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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.

Hennessey SS vs. JRB Nest

I have been bouncing back and forth between the SS and the Nest. The SS seems to be bomb-proof. I had one situation when all my stuff got soaked, including the SS. I just wrung out the water, and it kept me warm all night down into the 30ies.

The big issue I have with the SS is that it squeezes the sides of the hammock, which causes the hammock to be uncomfortable, and the bug net sags. The sides tend to fold up/bunch a bit. It does do a good job keeping me warm and dry. It also does a great job keeping the wind out.

I just ordered a weather shield for my JRB nest. The big issue with the Under Quilts (UQ) is that they don't do a good job stopping the wind, or water. This is a problem in bad weather, and/or fog. I am hoping the weather shield will help solve all my problems. The shield will also add 10 degrees to the warmth of my quilt.

The quilt fits the hammock better than the SS and doesn't cause the net, or sides to scrunch and sag. This is a big advantage for comfort.

So far they both seem to do an adequate job keeping me warm, but I think I might start leaning more towards using the nest after I get my new weather shield.

New Photos & Tibet Mountain

As promised I have added a new photo album for April 2008 to my gallery. Here is a link directly to the album: http://picasaweb.google.com/hacktorious/20080412Outdoor

We had a trip this weekend and hiked Tibet Mountain in West Virginia. It was a great hike and is fairly rough with some good climbs. This is one hike well worth doing; the views are fantastic.

I am going to plan a group trip based on Tibet Mountain and Big Schloss Mountain trail hikes. The trip will probably be 3-4 days.

First Outing of Season

Well, Z and I had our first outing this season. It didn't go so well. It got really cold, and rainy. Then his home-made hammock got wet. He got cold and came into my hammock.

The temps went down to the upper 30ies. I had my under-quilt on, but kept getting cold spots. I should have put my space blanket in it or something. It was my first time testing my new quilt in the "WILD". I wasn't very impressed and think I may stick with my HH-SS.

I don't have any photos at the moment because I cannot find the cable for the camera. However, I will post them in my Picasa albums when I find the cable.

I recently went to Lowes, got materials, and made a new hammock stand. The design is by Ed Speer (www.speerhammocks.com, www.hammockcamping.com).

I am very impressed and love this new stand. I will cherish every moment when I am camping on it.

It is very stable/sturdy and rather easy to erect. I went with the two 6' members instead of the single 10' member across the top. This makes it much easier to transport.

If you need a hammock stand, I highly recommend making one of these. The cost was about $160, which is a bit more than when Ed made the first one in 2004. The price of materials just keeps increasing. :)

Aquamira Filter/Bottle and Chlorine Dioxide Review

This is the second season I have been using Aquamira Chlorine Dioxide drops in combination with the Aquamira water bottle filtration system. This system is very light weight and extremely effective.

The drops basically kill everything in the water. However, it takes 4 hours to kill Crypto. This is one reason I use the filter system in combination. The filter will get rid of Crypto, and many other things including metals, pesticides, etc... It also gets rid of the chlorine from the drops.

The drops also kill viruses, which the filter cannot get rid of. I feel the combination of the drops and filter system is one of the best systems on the market.

There are several reason's I prefer a bottle over using a bag while backpacking. One issue I have is that I never know how much water is left in the bag without taking it out of my pack, which is a pain in the neck. A bottle is much easier to fill than a bag too. I have not come across a decent filter system for use with a bag, other than the larger bulky styles sold at REI.

I am considering getting a Steripen, or MIOX for next season. That is if I can come up with some extra cash. I am leaning more towards the Steripen because it kills everything in just a couple of minutes, whereas the MIOX takes 4 hours to kill Crypto. The Steripen may eliminate the need to carry a filter. However, it will not get rid of pollutants, metals, pesticides, etc... Thus, carrying a filter may still be a good idea.

By the way, I have the 22oz. bottle and the 32oz. bottle. The 32oz. bottle seems to leak around the top. I have to use it more to determine if the top was just on too loose, or it is truly a poor seal. However, I don't have any issues with leaks in the 22oz. bottles.

I like the Aquamira water bottle filter system and the Chlorine Dioxide drops. I highly recommend them for anyone looking for a great water treatment system, which is also light weight.

White Oak Canyon - Shenandoah

I finally had the opportunity to hike White Oak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park this past weekend. Unfortunately, we were only able to hike to the first waterfall because we got on the trail very late. Also, we had two young children with us; ages 3 and 5. The people who attended the hike were: Nick, Z, Brooke and myself.

Overall this was a great hike, and had some beautiful scenery. However, if you are going with younger children, be prepared to carry them, for a little while, on the way back. Z, 3.5 years old, did a great job and hiked 90% of the time on his own. I had to carry him up a few hills as he was getting exhausted. He carried a small backpack with his water.

Brooke fell and cut her knee, so I bandaged it up for her, and she was as good as new. She did not complain at all about being tired, or not having fun. She was smiling during the entire hike. She was asking many questions, and was identifying plants. Z was also doing a great job identifying plants.

We saw several deer, in several different locations, during our hike. The deer in the park do not spook easily, and will walk right up to you; within about 3 feet. Z got a little nervous when a deer approached us. He turned and ran, then came over to me, and latched onto my leg. It was absolutely adorable.

Here is a great informational for the White Oak hike:
White Oak Canyon

2x4 Hammock Stand Stake

The ground seems to cause the stake, which holds the hammock stand up, to act as somewhat of a lever. My mission is to find a way to minimize, or disburse the forces on the stake by creating some sort of top plate, or something.

I am playing around with different types, sizes, and shapes of stakes to see as well.

Speer Hammock Construction Review

I recently made a speer hammock. However, the hammock was for someone else so this review will not comment on the use of the hammock, but on the construction.

This was my first DIY (Do It Yourself) project, which included sewing. I felt this was a great first project because the hammock has minimal sewing. The tarp on the other hand has a bit more sewing, but is still minimal.

The Hammock Camping book does a great job teaching how to make this hammock, and tarp combination. This is a relatively simple project by most standards and the majority of people should not have any difficulty completing this project.

If you have some sewing experience this is still a great project to do.

The most difficult part of this project was sewing the velcro onto the bug net. The bug net tends to stretch and mess up your seams. Someone recommended putting tape on the bug net side while sewing so it cannot stretch. I have not tried this, but several others claim it does work well. I will do this on my next project with netting.

I highly recommend this project for people wanting to learn how to make your own gear, or in need of a good hammock setup.

This is a great way to break into hammock camping and backpacking.

Good Luck, and have fun!!!

MSR Pocket Rocket Review

In my opinion the MSR Pocket Rocket (MPR) is one of the best stoves on the market today. It is extremely light weight, and works unbelievably well. The flames come out like that of a jet engine.

A wind screen is not necessary, nor is it recommended for this stove. A screen can actually end up being dangerous and causing the stove to over heat and explode. However, I have heard of people using them without incident.

The fuel for the MPR is reasonably priced and comes in a variety of sizes. The larger fuel cans are more stable when cooking, but are much heavier. I am not sure how many meals/boils you can get from a small fuel can. I have been able to use one on several multi-day trips without running out of fuel. I do mostly boil-in-a-bag meals.

This stove is great and I highly recommend it for any serious backpacker; especially ultralight backpackers.

Even after using this stove and giving it a great review, I still prefer my home made Penny Stove. Maybe it is because I made it myself.

2x4 Hammock Stand 1st Night Test

I used my new home made 2x4 hammock stand, through the night, for the first time last night. This stand rocks............. I was bouncing and moving around a lot through the night and this thing held up extremely well.

I had an air mattress under the hammock and a backup safety line tied loosely to a tree just in case I came crashing down. This would prevent the stand from crashing into me or the ground.

I decided to use a second stake in my line just for extra support. I will continue to use the two stakes, but not the mattress, or safety line. I now have enough confidence in this stand and the double stake system.

I don't feel the extra stake is 100% necessary. However, I feel more comfortable with it. Especially in the rain.

I plan to carry this stand, and a 2x4, with a notch, on all of my camping trips for now on. The purpose of the 2x4 is in case I need to employ the single pole hammock method. In combination with my new stand, my setup is completely versatile. I should no longer have issues setting up at campsites with cleared spots; so long as there is at least one tree.

Home Made 2x4 Hammock Stand

I built another hammock stand, but with treated 2x4's instead of 2x2 Oak posts. I found a nice 16" hex bolt and used it as my anchor stake. I attached a good size clip and chain link to the bolt. The weight ratings are 2000lbs.

The overall feel of the new stand compared to the previous is about the same. The only difference is that the 2x4's tend to squeak when you first get into the hammock. The total cost of this hammock stand was $20. This solution is probably the most cost effective. However, this is a much stronger solution than the previous.

Home Made Hammock Stand

I made this great hammock stand last night by replicating the Byer Madera Hammock Stand. It works extremely well and is very convenient when you only have one tree, or post. One of the hammock ropes, is tied to a tree, and the other is tied to the hammock stand. You can get a better visual by looking at the photo above.

I used the longest eye bolt I could find for the stake attached to the rope, which is used to hold up the stand. I pulled on the rope to ensure it was secure, and I was not able to pull it out of the ground. If I pull straight up on the stake it will come out relatively easy.

In hindsight I would have just bought the Byer model from REI since it costs just as much to make with the Oak. I was planning on making a second, so I can set my hammock up without trees while at a campground. I will consider buying the second from REI instead of making it.

Someone made the suggestion to build a similar stand using bamboo. However, I have not been able to find any bamboo for this purpose. I will keep looking and if I do I will build it and post photos.

When I actually take this stand and try it at a campground, I think I will use a second stake just to make sure it is secure......lol I am also going to grind a point on my stake (eye bolt) so it is easier to put in the ground.

I used an auto cargo strap, with a ratchet for tightening the line, which is the line tied to the stake. It works well, but I have to be careful not to over tighten, and brake the ridge line on the hammock.

This same type of stand could probably easily be built with 2x4's for much less money. I think I might try that next and use treated lumber. Hmmm, maybe I will build one today. I think it would be much more cost effective.

I think this is the best type of stand for the least amount of money that can be built. It is very light weight, durable, and effective. Two stands could be used to accomplish the same result as a self standing stand. Two-by-fours would greatly reduce the price, probably to about $20.

Swiss Army Tinker Review

This is one of the best knives I have ever owned. I still actually have it, but rarely use it now. This was my first real knife that was actually useful to carry on a daily basis. The only complaint I have about this knife is the Phillips screw driver. I don't like how it is on the bottom of the knife, it makes it very difficult to use for practical purposes.

The steel used for this knife is very hard and durable. This is a great knife for someone wants something simple and light weight.