As I've outfitted my overland rig, I've adopted a backpacker-like mantra of maximizing versatility and minimizing size and weight. This is something of a necessity; my BJ42 is not very large, and not powerful either. On the other hand, this has pushed me to find some really clever and unique products and solutions for some of the classic overlanding problems. Case in point, how and where to get a good night's sleep on the trail.
I explored RTTs , but they can be heavy and expensive. I looked at camping cots, which seem kinda bulky for such a small tent. I like hammocks, but those require trees. There isn't enough room to simply sleep in the vehicle, so I was about to settle on a small tent/bivouac when I came across my ultimate choice: the Mark2 from Clark Jungle Hammocks.
In most regards, it looks like a tent hammock. Two strings, a suspended roof, an optional rain fly, and a big zippered entrance with a mosquito screen, same as many others hanging from trees the world over. However, the Mark2 has a special feature: it can double as a ground shelter.
I've now sent 4 nights sleeping in it; two on the ground, two in the trees, so I felt I could give a reasonable first impression of it.
Construction: The bottom of the hammock is thicker and tougher than a normal hammock so it can sit on the ground, the zippers are nicely-sized for finding in the dark, and nothing ripped or tore from my normal use. I'm not a big or tall guy, but Clark's literature says it's suitable for anyone up to 7 feet tall and 350 pounds. The mosquito screens worked great, I went all 4 nights unbothered by insects.My only complaint was the stakes that came with it. They were thin metal, obviously designed to be as small and light as possible for backpackers. I stepped on one the first afternoon and bent it instantly. I replaced them with larger, solid metal stakes and haven't had any other problems.
Setup: Setting up as either a tent or hammock is quite quick. Two short tent poles suspend the roof, and you simply stake it down or tie it between two trees. No major headaches, no huge confusion, and if you do mess something up, it's a moment's fix.
General use tips: There are a pair of storage pouches inside the tent near your head, which is handy for things like glasses, flashlights/headlamps, phones, or anything else you might find needful. Position the zippers overhead so you can adjust how much ventilation or heat retention you have. The rainfly is held off from the rest of the tent by the tent poles, so you can have the screen fully open without letting in rain. (Great for not steaming yourself alive on a rainy summer night) Being a compact shelter though, there's not a lot of room to store gear. Leave things back in the vehicle if you can. If you unzip the entrance/roof too far, the shelter collapses, though it's still usable as a hammock like this.
As a ground tent: "Spacious" is not a good word for it, but unless you're genuinely claustrophobic, there's plenty of room to sleep. That being said, sleeping is all the Mark 2 is intended for. You can't while away a rainy afternoon in here unless you really like laying down. The tougher bottom portion protects against pokes and comes part-way up the side, so wet ground is less of a concern than it might otherwise be. For me at least, there was enough room at my head and feet to cram my boots and hoodie to keep them accessible and dry.
As a tent hammock: You get a bit more head room in the hammock setup. You can sit upright, or pull the roof back to use it like a normal hammock. (I read a book like this for a good while) Sleeping is more comfortable in the hammock, but that makes sense. Other than the pouches, you can't really store much inside the shelter with you. Your boots will have to go on the ground underneath the hammock. Stuff them in a bag if it's going to be rainy, the rainfly covers the tent and nothing more.
To summarize:
The Clark Mark2 is well-designed, well-constructed, and works well as both a ground tent and a tent hammock, it takes up very little space or weight in your vehicle, and is reasonably-priced for what you get.
I explored RTTs , but they can be heavy and expensive. I looked at camping cots, which seem kinda bulky for such a small tent. I like hammocks, but those require trees. There isn't enough room to simply sleep in the vehicle, so I was about to settle on a small tent/bivouac when I came across my ultimate choice: the Mark2 from Clark Jungle Hammocks.
In most regards, it looks like a tent hammock. Two strings, a suspended roof, an optional rain fly, and a big zippered entrance with a mosquito screen, same as many others hanging from trees the world over. However, the Mark2 has a special feature: it can double as a ground shelter.
I've now sent 4 nights sleeping in it; two on the ground, two in the trees, so I felt I could give a reasonable first impression of it.
Construction: The bottom of the hammock is thicker and tougher than a normal hammock so it can sit on the ground, the zippers are nicely-sized for finding in the dark, and nothing ripped or tore from my normal use. I'm not a big or tall guy, but Clark's literature says it's suitable for anyone up to 7 feet tall and 350 pounds. The mosquito screens worked great, I went all 4 nights unbothered by insects.My only complaint was the stakes that came with it. They were thin metal, obviously designed to be as small and light as possible for backpackers. I stepped on one the first afternoon and bent it instantly. I replaced them with larger, solid metal stakes and haven't had any other problems.
Setup: Setting up as either a tent or hammock is quite quick. Two short tent poles suspend the roof, and you simply stake it down or tie it between two trees. No major headaches, no huge confusion, and if you do mess something up, it's a moment's fix.
General use tips: There are a pair of storage pouches inside the tent near your head, which is handy for things like glasses, flashlights/headlamps, phones, or anything else you might find needful. Position the zippers overhead so you can adjust how much ventilation or heat retention you have. The rainfly is held off from the rest of the tent by the tent poles, so you can have the screen fully open without letting in rain. (Great for not steaming yourself alive on a rainy summer night) Being a compact shelter though, there's not a lot of room to store gear. Leave things back in the vehicle if you can. If you unzip the entrance/roof too far, the shelter collapses, though it's still usable as a hammock like this.
As a ground tent: "Spacious" is not a good word for it, but unless you're genuinely claustrophobic, there's plenty of room to sleep. That being said, sleeping is all the Mark 2 is intended for. You can't while away a rainy afternoon in here unless you really like laying down. The tougher bottom portion protects against pokes and comes part-way up the side, so wet ground is less of a concern than it might otherwise be. For me at least, there was enough room at my head and feet to cram my boots and hoodie to keep them accessible and dry.
As a tent hammock: You get a bit more head room in the hammock setup. You can sit upright, or pull the roof back to use it like a normal hammock. (I read a book like this for a good while) Sleeping is more comfortable in the hammock, but that makes sense. Other than the pouches, you can't really store much inside the shelter with you. Your boots will have to go on the ground underneath the hammock. Stuff them in a bag if it's going to be rainy, the rainfly covers the tent and nothing more.
To summarize:
The Clark Mark2 is well-designed, well-constructed, and works well as both a ground tent and a tent hammock, it takes up very little space or weight in your vehicle, and is reasonably-priced for what you get.
