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Claytor Jungle Hammock Review

I've been using a Claytor Jungle Hammock (www.mosquitohammock.com) for a while now so I figured it was time to write a review.

Suspension:
My first impression was that the suspension system for this hammock is absolutely terrible. After my first night of getting soaked as a result of the suspension I replaced the straps. Now I love this hammock. I made my own suspension system with some poly straps.

Comfort:
This hammock is one of the most comfortable on the market. The hammock materials are soft too. Let me say it again, comfort, this thing is like sleeping on a cloud. I absolutely love sleeping in this hammock.

I've slept in this hammock for weeks at a time, and have been totally comfy every night.

Tarp:
I've had this hammock in some pretty nasty weather too. The tarp is a bit large and can flap as much as any large tarp if you get a good wind. I've had it in 40-50mph wind and it didn't blow away. However, it seemed like it was going to sometimes. A smaller cat-cut tarp would not flap as much. A cat-cut, or square tarp with similar dimensions would probably not flap as much either.

The tarp is lighter weight than square tarps of similar dimensions. This is an advantage for people who want to lighten their load. However, it does not have the protection of a square tarp of similar dimensions.

The camo is great if you don't want to be seen. However, this can be problematic if you forgot where your camp is while you are off wandering around.

Bug Net:
The bug net is pretty decent. It is large and can give you more room in the hammock by placing a stick in the loops on the net; this causes the net to spread wide. The net is easy to see through, and durable. It is quite large. Be careful to setup the net properly or it can droop quite a bit.

Pad vs. Quilt:
Using a pad is almost as comfy as using a pad in this hammock. However, I now prefer a quilt because of condensation caused as a result of a non-breathable pad. The KAQ with the Claytor mod is a great quilt.

I highly recommend this hammock over most of it's competitors.

volunteer at Shenandoah

I forgot to mention in my previous post that Kiwi and I did some volunteer work while at Shenandoah National Park. We are working with, "Defenders of Wilderness" to remove some invasive species of plants (oriental bittersweet vines and honeysuckle bushes).

We had a good time and met a lot of nice people. We found a couple of bird nests, and managed to avoid the poison ivy.

We got some free t-shirts, and gear from the park as a reward for helping out.

Big Meadows Campout

Kiwi and I went out this past weekend.  We stayed at Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park.  It is a nice campground.  However, it was a little difficult to decide which site was best for our hammocks.  We found a pretty good site though; A78.

I scoped out a few better spots for the next time we go to Big Meadows.

We hiked the AT to the blue-blaze trail, and went down to Lewis Falls.  It is a nice falls and well worth the trip down.  Kiwi had some trouble on the hike back because it is all up hill.

While at the falls we met several nice people with a dog.  Kiwi loves dogs!!!  He couldn't get enough of the dog.

Kiwi got a little excited while at the falls and kept climbing on the wall.  It is a long drop to the bottom so a couple times people grabbed him in fear he would go over the edge.

The camera battery died so I had to buy a disposable and don't haven't gotten the photos developed yet, but will post them when they are available.

MAHHA

Kiwi and I had a great hammock camping trip this past weekend with 30 others from the hammock forum. All 30 people had their hammocks. It was quite a site to see all those hammocks.

We did get quite a bit of rain while we were out camping, but we still had a great time. We had some thunder and lightning too. Kiwi made a great friend by the name of Thunderfoot. They played all weekend long.

Hutch played the guitar and sang for a while on the first night, but had to leave earlier than others.

It was my first night in my new hammock and I got soaked. Unfortunately, I neglected to setup a drip mechanism and all the water ran down the tie-out-lines and into the hammock. I have corrected this issue by adding drip rings to my lines.

I wanted to test the factory setup for the new hammock just to see how well it worked without any modifications.

Campout in Backyard

For the past few nights I have been sleeping out in the backyard. My intention is to thoroughly test my equipment. Lately I have been doing some comparisons between the JRB Nest and the Hennessey Super Shelter. I keep going back-and-forth over which one I like better. I need to do more testing.

I will start writing my reviews on my main website. I am going to create a section just for reviews instead of spreading them all through this blog. I will begin moving all the reviews I have already written to the main site (www.hikehaven.com).

Anyhow, last night was the best night sleep I have gotten in a long time. I love my HH and SS. Hopefully my new Claytor will be able to compete with it; when it arrives.

Campout - Warmth Tests

So I decided to camp out last night, yes, on a work night. The temps went down below freezing. However, I have made a few discoveries.

1) The heavy-duty space blankets (more expensive) don't work worth a darn in combination with an underquilt.

2) The inexpensive, thin space blankets seem to work pretty well. At least much better than the heavy-duty versions. I think this might have something to do with the weight; compresses the loft.

3) The JRB Nest works much better when you shake the down to the center of the quilt before you get in.

4) The JRB Nest as a UQ, in combination with a No Snivller, as an overquilt is only warm down to about 45 degrees F. After the temp starts getting much below 45 it is time to put in the space blanket. The space blanket only seems to add a few degrees.

I did order a JRB Weather Shield for my Nest and am hoping this add's a few degrees to my warmth. I am also considering getting a 3rd quilt to use for colder seasons. I could use my Nest, and No Snivller as a combo UQ, then use a heavier quilt as a oq.