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Made the buy today of a Clark Jungle Hammock with an XL fly. Will be an interesting change from sleeping on the lumpy bumpy ground. Can't wait to get out and try it in the spring.
Here is the link to the hammock if you want to check it out
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I think you will love it. I have very recently pretty much given up on ground sleeping. Even for my winter camping I'm going full hammock with down top and under quilts. It's just such a better sleep, easier to set up, and not reliant on level ground. Caution though, I had no idea how expensive the whole hammock thing could be! Top quilts, bottom quilts, the hammock itself, winter tarps, Dutchware bling....but that's half the fun right?
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Welcome to the hammock camping world. Steve is right on all points.
It can be expensive, but your equipment is usually extremely well built to hold your weight. (Clark in particular has a reputation for being overbuilt and tough). And your equipment lasts a long long time because it never touches the ground.
A second caution, though: Algonquin camping presents a few wrinkles, as all campsites were developed with tents in mind.
Many are the times I’ve come ashore and checked out a site only to find there are not two trees anywhere that are the right distance range apart for my bridge hammock.
Or there are, but there is a biggish tree between them that I can’t tie back out of the way for the night (I carry cord just for this purpose).
Or there is a big widowmaker (big dead standing tree or branch ready to fall on you) in just the wrong place.
That said, you can usually find something if you are willing to go way way back behind the site. But Now you need two tarps—one for living at the site proper, and one for the hammock.
It adds a new dimension and way of thinking to your travels. Instead of “I’ll just plop my tent down here,” you are thinking, “How can I make this work?”
And you’ll make it work because the comfort is worth it. And the view. And the feeling of sleeping outdoors instead of sleeping indoors behind a nylon tent wall.
Steve, did you go with the Dreamhammock?
Last edited by Methye (2/24/2018 11:21 am)
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I did! I ended up going with a double layer, wide Raven. I'm heading up to the park tomorrow and I'm super excited as my 0* Zeppelin underquilt arrived yesterday. Would have liked to have had a few nights at home to dial it in but the temps aren't supposed to be that bad. I'll still bring a pad just in case.
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That’s awesome! Have a great time.
I recently bought a 0*F Lynx underquilt and Spindrift Sock for my bridge. Saving my pennies for a winter topquilt. Plan is to try winter camping next winter.
Until then, I hope you post a trip report so I can live vicariously.
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I'm doing the same (saving up for a winter top quilt). Looking very seriously at a LocoLibre -30 or -40 top quilt. Most of my camping is late fall/early spring (which I use my -10C bag for) and I want to sell my -60 Feathered Friends bag in order to get that nice cold LocoLibre quilt It's an addictive way to camp eh? Lol
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I'm well set for tarps with the XL tarp for the hammock and my living tarp with screened attachment for the site.
I'm thinking the toughest part for me will be learning the best way to set it up and figuring the best tree distances for my set up.
Can't wait to try it.