NEWS

Spotlight: A Finnish Perspective On Hammock-Camping

You may not immediately think of Finland as "Jungle Hammock" country, but after reading the following account from a new Clark customer, Heli Naskali, you might see Finland in a new light. In fact, the photos below (click to enlarge) may inspire you to visit Finland in the near future.

Excerpts from Heli's letter to Clark:

"When I saw photos of Clark Jungle Hammock on my computer screen I knew at once that this is something for me! I was eager to get an opportunity to test it, and I didn't have to wait too long – I sent my order at Friday and next Wednesday I could fetch my Hammock from the customs post. My choice was the North American Hammock with XL-rain fly.

I'm a 49-year old woman and I have been camping quite a lot in my life, mostly alone, kayaking and trekking, even walking with a donkey six weeks in Crete few years ago. It has always disturbed me that in a tent you are so isolated from the nature – if you hear something interesting, you have to crawl out to look around. That's why I usually sleep under the sky, whenever it is possible. But even then there's the hard ground, that has become all too familiar, especially in winter time, when the nights are long here in Finland.

I hung the hammock right away on my backyard – just to test it – and it was very easy and quick.

In the evening, it was October 21, I left to a nearby Nature Park to test my hammock in practice. In my mind I had a familiar place near a little pond – about 1 hour walk from the parking place. It was raining and the temperature was cool – about 5 degrees celsius above zero – very good testing conditions…

It was getting dark and I had to walk the last kilometer relaying on my memories of the route – I didn't want to get my head lamp wet in the rain. There was a little animal path, and I managed to stay on it – mostly…

So, already on the second time I had to hang up my hammock in darkness. Good. It was quite easy.

An owl was calling somewhere, it was dark and felt like autumn… It was wonderful to go in the warm sleeping bag, swaying gently in the hammock. I took both the weather shield and the mosquito net down and zipped myself in. I had a tiny reading light hanging from the loop. It was perfect – I read a book, listened some classical music from my cellphone radio and just enjoyed. I heard the raindrops on the rain fly and it was so warm, cosy and comfortable inside. My backpack was close and handy just outside the hammock and in this half-sitting position it was so easy to drink coffee and read – much easier than in a tent!

I slept very well in my hammock – only a couple of times I woke up to see that everything is ok with my dog .

In the morning I lifted up the mosquito net and the weather shield and just enjoyed to be in my warm sleeping bag and admire the beautiful autumn view. Havu was throwing pine cones around and came to fetch goodies for the trick.

The rain went on all the morning but it didn't bother me at all. No problems to take down the hammock. I packed my backpack under the rain fly, then shook the fly to get the water out and picked the few birch leaves away, loosened out the upper ropes and stuffed everything in the hammock, took the other main rope loose and rolled the whole hammock in a small bundle. The last rope from the tree and there was my hammock, clean and almost dry. Everyone who has been taking a tent down in rain knows the difference!

After my first night in the Jungle Hammock I was very satisfied. It was five degrees celsius and raining all the time but I didn't feel uncomfortable for a single moment. No crawling in and out from a small door opening, no pine needles inside the tent, and especially no sleeping on the hard ground! Being inside the sleeping bag I could take things from my backpack or the pockets under the hammock and remove the walls so I could see in every direction – the thing I have really missed when sleeping in a tent.

Thank you very much, and guess where I'm going to spend my Christmas night!"

Heli Naskali
Finland