Claytor Jungle Hammock Review

Hello everyone. I am posting this ongoing review in hopes of providing information for the forum since I do not see anything recent in the last year or so in case someone is looking to purchase one of these hammocks. I recently ripped (my fault) my snugpak jungle hammock netting and needed a replacement (not repairable) so after much debating and shopping (considered DD, Warbonnet, & Hennessy) I ordered (September 2017) two 3M Long Claytor Jungle Hammocks. I did not purchase a tarp because I already own two Bushcraft USA 10x12 Coyote brown tarps that I use. I purchased these hammocks with the intent of replacing the suspension system as I did not like the ones pictured on the website. I ordered the "Long" version simply to increase the overall length in hopes of increasing comfort. For information purposes I am 5'9" and weigh 254lbs stepping out of the shower. My wife is..umm shorter and less plump but more round :rolleyes:. Below is my learning and observations so far:

Shipping: Tom ships on Thursdays and thankfully I ordered on a thursday morning. It shipped that evening. It took literally almost all 15 business days to reach me and with little to no updating from the carrier (usps shipping). It was held up in customs for days with no updates and I received my only "in country" update the day that it arrived saying that it would be delivered that day. I did email Tom once to ask if the estimated 15 days were business days and he responded in less than 24 hrs. I literally got three updates...shipped in Thailand, arrived in New York, and out for delivery. This is in no way Tom's fault of course.

Product: The hammocks arrived in a see through shipping bag in perfect condition. Upon several inspections after unpacking I found no defects and was very happy with my products. To date I am still 100% satisfied with the quality of the hammocks.
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Initial Hang: I set up the hammocks after installing my new suspension systems. Let me say that I am by no means a hammock expert but rather a converted ground sleeper. I removed the ropes and added a set of 1/8" Amsteel continuous loops (15"), dutch biners, amsteel cinch buckles (not the UL one) with 1/8" Amsteel, Dutch's 3" 2600 pound Rated (12kn) carabiners,and 15' Dyneema straps. I could not be happier with the ease of set-up with this suspension versus my old loop setup. The biners are for easy deployment of my snugpak cocoon so that I don't have to re-adjust the straps.

First Real Hang: We went to the Sipsey Wilderness and camped at the lower Turkey Foot Falls close to the waterfall. The hammocks went up fast and we experienced no condensation all night with the cocoons deployed (turned hammock upside down). The temp was 58 degrees at night and we did not use the tarps. This was my wife's first hike, first camping adventure, and first night in a hammock. She scared the heck out of the bears with her snoring :). She absolutely loved her set-up. I inserted my Therm-a-rest trail scout pad into the double layers and had no issues with the pad shifting or sliding on me. My ground sleeping buddy borrowed the set-up the last night and left his tent at the truck (we went home). He absolutely loved the hammock and is now converting into a hanger. Btw I am a side sleeper at home and in a tent due to health issues (sleep apnea) but find that in a hammock I can sleep on my back if my upper body is elevated slightly.

Future Test: We will be back at Sipsey in January and I hope to have better pictures and information for the post. Hopefully later this year we will make it to Linville Gorge and I will try it with a ground cloth as a tent using my trekking poles.

Here are some pictures of the initial hang before the rainstorm hit. They suck as the are from a crappy phone and everything was done in hast due to the incoming weather. Btw...I will spare you the pics of my wife because that may cause me to have a shorter life span if she finds out I posted pics of her in her pj's in the hammock :scared:

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Great review, thank you! You look pretty comfortable! Post some pix from the trip, maybe?

Hi emigrant1. Here is a pic or two of the trip. We used our crappy cell phone cameras so the quality is poor. I didn't want to carry my D3200 due to size and weight. I'm looking for a good pocket sized camera for trips. If your looking for specifics like elevation changes, hangs, etc just let me know. The kids had the cameras for the most part and unfortunately I don't have any of our Claytor hammocks. A recent tropical storm had knocked down several trees yet the falls were dry as usual for this time of year. Enjoy.

Top Of The Falls-Upper Turkey Foot
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My Wife Enjoying Her New Osprey Atmos AG 65L
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Cave on the 209 Trail
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Cliffs-1
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Creek
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Cliffs-2
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Upper Turkey Foot Falls
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Lower Turkey Foot Falls
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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Grey Mouse

Hello everyone. I am posting this ongoing review in hopes of providing information for the forum since I do not see anything recent in the last year or so in case someone is looking to purchase one of these hammocks. I recently ripped (my fault) my snugpak jungle hammock netting and needed a replacement (not repairable) so after much debating and shopping (considered DD, Warbonnet, & Hennessy) I ordered (September 2017) two 3M Long Claytor Jungle Hammocks. I did not purchase a tarp because I already own two Bushcraft USA 10x12 Coyote brown tarps that I use. I purchased these hammocks with the intent of replacing the suspension system as I did not like the ones pictured on the website. I ordered the "Long" version simply to increase the overall length in hopes of increasing comfort. For information purposes I am 5'9" and weigh 254lbs stepping out of the shower. My wife is..umm shorter and less plump but more round :rolleyes:. Below is my learning and observations so far:

Shipping: Tom ships on Thursdays and thankfully I ordered on a thursday morning. It shipped that evening. It took literally almost all 15 business days to reach me and with little to no updating from the carrier (usps shipping). It was held up in customs for days with no updates and I received my only "in country" update the day that it arrived saying that it would be delivered that day. I did email Tom once to ask if the estimated 15 days were business days and he responded in less than 24 hrs. I literally got three updates...shipped in Thailand, arrived in New York, and out for delivery. This is in no way Tom's fault of course.

Product: The hammocks arrived in a see through shipping bag in perfect condition. Upon several inspections after unpacking I found no defects and was very happy with my products. To date I am still 100% satisfied with the quality of the hammocks.
Attachment 157131


Initial Hang: I set up the hammocks after installing my new suspension systems. Let me say that I am by no means a hammock expert but rather a converted ground sleeper. I removed the ropes and added a set of 1/8" Amsteel continuous loops (15"), dutch biners, amsteel cinch buckles (not the UL one) with 1/8" Amsteel, Dutch's 3" 2600 pound Rated (12kn) carabiners,and 15' Dyneema straps. I could not be happier with the ease of set-up with this suspension versus my old loop setup. The biners are for easy deployment of my snugpak cocoon so that I don't have to re-adjust the straps.

First Real Hang: We went to the Sipsey Wilderness and camped at the lower Turkey Foot Falls close to the waterfall. The hammocks went up fast and we experienced no condensation all night with the cocoons deployed (turned hammock upside down). The temp was 58 degrees at night and we did not use the tarps. This was my wife's first hike, first camping adventure, and first night in a hammock. She scared the heck out of the bears with her snoring :). She absolutely loved her set-up. I inserted my Therm-a-rest trail scout pad into the double layers and had no issues with the pad shifting or sliding on me. My ground sleeping buddy borrowed the set-up the last night and left his tent at the truck (we went home). He absolutely loved the hammock and is now converting into a hanger. Btw I am a side sleeper at home and in a tent due to health issues (sleep apnea) but find that in a hammock I can sleep on my back if my upper body is elevated slightly.

Future Test: We will be back at Sipsey in January and I hope to have better pictures and information for the post. Hopefully later this year we will make it to Linville Gorge and I will try it with a ground cloth as a tent using my trekking poles.

Here are some pictures of the initial hang before the rainstorm hit. They suck as the are from a crappy phone and everything was done in hast due to the incoming weather. Btw...I will spare you the pics of my wife because that may cause me to have a shorter life span if she finds out I posted pics of her in her pj's in the hammock :scared:

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Great review! I am having a hard time finding reviews for Claytor. I am totally sold! And, I didn't know they had a "long" version! I heard their customer service is great!


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Thank you Daysummer. Since my last posting my wife and have gone to bespoke Trail Lair 11' hammocks from Simply Light Designs. Since then we have not used the Claytor hammocks. I believe that the Claytor is a superior hammock for when I am in the swamp hanging during the summer months due to the double layers. All other hangs have been with Jared's hammocks especially when I want a quilt (cooler seasons). The shoulder squeeze in cold weather might give me an issue but at this point I have had the Claytor down to 37°F without the issue of cold shoulders due to contact. I'll give another update below:

Pro's:
1) Well made and solid construction. I have no fear of mosquitos biting through the bottom of the hammock when sleeping in it.
2) The pad insert area does not allow my pad to slide around easily when hanging. The pad actually helps it from allowing the walls to come inward some.
3) Does not sag or stretch excessively when used. I was 265lbs (5'9") when I originally started testing this hammock.
4) The netting stays off my face and keeps those pesky skeeters from buzzing in my ear all night keeping me awake

Con's:
1) Weight-I have since become aware of my pack weight and this was one area that I was able to reduce.
2) Straight Lay Only- I can not seem to get a diagonal lay due to the width and shortness (3 meters). With my sleep apnea this actually keeps my head elevated and is also a "pro" at the same time for me.
3) Included suspension is not very adjustable but functional none the less. I bought it with the intention of upgrading the suspension simply due to this and I require a longer distance between trees.
4) Due to the hammocks length and width it's easy to get squeezed when overly tight due to improper suspension adjustment (user error).
5) Although I have not had the issue I can possibly see someone experiencing calf ridge in this hammock

What would I change with the Claytor ? I would add a structural ridge line to keep me from overly tightening the hammock and get a consistent lay. I would like to see it come with a pole option for the netting when purchasing. An 11' length option would be great I imagine.

PS- Customer support is great although I imagine Tom gets the "When will it arrive question" all too often due to customs taking their sweet loving time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Grey Mouse

Thank you Daysummer. Since my last posting my wife and have gone to bespoke Trail Lair 11' hammocks from Simply Light Designs. Since then we have not used the Claytor hammocks. I believe that the Claytor is a superior hammock for when I am in the swamp hanging during the summer months due to the double layers. All other hangs have been with Jared's hammocks especially when I want a quilt (cooler seasons). The shoulder squeeze in cold weather might give me an issue but at this point I have had the Claytor down to 37°F without the issue of cold shoulders due to contact. I'll give another update below:

Pro's:
1) Well made and solid construction. I have no fear of mosquitos biting through the bottom of the hammock when sleeping in it.
2) The pad insert area does not allow my pad to slide around easily when hanging. The pad actually helps it from allowing the walls to come inward some.
3) Does not sag or stretch excessively when used. I was 265lbs (5'9") when I originally started testing this hammock.
4) The netting stays off my face and keeps those pesky skeeters from buzzing in my ear all night keeping me awake

Con's:
1) Weight-I have since become aware of my pack weight and this was one area that I was able to reduce.
2) Straight Lay Only- I can not seem to get a diagonal lay due to the width and shortness (3 meters). With my sleep apnea this actually keeps my head elevated and is also a "pro" at the same time for me.
3) Included suspension is not very adjustable but functional none the less. I bought it with the intention of upgrading the suspension simply due to this and I require a longer distance between trees.
4) Due to the hammocks length and width it's easy to get squeezed when overly tight due to improper suspension adjustment (user error).
5) Although I have not had the issue I can possibly see someone experiencing calf ridge in this hammock

What would I change with the Claytor ? I would add a structural ridge line to keep me from overly tightening the hammock and get a consistent lay. I would like to see it come with a pole option for the netting when purchasing. An 11' length option would be great I imagine.

PS- Customer support is great although I imagine Tom gets the "When will it arrive question" all too often due to customs taking their sweet loving time.

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Just wanted to add re: calf ridge: My experience is similar to yours in that you say you have not had it. I can't say I have NEVER had it, however, (based on my Claytor No Net, same dimensions as Jungle Hammock) it is at the very top of numerous gathered hammocks(including 2 different 11 footers and 1 12 footer) I have owned or tried for lack of calf ridge. This is usually best with not much diagonal, which is fine, I don't find that I need much diagonal for total comfort. The only purpose for diagonal for me is to avoid knee extension, and I avoid that = to other hammocks by just going slightly diagonal. I can go more diagonal, but it serves no purpose for me and might actually slightly increase calf pressure. Mostly I have no calf pressure with this hammock, or it is so slight it does not interfere with my sleep/comfort. When it is, I can adjust my position enough to get rid of it.

One gathered hammock that is at least equal to and might even be a smidgen superior to the already superior lack of calf ridge is the TTTG Switchback. I'm not sure which model, a double layer with net. So for me personally these 2 are at the winners in the "least calf ridge" or "easiest to avoid calf ridge" category. Also, both are quite comfy for me to lay mid-line in. As long as my feet are closer to the sides, this creates a recliner like experience, with knee slightly flexed and zero calf ridge, = to a bridge hammock. The main drawback to this is it would probably interfere with a quilts ability to insulate the legs, since there will be a hammock ridge rising up between the legs, and this will not work with a TQ's footbox also. But, I was always a Speer Pea Pod user with that Claytor, and there were no problems if I desired to go mid-line.

Interestingly, both of these hammocks are about 10 ft, narrow(SB a few inches wider), have no structural RL, and have a end channel. Don't know if any of that is relate to my lack of calf ridge. Also with both, I think I have even less calf ridge if I hang these hammocks with a bit less sag than is usual with my other hammocks with RLs. YMMV of course!

I agree with you BillyBob58. I don't believe that the calf ridge is "never present" but rather it isn't enough to bother me the slightest at night. The "recliner " position helps me sleep without the need of my machine in a hammock since most of my sleep apnea issues are when I'm flat on my back. Since I have bad knees I can't sleep reclined in a hammock with my feet fully extended without discomfort so I tend to sleep in a modified indian style when reclined and stretch as needed during the night. I haven't tried a set of quilts on the Claytor yet because I've always flipped it over and used the Snugpak cocoon in the winter. I have found that if I want to lay flat with my feet fully extended I have to go on a good diagonal to sleep hence why I have the Trail Lair hammock.

The one thing that I do know is that the Claytor was an upgrade to my snugpak hammock and I didn't learn at first how tight or loose to hang it. Too tight is a miserable night in a taco wrap. I learned to hang it loosely very quickly. The hammock hung tightly between trees almost made me give up on hammocks all together it was so bad. I was on the ground within thirty minutes and happier all night. Live and learn :)

My wife sleeps like a baby and snores like a beast when she is in the Claytor. She snores at home so I'm used to it but I make her hang away from me in case it is mistaken for a bear mating call or something lol. I tell her "it's for her best enjoyment of a good nights sleep" and "remember to wear your lucky pork chop (necklace) to bed" lol. I also threaten to smear bacon grease on the underside of the hammock at night if she gets mouthy :rolleyes:. She is very comfortable sleeping in it but since she got her new trail lair hammock I don't think that I can get her back into the Claytor. She prefers the blue color and various options too much of the new hammock. I think it's mostly the blue color to be honest. She hates coyote and olive drab colors hence why I'm shopping for a new tarp to replace the coyote tan one that I bought her.