July 27, 2007

May 22, 2007

March 13, 2007

I am proud to say I am an owner of a Clark Jungle hammock. I do not live in a jungle nor do I live near one. I chose your hammocks because I do a lot of ultralight backpacking and the weight ratio is perfect. it packs up small but it truly is versatile enough to be a 4 season tent.

I spent a couple of nights in it last winter during a fishing trip in what turned out to be the coldest temperatures we have seen in a decade in western Washington. All I can say is WOW! I stayed warm and dry through the night utilizing the pockets under the hammock as thermal insulation by stuffing them with excess gear. It worked like a charm and I was SOLD! I've used it on every trip ever since to try setting it up in different ways. I added static kernmantle rope and a self locking pulley to make set up even faster and to allow me to adjust the "sag" from inside the hammock, again it works great and I couldn't be more pleased. I bought mine before the camo models were available and since my buddies are in awe of the hammock, I may be sending some fellow backpackers your way. I may need to get myself a camo one just to vary my inventory and have one for my wife who also accompanies me on some of my trips.

Thanks for making a great product and keep up the good work!

Jake Wells
Tacoma, WA

October 25, 2006

Here are some pictures and a testimonial about my use of your north American jungle hammock. I have gotten some great use out of it! I first purchased my Clark Jungle Hammock for a three month expedition in Central America. Whether strung between palm trees on an island off the coast of Belize, in the rain forest along the river Macal, on the beaches of Costa Rica or the mountains of Guatemala, the Clark never let me down. Let me repeat that: The Clark never let me down. I always had a comfortable bed, safe and high and dry, and away from the brutal mosquitoes of the region. I always knew that no matter where I ended up, I always had shelter, even from the roughest wind and rain.

I returned home and began training for my next adventure, a five month hike through the eastern mountain ranges of the US, along the Appalachian Trail. From Springer Mountain, GA to Mt. Katahdin, ME, the Clark never left my pack. I was at an advantage in such terrain, for I had no need for a flat space to camp - many times I would camp on a slope, to watch a sunset or to wake up to a perfect view. In the summer months, daytime temperatures would top 100 degrees, but the cool night breeze through the mosquito screen always put me to sleep. In the fall and spring, the night temperature would drop as low as 25, but I was always warm and comfortable in my cocoon. My Clark allowed me to escape the limitations of normal hiking, and camp wherever I wanted to.

I am 6'5", 250 lbs. I have also had my dog Jack, an 85 lb Great Pyrenees, sleep in the hammock with me several times (although we exceeded the weight limit, the Clark held us without any problem). No matter who you are, no matter what you want to do, the Clark is an essential piece of gear. Step out of your box, and find the adventure you have been waiting for. This is one time I definitely got my money's worth!

Joey Shonka (AKA POLAR BEAR)

August 14, 2006

Solitude in a Clark!

I purchased one of your UltraLights last year and have been backpacking several times with it. I'll have to say I can actually get a good night's sleep now with the hammock. Previously I used a small tent and a sleeping pad but I would always wake up at 2 a.m. with sore sholders and hips. With the UltraLight it's like sleeping in a real bed with no pressure points.

This photo was taken at Temple Hill Gap which is located between No Business Knob and Erwin. My Clark Ultralight was set up on the side of the mountain about 50 yards above the trail on a 30 degree slope. Try that with a tent!

I also posted this photo on the Whiteblaze.net site along with several other shots of my various trips along the AT.

Thanks for a great product,
ATweed

August 14, 2006

"Love this Hammock! I've used the Jungle Hammock for backpacking, bicycling, and just plain camping, and I really, really like it. It's a wonderful inovation that is light, durable and comfortable. I'm a hammock lover and I think there is no better form of camping application. I'm sure I'll have and use mine for years to come."

Louis Pitoni
Rochester, NY

August 14, 2006

First, let me start off by saying how amazed and pleased I am with the hammock (purchased a few months ago). I am a back patient, and refuse to give up the great outdoors. I wake with minimal back pain when I sleep in your hammock. People can't believe it, but it is true. You may have heard about the terrible storm that hit New York State this past week. There were torrential rains, floods, and very strong winds. Attached are photos of my hammock. The storm hit at night when I was sleeping. I stayed completely dry.

I could carry on with the great places I have already been with the hammock, but that's for another time. Enough to say I am a very happy customer.

Sincerely,

Mark Sennett
Rochester, NY

May 1, 2006

I purchased a North American Camo Hammock to use while hiking the Appalachian Trail this year, and although I did not complete my Thru-hike attempt due to injury, I used the hammock every night I could for a month straight, even after others had sent their hammocks home after being cold or wet on the trail. In snow, rain, even hail, the North American Hammock held up like a tank, and is comparable or lighter than a solo tent. Your hammock is a superior product compared to the others offered for 3 or 4 season camping, and everyone that I could get to try it loved it for it's bomb-proof construction, and the cool camo color. I will be using the hammock for years, and I will consider no other shelter type when I hike the A.T. or just camping in the back yard.

Thank you!!!

Eugene Foster "Trooper"
Wesley Chapel, Fl.

January 14, 2006

Dear Clark,

I just wanted to send you a note and give you my thanks for building the Clark Jungle Hammock. I received one for Christmas 4 years ago from one of your biggest fans and have not slept on the ground since. As a Scoutmaster and avid backpacker, climber and hunter, my Beanpod is always in my pack, whether it’s a car camping trip, and overnight hike with my Scouts, or a weeklong (or more) backpacking trip. My first night spent in it was near Flagstaff, AZ the night before a climb of Humphrey’s Peak (in February) when it got down to about +15 degrees. I was amazed when I woke the next morning. I had NEVER slept so well before in the woods, not to mention the fact that there wasn’t a flat piece of ground to be found where we could have put up a tent.

I have spent many nights in driving rainstorms bone dry in my Clark. I’ve spent nights in the snow where the temperature got down to about +5 degrees. I’ve spent nights in 85 degree temps with just the mosquito netting and no fly. I’ve slept under the stars with one end tied to a tree and the other connected to a Hexcentric and wedged into a crack in a rock wall. I’ve been rained on, snowed on, blown around, and buzzed by mosquitoes (on the OTHER side of the netting). Through it all, I slept like a baby.

After about 75 nights of sleeping in my Beanpod, it still looks good as new and everyone who sees it wants to know where they can get one. One of my Assistant Scoutmasters is intrigued by it and wants to get a good hammock. He has been looking at some of the other brands because they are less expensive (but they are really just cheaper). I’ve been a longtime believer that if you spend a little more once for good quality gear, you’ll only have to buy once. Things are usually less expensive for a reason…… He’ll be borrowing my second Clark on our next trip which is all that it will take to convert him for life, I’m sure.

Again, thanks for your hard work and outstanding products.

Walt Brown
Albuquerque, NM

October 21, 2005

Well, the Jungle Hammock totally lived up to our expectations and your marketing. It's definitely not marketing-hype...After a night in our Jungle Hammocks, we felt refreshed, and un-bitten by bugs.

We were several miles into the Guatemalan Jungle inthe Peten area, far from any city. We certainly didn't belong there, as we were in the bugs' home - clearly not ours. It felt like a 5-star hotel in the jungle. All we needed was room service and we'd have been set. I can't believe how much better it feels to sleep in a jungle hammock compared to a tent. Besides, who wants to be on the ground with Jaguars, wild pigs, monkeys, poisonous snakes and *all* kinds of insects roaming around.

I don't have a picture of our camp to show you as we set up and tore down our camp in pitch black, and in a hurry at that.

Bill Griffith

August 16, 2005

Dear Clark,

In a word....WOW!

I had just received my Tropical with XL rain fly a week before leaving for a long weekend on the AT in North Carolina. Finally giving up on trying to sleep on the ground anymore, (I'm 43) and after a lot of looking and research, I hoped this was the solution. I had "practiced" with the hammock a couple of times at home and was pretty confident, but you never know for sure until you're doing it for real.

Four of us hit the trail outside of Robbinsville, NC, heading for Cheoa Bald (5100'). The weather was nice for the hike, and was forecast for about 60* overnight. Oh brother, did we ever catch it on the top. We had gotten camp set up and everything was looking great. Then a storm came across from the East. Winds were at 25-35 mph, and rain so heavy, that as it was approaching, we lost sight of trees in the meadow below us that were less than 100 yards away. The distance could have been less, but I dove into my hammock at that point.

With the fly pegged low, I hung on and thought; "I guess we'll see about this now!" After an hour and a half, the storm passed. Myself, my gear, and my hammock were unscathed, and just as important, dry. My pack rode out the storm on the ground underneath the hammock and still stayed dry! Throughout the storm I peered out at the pack, debating whether I should cover it in a garbage bag,....no need. I slept in the hammock 3 nights, each time was better than the last.

Thanks for a product that really does what the add says. I'm pretty sure you'll be getting at least two more orders for hammocks in the near future, everybody was impressed.

David D'Agresta
Odessa, Florida

June 6, 2005

Hello Clark,

I should be exhausted this morning, but, I am not. After working fourteen hours I had to sleep in the presence of a giant fiesta just a hundred meters from my hammock. There were large generator powered amplifiers blaring until 4:00 AM. I know that, only because the band leader said that is when they would stop. I awoke at 5:00 AM with only the generator and the clinking of metal as they removed the band stand. I have been living in my tropical hammock for just over three years now and it is just as comfortable now as it was the very first night.
Thank you!

Mel Landers
Diriamba, Nicaragua

June 5, 2005

Dear Clark,

Where has this thing been my whole life!

Dude - this is the best thing to happen to camping since portable water filters. It changes the way we camp entirely - we are no longer limited by looking for flat, level ground for a tent.
First, anywhere there are trees we can set up camp - rocky hillsides, over rivers, even truck camping works because we can use the rollbar on my truck as one of the trees. This opens up places in the woods where I would never have considered going because of the limitations of normal tent requirements.

Second, the setup is easier than any standard tent - four knots (more if you want the rain fly) and you are up. I used a simple four-pole dome tent in the past and the setup was just long and hard enough that I wouldn't consider an overnight camping trip at 6:00pm because the setup would have been too much of a pain. We camp much more frequently because we know we'll have the tent up within minutes.

Third, the size and weight are great. Tents that use poles will by definition take up a given amount of room in a backpack. I have the North American and it's still super tiny when rolled up. Some of the trails I take would require that I turn sideways with my old tent in my backpack to get through small squeezes, but no more with the North American. It fits very comfortably on my bicycle, in fact, which has led to more casual camping trips. The lower weight is bonus points.

Fourth, it works for sleeping. I own several hammocks and this is the only one I can sleep in for a couple of reasons. It doesn't sag like normal hammocks. There is enough support where I feel comfortable sleeping. I can also turn over on my side. That is a HUGE factor for sleeping, because I won't spend an entire night on my back if I expect to get any rest. I don't even have to sweat balancing and making sure I'm in the middle of the hammock when I switch sides.

Fifth, it's much cleaner. It's obviously up off the ground (as opposed to traditional tents) and when sitting in it, you can take your shoes off very easily without bringing them into the hammock.
Thanks,

Jason Czito
Soulsbyville, California

May 20, 2005

Hi Clark,

I don't normally do this but I'm e-mailing you to commend you on the exceptional service received from your company. Not only were you happy to defer my order briefly at my request, but the shipping time was astounding.

As for the product itself I can only say nothing comes close to the quality I've found here (lightweight, well-constructed and compactable). Being an Aussie I go camping any chance I can with my mates, and lugging a tent around is a thing of the past for me now. Don't be surprised if you get more orders from Australia-- word of mouth is a powerful thing here. Keep up the good work mate!
Regards from one happy customer,

Jonathan Green
Sydney, Australia

May 1, 2005

Dear Clark,

I'm a four season camper (scoutmaster) who has difficulty sleeping on the ground for more than a few hours. I've been experimenting with a couple of competing hammocks during the last year.

I initially tried hammocks because they are so comfortable. I quickly learned that the privacy of a hammock allows me to read without keeping anyone else awake and hammocks provide many more options in steep terrain. Unfortunately, it was difficult to keep my backside warm and I occasionally had problems with rain and wind.

Last night was my first night in your hammock. The temperature was in the upper thirties. We had a little rain and a little wind. Two features on your hammock made the experience quite pleasant. The extra gear I stowed in the pockets under my back made a huge difference in the warmth of my backside. Additionally, when the wind picked up enough to push the rain up under the fly and against the netting beside my head, I simply zipped the WeatherShield further up the sides and left a small opening over my head beneath the peak of the fly. I didn't have any problems with my own moisture and I didn't have anymore trouble with the rain. Since I was awake, I read a few more pages in the novel and fell asleep as the hammock gently rocked in the breeze.

Bryan Hendricks
Pleasant Grove, Utah

April 1, 2005

Clark personnel,

We gave your bomb proof hammock a small plug on the "jungle primer" page of our site. We were testing just about every hammock on the market while training in Central America last March and decided yours to be the best. Our cadre are really hard on equipment so for yours to come through it is really saying something. We haven't gotten a chance to abuse your North American model yet, but as soon as we get one ordered and head back down, we'll let you know how it turned out. Good job and we are glad to see that it is American made.

1st Sgt Metts
U.S. Rescue & Special
Operations Grp.
www.us-rsog.org

March 17, 2005

To The Whole Jungle Hammock Gang:
First of all, I want to tell you all how enthused I am about your hammocks. I was born and raised in western Washington State, where we have an abundance of natural beauty, but also an abundance of rain. All of my life, my family has tried to get out into that beauty to enjoy it, but my earliest memories are of soggy tents and digging trenches in the downpour. Your hammocks have unlocked that beauty and natural splendor for year-round enjoyment. After purchasing the Jungle Hammock II and the UltraLight last September, I continue to subject your hammocks to everything this climate can dish out, spending 3 cozy nights a week in the forest while the weather has been doing its worst. And now, with the new Deluxe UltraLight model that I have purchased, I believe you have made the perfect hammock, and, of course, the best camping hammock in the world.
Best Wishes and Happing Hanging.

John M. Sattler
Bremerton, Washington

March 11, 2005

Hello A. D. Wade
I just read your review on the Vietnam jungle Hammock, and on the Tropical hammock in Gear Review. You are very correct on your findings with the Jungle hammock. The reason why I'm writing you this email, is to have you check out a site www.junglehammock.com This is the Clark Jungle Hammock.... Not the same things as the old Vietnam Jungle Hammock/tent. The Clark hammock is the best I have tried for camping / backpacking. I have bought and tried quite a few different brands.

It is super stable, light weight, and tough as nails. You can sleep on your side in it, as well as sit in it very easily to get dressed, cook, etc. The only down side is the cost $ 170 to 260 dollars , depending on which model you get, however even with that you GET what you pay for. I feel it is worth every penny. It is a VERY WELL MADE piece of gear you will be able to count on in any type of weather situation. After using the Clark Jungle Hammock I would never consider using any other hammock for serious backpacking / bicycle camping. If you havne't seen this hammock before I suggest you check out their website. It is on par with the quality of their hammock, in other words VERY WELL done.

It's hard to say how I sleep in this hammock, its so comfortable I fall asleep very quickly and usually don't wake up until I hear the wooper wills in the morning.......
Anyway bye for now....... and happy camping.... Call or write me if you have any questions............ Bye for now....

Marshall Singer
Little Rock, Arkansas

February 27, 2005

Hi Jungle Hammock Group,
Your order form asked where I first heard about the Jungle Hammock. Well, you probably won't believe this.

I first found one of your hammocks deep in the jungle of Costa Rica up in a tree - it was abandoned, or so I thought. It was overgrown with about a years worth of growth. The owner had left his sleeping bag and other gear still in it. The hammock was still in good working condition - no rot!. I also found the owner not too far from the hammock - deceased, bitten by a Cascavel (deadly poisonous snake). The owner and the snake (skeletons) were reported to the authorities, - the family was notified and retrived the remains - they gave me the hammock - still works great! There was also a journal by the skeleton. The last entry said, "bit by this snake" (which was still in his grip). The last entry date was aprox. one year before my arrival. I like your hammocks - its time for a new North American model.

Mike Hansen
Sedona, AZ
P.S. I had been looking for your hammocks for about a year and a half, unsuccesfully until I finally saw a picture of it in Backpacker Magazine. You should have seen my eyes light up! I'm sooo happy! Looking forward to receiving my new North American Model. I've already got a trip planned for the day it arrives.

February 19, 2005

Dear Clark Jungle Tent,
I just got my jungle hammock last week and this weekend I put it to the ultimate test....The Blanco River Kayaking trip gone bad! Hopefully this little email will brighten your day! After 6 hours of paddling and fishing we had come to the spot that two years ago we had decided to camp. However, somebody decided to buy the property and build a house on it. This left us with no choice but to paddle on down and look for a suitable spot. Three hours of paddling in the dark and walking our kayaks over shallow water, we found a spot....Sort of!!!! The ground was covered with river rock and the trees were technically not big enough to support my 250lbs. But we were tired and looking forward to a steak and whiskey and coke. After opening the dry storage on the kayak we discovered the container with whiskey had broken and everything including my brand new hammock was soaked in whiskey! It was too late to worry about it, so we hung my hammock and put up my buddy's ground tent. The fishing was great, but lack of whiskey after a hard days rowing took the wind out of our sails. My nights sleep was amazing even though the trees I tied to weren't top notch. I only woke one time in seven hours! That is unheard of when camping for me! My buddy, on the ground in the rocks woke up every 20-30 min. because that side of his body had gone numb. Your jungle tent is well worth the money I spent on the North American model. Thank you for your recommendation and remember to always pack your beverage of choice in a PLASTIC bottle!

Justin
San Angelo, TX

January 31, 2005

Hello,
Just returned from a week in the Belizean rainforest - I had bought one of the closeout original models and used it during the trip. I was impressed with its sturdiness, durability and comfort, and heard a lot of "where can I get one of those?" from fellow rainforest visitors. Thanks for a great product!

Bill Cope
Gainesville, FL

January 16, 2005

Here is a snip from a page at dirtroad.com.
"So far it's my top choice for "Outdoor Gear Product of the Year", and if you go on many long trail trips, you'd be smart to keep one of these in your Jeep. They're fairly small when stored in the included stuff-sack, and fits neatly into any Jeep. It easily sets up almost anywhere in a flash, too. Rocky ground? No trees? So what! Borrow a rock or even a buddy's 4x4!"

December 27, 2004

Dear Clark Outdoor,

As the proud owner of one of your products, I can't say enough about the Comfort, Quality and Design of my Hammock. I am 6'-3", 250 Lbs and an avid backpacker - I'll NEVER go back to sleeping on the ground again. Despite freezing weather, rain, etc., I get the best night's sleep (ON MY SIDE) since I was a kid. When I read the Tent reviews in Backpacking Magazine, I am amazed that more people don't recognize how dumb it is to carry groundsheets, poles, pegs, pads, pillows, etc. In almost every performance category that matters, you beat a tent. Do you have an indoor version? My family is getting tired of me sleeping in the back yard!
Thank you,

G. Scott Kilgore, AIA
Greenville, SC

November 7, 2004

Click here for an independent review of the Clark Jungle Hammock by the Light Weight Backpacker. Read what gear expert Charles Lindsey has to say.

October 19, 2004

Dear Clark Outdoor,
I just love my Jungle Hammock. It is far more comfortable than any of the 15 pads I've tried sleeping on. Attached is a picture of the hammock as I was using it last weekend. I put it up in the dark. It has enabled me to complete hiking all of the major trails in the Lost Creek Wilderness Area.

Yours in Jungle Hammocks,
Dick Vogel

August 15, 2004

Dear Clark Outdoor,
First let me congratulate you and your staff for the way you operate your company. It has sadly been many years since I have encountered a company in which every employee was cheerful, knowledgeable, and genuinely eager to assist the customer. It is for this reason I write this letter. Frankly, I usually don't bother, even with a product as fine as yours. I am typically left with the feeling that no one would bother to read it anyhow. You and your staff have left me feeling as though you are attempting to reinvent customer relations the way they used to be. Thank you. I was a satisfied customer before the hammocks ever arrived.
I've been a camper since my childhood, when it was just dad and I. Now, at 51, my whole family and my four best buddies and their families are involved. We camp out of cars and trucks, canoe to sites, backpack, even camp off of bicycles. There's just no wrong way to get away with the wife, kids and friends. We've been in everything from claustrophobic bivies to three room canvas mansions. While we all own more than one tent, my buddies and I love hammocks, even the "designed and built by the lowest bidder" Army ones we used during Nam. They're light weight, set up quicker than any tent, you don't have to rake the ground, and you never wake up in the middle of the night with rain soaking through the floor.
I set up the Clark Jungle Hammock at home and took a couple of naps in it to get the "new material" stretched out. Surprisingly, not too much - but a little. We've been out now four times with 6 nights spent in the "bean pods" (named by my daughter). My buddies have borrowed them and put more nights into them. My buddies own the ones built by the "other guys." Now, we're not big names in the camping sector. We've never seen a titanium cook set. We're just people who have camped for years in about every type of thing made. And, we've learned a lot about what's good, what's bad, and what's just dumb "techno stuff." Here's what we've learned about your product.

Notice that we have not followed the typical big name reviewer's form, beginning with "out of box quality inspection" verbiage and ending with some lame, limited, conditional recommendation. We assume it will have high quality or we'd have bought a $50 GI hammock. And, the quality of materials and construction don't say a thing about addressing the real needs of camping in a hammock. Trust us, we own high quality hammocks that cost big bucks and perform no better than the GI issue. We've listed our comments in the order of things that "tree hangers" really look for in a hammock to really call it an improvement or an innovation. Yours has hit a mark we've been searching for over 35 years.

1) This hammock DOES NOT SAG. You get a good night's sleep and wake up with no more perceptible sag than when you went to bed. It probably, logically, does sag, but it's so slight that the person inside can't detect it. The other guy's products (for the same money) just don't cut it. Since comfort is the number one complaint about hammocks, you have to assume the other guys don't use their own products and don't listen to their customers because they haven't fixed this in the 35 years we've been complaining. Of the 3 or 4 brands our group uses now - and countless more over the years - yours is the only one that really can make a statement. The Clark product DOES NOT SAG - PERIOD. The others can only make claims - but we've tried them and they don't live up to what they claim.

2) This hammock DOES NOT TIP. The bean pods are amazingly forgiving. Even the kids haven't been able to dump themselves out - and they're as clumsy and rough as any teenagers. I'm sure that we could make these things drop us if we really try, but why bother? It would be a pointless exercise. They've taken everything this crew had to offer and just kept smiling with that wide gaping grin they have.

3) String the bean pods FOR YOUR COMFORT. You don't have to string them loose and sloppy to be stable. You don't have to string them high to avoid being on the ground by morning. You don't have to string the head end way up to avoid standing on your head by morning. No matter what each manufacturer claims, all hammocks feel great when you first lay down. The bean pods feel great in the morning - and that's how you really measure a hammock.

4) You REALLY CAN GET COMFORTABLE. They don't sag. They don't tip you out. You string them to suite your comfort. Go ahead - sit and swing, toss and turn - curl up on your side, lift a knee, whatever. Now that's what we've been asking for the last 35 years.

5) You DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT THE SLEEPING BAG. No more fighting with the sleeping bag when you get into bed. No more sleeping with lumps of bunched up bag right in the small of your back all night. The bag stays pretty well put because you don't have to raise the head end and you don't sag. Yes, you still have some fussing with the darn thing. After all, this is not flat ground. The bag does have to try to conform to some shape here. But, there's no fighting to pull something back up to your shoulders while you're laying on it with no room to move. You always knew the bag would just slide back down anyway so you just put up with it as long as possible. Man, what an irritation that has always been. Glad it's gone.

6) The BREATHER REALLY BREATHS. This is the breathable inner liner. Condensation is a real killer in a hammock or bivy. The breather works like a double wall tent. Your moist breath passes through the inner liner and condenses on the outer rain fly where it drips to the ground and not into your sleeping bag. It also works great as a rain guard for those hot afternoon showers we get here in Florida. (I know, not recommended - it's not water proof. So what - it works.) The rain fly stops the heavy stuff coming down. The liner nails the mist or light rain pushed in by gusts of wind. It won't take a driving rain, but it handles this situation beautifully. And, you only need to zip up the wind side, making it a lot cooler when you're riding out the storm. The zippers are sewn below the top of the sides, which allows the rain to just run down and off the outside of the hammock.

7) The ZIPPERS ARE BOMB PROOF. They are nonmetallic so they will not rust or layer with ice in the winter. The tabs are huge. No thin wimps here that you can't get hold of with gloves or find in the dark. The teeth are monsters. Now these are grabbers. It would take a lot to blow them out. They hold my wife sitting sideways and leaning against the netting. (I know - not recommended. But, it's what real people do.) And, there are two zippers for the screen and for two for the liner. That means you have a spare to save the day if one blows out. How about that, built super tough and still has a backup.

8) The ropes are EASY TO UNTIE. Any rope is easy to tie. These ropes are easy to untie. This may sound minor, but it's a real hassle to try pulling knots out with your teeth. None of us use, and do not agree with using, a bowline as recommended for the main lines. A bowline only works well with a single, loose wrap around a tree. Otherwise, using two wraps around the tree, the side with the knot tightens while the other goes slack. We use a double wrap around the tree secured with three half-hitches. We've never seen tree hangers use anything else, and have never found anything better over the years. Half hitches can be tied and untied with one hand - in the dark. To untie, simply hold each knot and pull towards the hammock. It will easily loosen for you to pull the line through each knot. Now, we can't get your super fast set-up times using half-hitches, but we never scar a tree, we never have to check our knots before use and the extra minute or so seems so trivial.

9) This can be a 4 SEASON HAMMOCK. (I know - not recommended) It's called a jungle hammock. That implies warm weather. It is darned near impossible for a manufacturer to call a hammock a 4 season shelter. OK, we've said it and got the manufacturer off the hook. The truth is that tree hangers have been camping out year round for years. So, how do we do it? Just put a wool Army blanket or one of those Indian blankets in the bottom of the hammock before you put in your winter sleeping bag. You're fighting 360 degree cold in a hammock. The bottom is exposed. You need more insulation. The pockets in this dandy offer another layer. Any gear you put in is just more so. If a blanket has worked for us old folks in other rigs, then this one will be a piece of cake. NO DOUBTS IN OUR MINDS.

10) The POCKETS ARE GREAT. Only one guy in our group thought that this was a worthwhile feature at first. The rest of us thought is was a "so what" gimmick. We knew they would be too small to be effective, and anything you put in them would eat your spine all night. Boy, were we wrong! Clothes, boots, spare gear, whatever. Put it all in the pockets. There's plenty of room and there's enough material to let them hang low. You can't feel a thing inside the hammock. What a great way to change clothes and never touch the dirt. We always brought a string hammock to hang below the sleeping hammock. We always used this for clothes, boots and gear. No more! The bean pods have eliminated a piece of gear - great!!!

Well, there you have it from a group of old tree hangers. Now we have three guys saving their pennies to buy three more bean pods and pass their other hammocks on to the kids (kids can take being folded in half). Thanks for coming up with real solutions. We are so tired of gimmicks. You must have spent a night or two under the stars. Glad you did. Hope to see you on a trail some weekend.
Thanks again,
Terry "TC" Currie
Deltona, Florida