Clark North American Hammock review

[Mataharihiker]

First...a TR about my first night using the Clark. I went for an over-nighter along the St Croix River in Wisconsin last week-end, Nov 3rd...just a walk-in campsite but I was alone so it was lovely...temps got down below freezing. There was a little drizzle just as I went to bed and a little snow just as I got up...frost on the tarp. I, unfortunately, went to bed dehydrated and woke up at 2am with frozen feet. This was not the fault of the hammock but rather my idiocy going to bed dehydrated and not eating enough for dinner. I woke up at 2am, heated up some water and, after drinking that, felt much better. I also closed the Weathershield at that time as the sky had cleared and the temperature was dropping like a stone. My feet didn't thaw out until I had breakfast just before sunrise. I also was pushing my luck using the GoLite Fur quilt in those temps...a mistake I won't make again...it's OK above freezing but definitely not warm enough for me when the thermometer dips below 32F.

I used a full length Exped Downmat 7, GoLite Fur quilt..maybe rated at 32F...I don't remember....I slept in silk longjohns, Montbell down pants and vest with extra clothing stuffed in the pockets...I wore a hat, Smartwool socks, Nunatak down booties, lightweight silk gloves and my nose cozy...my torso never got cold...only my feet.

I love that hammock! I disconnected the tarp from the hammock and added lines to the foot end of the tarp. I had 3 lines running to the tree...one for the tarp, one for the netting and one for the hammock body...this gave me what I wanted...the tarp was well above the netting, the netting (I used the supplied bungee cords...added separate lines to each to attach them to their respective tree) well above the body and the body a comfortable sitting distance from the ground.

I tied one side of the tarp closer to the ground to block the wind and used sticks to create a nice porch on the other side like I always do...no problems finding sticks on the ground in the Great Northwoods. I tied the foot ends of the tarp out using reflective lines so it was easy to find in the dark.

After I closed the Weathershield it got much warmer in the hammock...at least 15 degrees warmer than it was outside according to my thermometer...I left it open a tad to vent...

I had added a mesh pocket on elastic lines to an inside ridgeline...this worked very nicely to hold my glasses and gave me something to attach my ever-present water bottle (I have no saliva glands so much always have water with me)..

This was my first night in the Clark so I expect to fine tune things as I go but I must say the Clark more than met my expectations...

More info:

The hammock weighed in at 3#'s 4oz out of the box...there are 6 pockets, 3 per side, that run under the hammock...these are easy to access, roomy and very convenient. The air spaces created when you fill them with gear also helps keep you warm from below...

The Weathershield is a great invention...when I deployed it after my 2am hot water break I was amazed at how quickly it got warm inside the hammock...the only inconvenient thing is that there is no storage pocket for the mesh so it must also be zipped up if you add the Weathershield or you will have mesh tangled up at the foot end. This will be an easy fix, I think but, to tell you the truth, I kinda like using the mesh with the Weathershield...I figures if there was any condensation on the Weathershield the mesh would stop it from dripping on me...well, there WAS a light dusting of frost but it never reached me. The zippers are not flimsy in any way. I found they slid easily and had no trouble getting in and out of the hammock in the dark without using any light source.

Everything in this hammock was well thought out and executed...like the Hennessy, this is a quality product...I just found I prefer a side to a bottom entry which is the only reason I changed hammocks...I still think the Hennessy is the coolest looking hammock on the market and their Snakeskins a great product.

Anyway, there are 2 pockets at the head end of the Clark...someone really thought about these as they are rectangular with velcro closing at the top and one end open so easily would hold a flashlight...for those that use them...in my case it held my shiny Brunton LED lantern that packs one heckuve lotta light...the pockets are not on the mesh so they are strong...

Clark's mesh system is ideal for me...you can enter the hammock from either side and, should you choose to not use it, stuff it into the foot pockets that hold the Weathershield...I like to keep the backside mesh zipped up, myself, so junk doesn't fall from the hammock to the ground...the mesh is made to be attached to the tarp using bungee cords...I prefer to hang the mesh separately ...this means I have 3 lines going from the hammock set-up to the tree but that also makes it very simple to adjust since I use tautline hitches on 2 of the lines. It seems I almost never camp when it does not rain, snow or blow so I'm always having to arrange things so I can live under the tarp...I can easily do this using the XL Clark tarp...

If you click on the word " phases" on the Clark website [then navigate using the 'next' link], you can see the various ways this hammock can be set up...it will also show the Weathershield.

I must add that you would need hands of steel to get the hammock to roll up that small in it's stuffsack...I've chosen to put the tarp in a separate stuffsack since I set it up first. We'll see what happens if I decide to try Snakeskins...

So, in conclusion, if the Hennessy bottom entry hammock is not your cup of tea I can say the Clark is worth the investment...it is something that will last for years...I am a happy camper!

More pictures of the hammock are in my photo gallery.

[tracyn]

Nice setup! Thanks for pictures. Since you had down booties on, would you consider trying those chemical heat packs in your booties to help with your feet the next time?

Appreciate the detailed post.

[nogods]

You and my son agree on the Clark.

I found the attached suff sack easy to use and more than enough room for both hammock and fly. But like you, I would store any fly in a seprate bag in anticipation of it getting wet during use and not wanting it to wet the hammock during storage. That risk is a little lower with the Clark because you first stuff the hammock into the storage pocket which should give it some sepration from the tarp if you put the tarp in the stuff sack last, but you still might wet the inside of that storage pocket.

[Perkolady]

Thanks for your review!
I can see this moving up on my wish list...

Please keep us posted on future trips with your Clark- especially if you experience some foul weather.

Perkolady

[Mataharihiker]

So, I was on a backpacking, snowshoe trip last week-end when the temps in one of our January thaws...since it was going to be a damp night as temps climbed above freezing I though it perfect for the Clark...and, it was...I used the Exped Downmat 7 long, as usual for cold weather camping...with the Feathered Friends Eider (-20) bag I was wonderfully warm...I am a very, very cold sleeper...

The 10 friends who were on this winter camping trip all trooped over at one time or another to admire the Clark...the Weathershield attracted a lot of attention although it was so warm that night I didn't need to deploy it...some Hennessy owners (I once was one) definitely saw the greater living options offered by the Clark...we agreed the Hennessy was great for times you wanted to just throw a hammock up and sleep but, when it came to bad weather and living under a hammock tarp, the Clark offered far more options...

[Hobbit]

I really enjoy my two Clark Hammocks, the NA and Ultralight. However, they are a bit narrower than most hammocks I've tried and do hug a bit more especially when side sleeping.

When my knees or feet press against the sides, they get cold. I have tried pad extenders, wings, to provide more insulation on the sides. I've had some success with this but have had additional clothing stuffed in here and there to take care of cold spots. I think I'll ust try adding a section of thin pad that goes side to side, the full width of the hammock, if it will stay put.

Looking over your photos I don't see any pad extenders etc for added insulation on the sides of the hammock. Do you think the pockets on the sides or even the thickness of your sleeping bag/quilt protect against cold on the sides? Thanks for your input.

[Mataharihiker]

I also sleep on my side...I always have clothes in my bag so if I feel a cold spot I just shove some clothes between it and me...I'm pretty skinny (5 ' 7 "-110 lbs) so it's usually my knees that hit the cold spot...also, I kinda under-inflate my sleeping pad so it curls up around me...

[PBF Support]