Clark Hammock arrived, Hennessy to follow

[schmalts]

I am going to do a Hammock review and maybe keep one that i like for early season hunts instead of a tent. For comparison i am 6'1" and 210 pounds. here is a link to the ones i will test. http://www.junglehammock.com/
http://www.hennessyhammock.com/
For those of you that are not familiar, these things are really catching on with lightweight back packers and trekers. They are fast up and fast down, no need to find a level spot, or worry about a low spot that water would puddle. No need to ever have rocks and sticks poking you through the floor and thermarest of a tent. All you need is 2 trees 10-20 feet apart, or a tree and a rock, truck, whatever. No more sore pressure points like hips and shoulders from sleeping on your side (heavier guys have this problem because thermarest bottoms out)
I set up the Clark as best as i could with the limited trees in my yard (had to use a clothes line pole on one end) They were too far apart so i couldnt get a good high lift on the bug mesh and upper center line on one end because of the lack of sag in the ropes since the trees were so far apart.
Initial impression.. Its smaller than i though, and the canoe effect is a little wierd but tolerable. I think the hennessy will get a brownie point in that area.
I did like the fact you can zip off the mesh and twist it up on the upper line out of the way. It is comfortable and i was surprised that you are fairly level in it. Side sleeping is possible and more comfortable than trying to balance on a thermarest in a tent because the hammock keeps you cradled in there. I wanted to sleep out in it but you couldnt pay me enough tonight.... lows in the mid 80's with over 90% humidity. Sweated like a pig just laying in it with the mesh unzipped. No way i would go in it with the mesh zipped up, and i would need it for the skeets.
Getting in it is easy and it is very stable.
Thunderstorms rolling in so i decided to take it down so nothing get messed up in case i return it if i decide on the Hennessy. I took it down in less than 2 minutes!
Advertised weight was true, a little over 3.5 pounds and this was the XL rain fly model. (North American)
I will give it the real test this weekend, and hopefully test the Hennessy as well and write up a report.
Later

 

[schmalts]

This weekend I had a chance to try out a new outdoor sleeping method. Hammocks have been gaining popularity in the hiking community for a while now because they are light, comfortable, and fast to set up and take down. The things that make a hammock a great alternative to a tent is the fact that there is no need to find level ground, clear an area of rocks and sticks, carry a sleeping pad in warm weather camping. There are hammocks under 2 pounds on the market, combine that with not having to carry a sleeping pad and how much would you be saving in weight in your back pack?

There are quite a few hammocks on the market and through my research the two I tested seem to be the most popular. These are the Clark Jungle hammock, and the Hennessy hammock (HH). Both companies make different models for different users according to their height, weight, and general needs. I chose the Clark North American with the XL (extra large) fly, and the Hennessy Explorer Ultralight Asymmetrical with the larger hexagonal fly offered. Here is the Hennessy without the fly. I didnt put the fly on so i didnt get pictures of that, but you can see that on thier website. Here is the HH

Here is the Clark

I headed up to my hunting land to give them both a whirl. I have a large shed and a 29 foot camper I use as a hunting shack. I figured I could put both the hammocks up and if I didn’t sleep well I could abort and go inside the camper.

Lets talk about some of the differences to start with. The Hennessy is lighter and was advertised at 2 pounds 14 oz but the actual weight was 3 pounds 1oz. I do not think they included the stuff sack in their advertised weight. The Clark was advertised at 3 pounds 8oz. but came in at 3 pounds 10oz.
I may add that the stuff sack for the Clark is built into one of the pockets.

Setup was easy with both and take down was even faster. I cannot say what it will take to set up one of these after a bit of practice but I imagine it could be 2-4 minutes with ideal conditions. Take down on either can be done in 2 minutes or less. It will take longer to put them in the stuff sacks than to actually get them down! Both have main body tie ropes on the ends but the HH has 2 additional side tie outs that spread the hammock body out. The rain flies are pretty much the same concept with a couple main tie ropes and a few side tie outs to spread the canopy. I didn’t actually put the fly on for the HH because it wasn’t going to rain that night and I could get better pictures of this hammock without it.

The Clark has something the HH didn’t have called a weather shield. This was a second wall that zipped over the bug mesh the same way it would in a tent. They claim this is also for holding in warmth in cold temps. Seems like a nice feature but it is probably what made it weigh more than the HH all said and done. Here is a picture with the Clark's weather shield 3/4 zipped

Entering the two is very different. The Clark is the same as the run of the mill backyard hammock where you stand on the side and sit down, then swing your legs in. But the Clark is designed with a no-tip feature and I have to say that you would have to be trying to tip this thing to actually have it happen. I never even felt like I was close to becoming unstable in it. The HH is very different. You enter the hammock through the bottom. Sounds confusing, but yes you actually enter through a large slit in the foot end of the main body by crawling under the hammock and opening the slit up and stand up into the hammock. Then you sit down into it and pull your legs up and the slit snaps closed from your weight on the hammock body. My guess is they did this to make it stable to get into, and the lack of any zippers on this hammocks gives less to go wrong. This is also a very stable hammock that would be darn near impossible to tip. I have to say I prefer the entry method the Clark gives you, and you can enter from either side because the bug mesh can be unzipped on either or both sides. Here is the entry slit on the HH

That brings up the bug mesh; the mesh on the HH is not removable. The Clark can be unzipped and rolled up onto the upper support rope to get it out of the way. To me this was the biggest decision breaker on the two. It was hot and humid when I tested these and there was a pretty big difference in the internal comfort level with the mesh on or off so the Clark got a major plus point here. This also made it easy to unzip the mesh and use the Clark as a place to side sit and eat or get dressed.

Inside the hammocks were very different. The HH with its wider cut and side lines that pull out the body make it very roomy and open inside.
Here is an inside view of the HH and you can see the entry slit down the middle

The Clark was plenty roomy but didnt look like it. The way it is designed it hugs you closer and even if you want to sleep on your side, you can be very comfortable still because although it hugs you, it’s extra material bunches up as spare room when you need it. With the HH you don’t touch the sides at all while sleeping in it and I guess the best I can explain how it feels is like if you were laying in a trampoline that was loose and stretched out. Both hammocks are designed that you are sleeping fairly level and the little curve you do get actually conforms well to your body and makes it less likely to ever need a large pillow to lift your head and get that proper shape to sleep well.

I liked the way the Clark hugged me more than the open feeling you had with the HH. I think this may be an opinion that will vary with a lot of people though. I also like the fact that when lying in the Clark you could see better out the sides. The HH seemed that you had to lift your head a bit to see out of it because the wider sides slowly sloped upwards.

The hammocks both had a pocket area inside to store a few small things like a flashlight or bear protection pistol but the Clark has 6 large pockets on the outside to store gear in. These pockets are also designed to be stuffed with spare clothes, or leaves and dry grass to add a layer of insulation to your back in cold weather. The HH offers an under blanket kit that can be put on to aid in this as well, but adds to the cost and weight.

I slept in the HH the first night. It was nice and comfy. I did however notice that you can feel the center support ridge in the middle of the body. It seems that most sleep slightly diagonal to achieve the most level position in this hammock. I woke up a few times, once to relieve natures call. Getting out in the dark wasn’t too bad, but the Clark once again won out on this note.

The next day I moved my sleeping bag over to the Clark and took a short nap. It was then pretty easy to see I was leaning towards keeping this one. Like I said before I prefer the hugging effect, or what some call the Canoe or burrito effect that it gave me. I laid in it and it was hot and humid, but I reached up and unzipped the bug mesh and things got a lot cooler, something you cannot do with the HH. Picture of the Clark with my bag in it. It looks cramped but it really isnt.

That night came the real test….. a thunderstorm. So I went to the local tavern and had a pizza and a few beers and told a few of the locals I was going to sleep in a hammock tonight with the thunderstorm coming. They looked at me like I was a loon. I return to my camp spot around 10PM and got in just as the lightning and thunder was rolling in. Did I say lightning? Yea, lots of it. So here I am hanging in this thing and cannot help but wonder if it is safer hanging between two trees or sleeping in my camper. I couldn’t help but wonder if the trees got hit if I would get killed! Yea, it was like a strobe light was on out there. Then the rains came… it was raining pretty hard. Not a torrential downpour but a good hard rain. I think we got 7/8 inch that night. I felt a drip, and a few others hit the bug mesh and spray me a little. I took my head light and looked to see where it was coming from. I found that the fly had a seam that leaked a little. Kind of bummed but I knew it was an easy fix with a tube of seam sealer. I also knew that I would never trust and tent or hammock’s factory waterproofing and it would have been sealed and sprayed before a real trip anyway. So with that, I reached out and pulled up the “weather shield” and zipped it ¾ up to protect me from the drip. This weather shield is a nice feature. Not only is it a second defense from rain, but it will hold warmth in on a cold night. You can zip it up all the way and completely close yourself in, or leave a couple feet open around your head for condensation relief.

After the lightning show ended and the rains slowed up a little I fell asleep. Later i woke and thought “why is the motion light on the shed lit up?” well I got a little more coherent and realized it wasn’t the yard light, it was the horizon getting light. I had slept right on through until sunrise. I rolled on my side, closed my eyes and fell asleep again and woke up around 7:30. Here is a picture in the morning after getting poured on. notice one small area on the ground that is still dry
http://home.wi.rr.com/schmalts/index.html/hammock/binos%20042.jpg[img]

Needless to say this was the best night of sleep while camping I ever had. I am sold on hammock camping for good.

So what one did I decide to keep? The Clark. I guess I feel the added features it has are worth the weight difference. The HH is a great hammock, and costs less, but it just wasn’t for me. If I was going to buy a hammock just for weekend long treks in mild weather I think the HH models would be a great choice for this because they make versions that are less than 2 pounds. Clark also makes a lighter version but it deletes the weather shield and some of the pockets. I also needed the larger versions of some hammocks because I am over 6 foot and over 200 pounds. Someone less than both that height and weight can get a considerably lighter hammock so keep that in mind. I think you can’t go wrong with either and urge any of you to think “outside of the box” and try one for a weekend.

Update: I called Clark to ask about the leaking rain fly. The Gentleman said it was very unusual that it leaked and was very interested in examining the fly. He sent a new one out the day I called and asked that I return the leaking one as soon as I could. He said the Silicon Nylon material is not real great to seam seal because the material is so slippery that the sealer doesn’t stick very well. As long as i get the new fly I will be a happy camper...

 

[Buckrub]

Schmalts,
Now that was a well wrote, very interesting review on the 2 hammocks!!
They both have some neat features and for minimal duration hunts seem to be pretty practical. The photos you provided made your explaination of both easier to understand.
Thanks!! I thoroughly enjoyed the info.

 

[schmalts]

Minumal duration? Man if the weather is mild i plan to use this for a 9 day hunt! Way more comfortable than a small tent. There is some give and take but for me, it seems that I would grab this over a tent for 90% of my hunts.

 

[noharleyyet]

Nice job Schmalts. Very comprehensive review...thanks.

 

[Oak]

How much were the models you tested? How do you think they would do (or how would you sleep) if the wind was blowing really hard?

 

[mtmiller]

How do you think they would do (or how would you sleep) if the wind was blowing really hard?

I think he would sleep like a baby in a cradle.

 

[schmalts]

I tell you what, when i sleep in my backyard hammock the best thing that can happen is it will sway in the breeze a bit. The HH will swing less with its side stake out ropes.
As tested the HH was 259$ with the larger fly (not shown in pictures)
And the Clark was pushing 300$ with the XL fly.
The HH i found later far cheaper on Ebay, and i would not get the larger fly because from the research i did i found that a lot of guys buy this Tarp of similar material from Sportsman's guide for way cheaper.
http://shop2.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=97247 That would bring the HH down to the 170$ range. But keep in mind, i am a Fat Ass and over 6' need the heavier and more expensive models. Take a look at the links and see for yourself but keep in mind i have seen the HH's sell for much cheaper on Ebay. The Clark i have not seen on there yet.