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View Full Version : Bought a Clark, Right Decision?



BigDemps
04-21-2005, 23:37
I just bought a Clark North American with an XL Fly. Anxious to Try it out, but hoping that I made the right decision. (It has not arrived yet). I was drawn in my decision between it and the Hennessy. Read several reviews of both hammocks and it all seems to boil down to tit for tat. I am 6'5" and a side sleeper. I am hoping that the Clark will meet my needs. the easy entry, gear pockets, extended seasonal use won me over....not to mention that the netting and the fly can be pulled back easily to just sleep under the stars or use it as a chair if I wish. Versitility was the key in my decision. However, I know that the strengths of the Hennessy is roominess, comfort, and light weight. Heard several positive reviews of the comfort of the Clark. hoping this is true cause If the thing is not comfortable, then the versitility is of no use to me. I currently do some moderate backpacking and am hoping that the extra pound is worth the trade off for the versatility.

If anyone out there has a Hennessy and a Clark, am interested to hear your opinion. Is there one that stays in the closet more than the other? Want to make sure that this hammock give me years of satisfied camping/backpacking for years to come.

Thanks
BigDemps

Pencil Pusher
04-22-2005, 00:46
Too late now! ;)

MedicineMan
04-22-2005, 01:09
on the serious side I dont know anything about the Clarks, but at least its a hammock and you can hang now.....does it have the pockets underneath?

neo
04-22-2005, 01:25
happy hammock hanging to ya:cool: neo

attroll
04-22-2005, 01:44
wbdent As previously stated it is to late now. You should have posted the question before you made the purchase. I own a HH. I don't know a thing about the Clark other then I almost bought one until I ran across the HH. The reason I did not buy the Clark was because it was heavier then HH and that you could not lay flat in the Clark but you can in the HH. The removable bug netting would have been nice on the HH but not a must. I can sit in my HH and use it as a chair with the bug netting on it. A good place to go to read reviews and learn more about the HH is at the following link. http://www.hikinghq.net/gear/hennessey_assym_hammock.html.

Hikerhead
04-22-2005, 07:22
You'll be happy with your Clark. Especially when you wake up dry after a night of storms or warm with snow on the ground.

Youngblood
04-22-2005, 08:02
Clark makes a fine backpacking hammock, as do several other manufacturers. They all do a few things a little differently and in a sense it comes down to personal preferences. The Hennessy Hammocks in particular are well represented on this site. I personally use a home made version of the Speer Hammock and am very happy with it. Your biggest concern might be your size and the fact that it is very difficult to try one out before you buy it. There is a group of hammock campers getting together this weekend in Hot Springs, NC at Trailfest if you are interested ( http://www.speerhammocks.com/Assets/HotSpringsApr05.htm ) and that may be an opportunity for you to actually see and maybe try out a few different hammocks and even some of the insulation techniques/products. People show up with whatever hammocks they want to, Ed Speer will be there and Jack Tier had previously said he was showing up with his Hennessy Hammock and the Jacks'R'Better product line. Trail Days is a big event in Damascus, VA that occurs next month and usually a few of the hammock vendors will have their hammocks there as well.

BigDemps
04-22-2005, 17:45
As previously stated it is to late now. You should have posted the question before you made the purchase. I own a HH. I don't know a thing about the Clark other then I almost bought one until I ran across the HH. The reason I did not buy the Clark was because it was heavier then HH and that you could not lay flat in the Clark but you can in the HH. The removable bug netting would have been nice on the HH but not a must. I can sit in my HH and use it as a chair with the bug netting on it. A good place to go to read reviews and learn more about the HH is at the following link. http://www.hikinghq.net/gear/hennessey_assym_hammock.html.
Well, it's not exactly too late. I sent emails to both HH and Clark before making my decision. I was told by Mr. Clark that they would refund my money if I was at all dissatisfied with the hammock. The only thing that they would not refund was the shipping. With all the features of the Clark and all the positive reviews by those who own both hammocks, I decided to give it a try. I only wish that I could try out the HH Explorer Deluxe Asym at the same time so I could make an informed decision. Even if there was an outdoor dealer in my area that sold the HH, They probably would not have the model that accomodates my 6'5" frame. I realize that this is a HH slanted forum, but the vibe I am getting is that very few of these persons have even tried the Clark. Since I can get my money back, I decided to risk the shipping for a chance to try it out. If I feel like a stuft grilled burito at night, and I walk hunched over in the morning with back pain, then back it goes. Hopefully I will have a good experience.

Lilred
04-22-2005, 17:58
Let us know how it works out for you.

BigDemps
04-22-2005, 18:02
on the serious side I dont know anything about the Clarks, but at least its a hammock and you can hang now.....does it have the pockets underneath?
Yeah,

It has 6 pockets underneath for storage and as an insulation barrier against cold weather. Apparently, this featrue is what gives it it's "4 season" status. This is another reason why I chose it, so that I could get the most use out of it year round. But the question is, "is it comfortable?" does anyone out there have evidence that it is not comfortable? As far as it's size, it is advertized as being large enough to fit a person up to 6'8".....at least judging from the chart on their website. Hopefully this is the case.
BigDemps

BigDemps
04-22-2005, 18:04
You'll be happy with your Clark. Especially when you wake up dry after a night of storms or warm with snow on the ground.
Hikerhead,

Do you have a Clark? Have you ever slept in a HH. If so How would you compare them?

BigDemps

Hikerhead
04-22-2005, 20:14
Hikerhead,

Do you have a Clark? Have you ever slept in a HH. If so How would you compare them?

BigDemps

These are my opinions and mine only. I don't want to start a war with the HHers.

Like everything, there's pluses and minuses to these. The HH is lighter than the Clark. You do have more of an open feeling and the ability to stretch out completely flat in the HH with nothing touching your sides. The Clark is a little more restrictive. The side will be touching you. If the Clark is set up tight between the trees, you will be able to sleep on your back or on your side comfortably. If it's not tight, you will feel like a banana.

You're likely to stay dryer in a Clark with it's too layers of water protection, on the expedition model anyway. I've had a bad experience in the HH when water pooled up on the fly and then dumped right into the hammock. This was a cold rain and I was using a down bag. Pissed-off'd is saying it mildly. Part of this experience was my own fault I'll admit, because of the way I set it up. But when you get somewhere late and it's starting to rain, you won't always take the time to do it just right. The Clark does away with the "Dummy Factor". In addition to the fly, it has a water resistant cover over the bug netting. I believe you can now get an oversized fly with the HH. The fly on my HH is just a couple of inches wider than the platform. both of my models are a couple of years ole.

You'll be warmer in a Clark because of the pockets underneath and also because of this extra solid layer. In the cold, a small piece of foam in the bottom will keep you warm. I've slept in it a few time with the temps in the 20's and stayed warm just using the foam padding that's in my Wildthing Pack. Even though this extra layer traps in heat and blocks out the wind, it breaths. I've never had any condensation problems in it.

The main reasons I like the Clark. Being able to zip off the netting and folding everything out of the way and cowboying it. Plus, everything is within reach in the pockets underneath. And when it rains, I know I'll be dry. The HH has been in the closet for a couple of years.

What I did when I was trying to figure out which one to buy. I ordered the light and heavy model of each brand. I then took all four out into the woods. I decided to keep the heavier models of each and returned the others. Both companies knew of this when I placed my order and had no problem taking the others back. Both companies are great to deal with.

And yes, I have had some good nights of rest in the HH.

briarpatch
04-22-2005, 22:07
I have both a Clark and a Hennessy and posted a mini-differences description in this thread http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8214.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

BigDemps
04-24-2005, 17:55
Thanks guys for all your input.

As of right now, I am still waiting for the thing to get here so I can try it out. I am fairly certain that I am going to be pleased with my purchase. However, I wish that Clark or Hennessy would incorporate more features of the others hammock into a new design so that there would be little sacrifices between the two brands. I have a funny feeling that I will be buying a Hennessy Safari Deluxe Asym in the distant future for when my wife and I go exploring. As of right now, my job with the BSA is an extremely buisy one and leaves me very little time to plan personal trips. Most of the camping I do in a year is solo at camporees and events to assist the volunteers. I think the Clark will work very nicely for this purpose, especially as we have a Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Camporee planned through next year. With the Clark, I will have to do a little less in the next 9 months to prepare it for the cold. Who knows, by the time I am ready to by a HH Safari Asym, Clark may double the width, provide stake outs, and lighten the weight to create the ultimate Hammock. With my luck, it will happen a month from now wherin I will be kicking myself.
Thanks again for the help Hikerhead and Happy2behiking.
BigDemps

Just Jeff
04-24-2005, 20:50
More width isn't always a good thing. I just made one reducing the width from 60" to 48", and it's very comfortable on first test. I haven't slept in it yet to know for sure, but I think I like it better than the wider versions I've made. Increasing the length made it more comfy, too.

Warmth is largely an after-market consideration for hammocks at this point. Check www.jacksrbetter.com (http://www.jacksrbetter.com) for underquilts, www.speerhammocks.com (http://www.speerhammocks.com) for peapods (and he's about to introduce a cool segmented pad extender for folks who don't want to give up their pads for the quilts), or www.imrisk.com (http://www.imrisk.com) for making an insulated hammock. You can even quilt a camping quilt directly to the hammock, which would likely be a lot warmer than a Clark.

FWIW, HH and Clark aren't the only two camping hammocks out there...check Sgt Rock's or Ed Speer's pages for a list. Each one has its own merits and your "ultimate hammock" might not be mine...so it would be hard for a manufacturer to choose a specific set of features to please everyone. If you want a specific set of features, make your own! Hammocks are pretty simple to make, and you can do it for MUCH cheaper than buying, and with VERY rudimentary sewing skills. I'll help you out if you're interested.

Ramble~On
04-27-2005, 03:49
BigDemps,

I have a Clark N.A. with extra large fly.
In fact I just spent the past three nights in it. Last night 22 degrees and very windy.
I like it. It works for me. I went with a Clark over the HH for several reasons.
You can have entry from either side, the zippers on the neting and the weather barrier are entire. You can totally unzip each and store them out of the way in built in storage sacks. I have used the hammock in 4 seasons. I do not use an underquilt. The pockets beneath the hammock store all of my gear including my pack and boots. With the pockets stuffed with gear it hads insulation to the bottom of the hammock.
The "extra large fly" I would hate to see the size of the "regular" fly. It's small.
I am 5'11. At 6'5 you will probably take some getting used to the burrito effect.
I have never gotten wet in the hammock. I haven't had any condensation problems. I sleep well. I sleep on my back or side in comfort.
I still use a tent from time to time but the hammock is a great way to shave weight and sets up quick.
Enjoy!