocks over the last three nights and have noticed my lower back is really stiff. I really enjoy the feel of the hammock system – set-up, sitting/relaxing, weight, etc. – but I’m having trouble with my back. I couldn’t imagine what it must feel like trekking all day, sleeping, and then waking up feeling worse. Oh, I do sleep on my back, but even then…

Does the Clark sleep differently?

Dawg

Dawgtrekker

#2

I’ve always been interested in hammocks as a way to get up off of the ground when sleeping and away from the creepy crawling things (snakes, spiders, and various things including mice, etc). However sleeping in a slumped position like that would seem also to bother me.

I think you might be able to stretch them out more so that you don’t slump so much when sleeping. That might allow for a little less back pain and more confortable sleeping.

Anyway, I’d be interested in anything you come up with on this.

See you out there. :cheers

Maintain

#3

sleeping diagonal in any hammock will tighten it up…maybe that’ll help with the overall curvature of how you sleep?

knotter

#4

Dawgtrecker: As knotter says, you got to turn and get partially diagonal for it to work. I have disk problems and love mine.

Hawkeye

#5

Yeah lay across it more and not with it. Put your feet to the right and your head to the left. I did my whole thru-hike with the ultra lite. Other than a few WET nites, it was like laying in a cloud. Youve just got to learn to set it up to hit that sweet spot everytime. I found that if you attach the head a little lower than the feet, it will keep your body from wriggleing towards the foot end during the nite.

Virginian

#6

Dawg, you did the right thing. There’s no way to compare unless you have them both side by side. I did the same thing but with 4 of them. 2 HH’s and 2 Clarkes. I kept the heavier models of each.

BTW, You can’t get diagonal in a Clark.

And the trick to both is to get the main rope pulled tight. It might loosen up a little after you first get in, just tighten it again. And dito what Virginian said.

Hikerhead

#7

I slept out again last night. Better sleep with the Ultra-lite, I thought.

It began to rain early in the morning (which was nice), but the fly didn’t really cover the entire hammock. Does the fly have a right and wrong pitch - like a right and left - in which it is supposed to be hung in order to properly cover the hammock? The instructions did not indicate such.

Overall, I enjoyed the evening’s sleep. I did find that sleeping with a full-length, 20" wide Therma-rest worked better for me than the 3/4-length, 24" wide Therma-rest. It seemed the 3/4-length crept to toward the lower middle of the hammock’s arc. Any ideas here? How do I secure the sleeping pad so I don’t wake up every 3 hours adjusting its position? I am going to try a full-length, 24’ wide and see how it works…

Thanks, Dawg.

Dawgtrekker

#8

I have a Hennessy and also cannot figure out how to get the rain cover to fit so that water will not get in. I do find that its confortable and sleeping crosswise wil get it fairly flat. I also looked at the Clark Hammock and they have an extra large rain cover that looks as if it would cover the whole hammock and then some but I can’t seem to find anyone with experience with a Clark.

Big B

#9

Does the Clark sleep differently? Not too sure if I can give you the difference - I haven’t slept in a Hennessey yet. I have spent some time in one though. I like the roomyness in the HH. In my Clarks (3) I like how the pad stays put! I have tested mine in many environments. By the way, the $9.99 pad at Target,is wide,thin and light. It keeps me warm (no cool spots) down to, or tested @ 28 with a slight breeze. I don’t have any problems with pain, not compared to sleeping on the ground!
The Clark gives you many more options - netting, no netting, no tarp etc. I like the options and the views…
Got to try a Clark! If you Email Gary Clark, he will probably give you a chance to test one. Good Luck - Rob http://www.junglehammock.com/

Rob

#10

Big B,
Or anyone, feel free to Email me!

Rob

Rob

#11

I just ordered mine - charged it, too! I spoke with Gary today and he was more than willing to help answer my questions; he was very willing to accept a return for a full refund (minus shipping to and fro) if the Clark does not work for me. I should receive it by the weekend and will keep you curious folks informed. I should say, I decided to purchase the Tropical, which is the same weight as HH’s Expedition at 2.5 lbs. Not too bad…

Big B, I feel the HH rainfly is very much inadequate coverage – this after sleeping in it last night in the rain. The only area that was wet when I woke was the feet area, but it was a lite rain with moderate wind. I feel that the mountains would have surely unleashed much harsher weather that would have pushed the HH to it’s limit – a limit, I feel, that would have resulted in much more than a damp sleeping bag! Soon I will have experience (backyard) with the Clark, so like I said, I will be sure to let you peeps know.

Rob, I do like the dual-side access and the other features Clark offers. I’m not too sure how helpful/useful the bottom pockets will be, but I’m willing to test 'em.

Thanks to all and I will be sure to drop a note later…

Dawg

Dawgtrekker

#12

You can sleep on your side in the Clark which seems more comfortable to me. I’ve used mine for rhe last 3 yrs here in Ga. all yr long. You will find lots of uses for the pockets,mine has 6. Keep your h2o in one for easy sipp’n, stash clothing,etc…I tend to keep mine fairly tight with just a little sag for comfort. Glad to answer any questions ya have on them. I also use an 8x10 sil tarp but you might have the larger top.

Tater

#13

Dawg - I’ve never used the Clark so I have no personal experience with the pockets. Their literature, though, says the pockets provide dead air space insulation below your bag, making it a lot warmer than just hanging your butt out there in the breeze. Sounds plausible.

pigpen

#14

Think the solution to wet Hennessey is to lower the fly, make sure that it is centered and tighten down the guy lines closer to the ground. This pulls the fly down over the hammock like a cacoon. I have slept three times in the rain, once with wind and never got a drop using this method.

I also sleep sideways and sleep like a baby.

Kabar

#15

I found that during rain, its better to pull the fly down and not leave it up. You will notice that the cut of the fly matches to the mesh of the hammock. In other words,you should be able to cover the no see um with the fly. What happens is,you get evrything really nice and tight and then when you get into the hammock your weight brings the hammock down and the fly goes limp. To solve this I held the fly down with shock cord. That way the fly is pulled down with the hammock.

Virginian

#16

The Clark has a fly and a storm/rain cover attached to the hammock itself. If it rains heavy you can zip up the storm cover tight around the hammock and set the upper fly to enclose the whole shebang. If it is cold the inner storm cover will help to retain heat. When I sleep in the Clark Jungle Hammock I do not stake out the upper fly but let it hang on either side of the hammock. I suppose that by staking the fly out it would provide better coverage if there was a wind or the fly could be hung higher to provide more viewability.

Part of the adventure of Hammocking is to try out various ways of getting comfortable. In Winter weather the time for experimenting may be short as comfort is sought quickly. In Spring or Summer there is less of a need for retaining heat but there might be a dire need to provide protection from the rain.

Happy Hanging!

Skylander

Skylander