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  1. #1
    New Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Detroit, Mi
    Posts
    7

    Need Help Picking a Hammock NX/TX 250

    I have been doing some reading online trying to figure out which hammock i want so i wanted to ask some experienced campers a few questions. I have been trying to find the right hammock for me that can keep me warm in cold weather, but keep me cool in warm weather. i live in Michigan so it can be hot and humid in the summer, and become very cold and snowy in the winter. The two tents i am stuck between are Clark NX-270, or Clark TX-250 both with the vertex rain tarp.

    Which one would be good for all year camping in extreme heat, or extreme cold?
    Do the pockets have flaps on so i can seal them up to keep bugs out of my gear?
    When i use the pockets will it create lumps in the hammock?
    With the Vertex tarp can i wrap my hammock up like a tent with a single door?
    Can mosquitoes bite through the bottom of the hammock?

    I have also read about swapping out the ropes with the Clark for whoopie slings is there a good brand i should buy? or will the tree straps from Clark be just as good?

    I emailed Clark these same questions but i wanted someone with experience camping in them not a sales rep trying to make money.

    Thank you for the advice.

  2. #2
    New Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Southern Oregon
    Hammock
    Clark NX250
    Tarp
    Clark XL/Hennessy
    Suspension
    Cinch Buckle
    Posts
    28
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    7
    Gilbert, I too had the same questions several years ago- Although the NX 270 was not available then. I'll try to answer some of them from my perspective as a NX250 Hanger!

    - All year camping? Both are very similar in design and will work in both extremes VERY well! Very few mainstream vendor hammocks are as well built and "heavy duty" as the Clark brand. You have the option of using the weather shield as well as the bug netting alone or in tandem. Just be aware the Clark Will sleep warmer than most other hammocks due to the design (heavier fabric, pockets and higher sides than a normal A-sym hammock. The room inside is fabulous and no feeling of being cocooned in at all!

    For any winter camping you still will need an underquilt or a good bag and sleeping pad- Hammocks sleep way colder than a tent- I've had mine down to 30 deg. F with just a good bag and no pad or quilt- I don't think I would go any colder without another option though.

    There are no flaps on the pockets they just have Velcro and elastic that hold them shut (not sealed)- personally I've never had any issues with bugs getting into my gear though.

    The pockets do not create lumps inside the hammock. Any bulk created by filling the pockets expands down/outward away from the bed of the hammock

    The vertex tarp can wrap up the hammock with a single door- you just have to figure out the lines and attachment points.

    Mosquitos will NOT be a problem through the bottom of this hammock!

    All in all the NX 250 is an awesome camping hammock- extremely well built, extremely comfortable and I will never go to the ground again if I can help it!

    I use mine for backcountry wilderness Elk hunts in late October and November in Sky Lakes Wilderness (Oregon)- where the weather can be very unpredictable and be as warm as 65-70 some years to a high in the low Teens other years with a foot of snow! I've managed to make it work quite well in the different weather- you just have to be prepared

    I have removed those hideous rope things that Clark calls suspension and replaced them with Dutch gear buckles and a tree strap- So much easier to adjust and set up- mere seconds and NO knots! Whoopie slings are on my other one (Oh- forgot to mention I have two NX 250's- one for me and one to share with my hunting partner- if they are nice to me!)

    Happy Hanging!

    Feel free to message me with any other questions you might have!

    CJ

  3. #3
    Senior Member punkisdead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Hudsonville, MI
    Hammock
    DIY / Half-wit / WBRR
    Tarp
    UGQ WD
    Insulation
    DIY
    Suspension
    Cinch Buckles
    Posts
    827
    I don't own either of them, but here's what I came up with when I did some research because I was considering the same thing. For the heat I thought that the TX would be better since the weather shield at the head end (and maybe the foot end as well?) is zippered so you can open it up and have only the netting for improved air flow.

  4. #4
    New Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Villa Rica, Ga
    Hammock
    DIY
    Tarp
    DIY
    Insulation
    DIY UQ and TQ
    Suspension
    DIY Whoopie slings
    Posts
    4
    I just bought my first commercial hammock. Up to this point I was using all homemade stuff. I got the ENO Reactor one link system. Spent Saturday night in it here in Ga. It rained most of the night and everything performed very well. I had a thermarest pad tucked in the middle and a light bag used as a top quilt. I did order the XL tarp for it. This was bought for my son to use with the Boy Scouts, but I wanted to "test it out" before I put him in it. I figure with a good TQ and UQ it would be good to at least 20 degrees. Nice set up though and about half the price of a clark. Just my two cents!

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    NC
    Hammock
    WL, WB, Clark stuff
    Posts
    492
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    19
    I have a NX 250, so I can only speak to it. I also have several other hammocks. If I could only keep one, it would be the clark, hands down. CJ pepa answered better than I can, but to add a bit..

    This hammock, if anything, is overbuilt, a very good thing. Have you ever bought a part or tool that is head and shoulders way better built than it needs to be, both in terms of quality and ability to last? That's this hammock. For the price, you get a premium piece of gear that will outlast many others. By a lot.

    I camped in it last week near my house in a very wet, swampy area, lots of standing water, plus temp stayed warm at night for this time of year (65 deg). During the day, about 84. At dusk, several mozzies on the net, plus a swarm above them. And under me, the buzzing was intense. I didn't get bit once thru the bottom and I don't spray permethrin...you don't need it, the huge pockets make it unnecessary. The daytime temp in 80s didn't bother me a bit. However, the pockets, so invaluable in cold/cool weather, could keep it on the warm side if it had gotten much hotter. I've never gottten into the upper 80s or 90s with it.

    For the winter, I bought z liners, the old kind that you slide in each pocket...when it gets below 30 ( I sleep super cold) I also attach a jarbridge under the z liner. With this, I've been to 19 deg and been very warm. I know I could go way lower. Like your northern cold weather. Especially with the weathershield deployed.

    Good idea to upgrade to vertex tarp, it will keep everything dry outside the hammock, plus it has velcro on the edges to secure the doors shut when it rains sideways.

    Trust me and others on here who have them, you won't be sorry for getting one.

  6. #6
    New Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Detroit, Mi
    Posts
    7
    thanks for all the feed info and advice. i am going to be buying the Nx-270 tomorrow with the vertex tarp.

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