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I got a McCat micro a while back, and haven't had to take in into the rain yet, but I put it up over my hammock while backpacking two weekends ago, and it seemed very small; almost too small.
Is it actually big enough to keep me dry through a steady rain? I would try it, but I don't really want to get caught in the woods without sufficient coverage. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Henry
Depends a lot on the size of your hammock. Best bet, before finding out the hard way, is to pitch it over your hammock in the back yard and use your hose to create a little rain. Backyard testing is always a good idea.
i had one, but wouldn't trust it if staying dry was critical --say on extended trips into the wilderness.
it ended up being too small for my needs. the standard was much more in line with my kit --more forgiving on set up too.
I enjoy using a small Clark rain fly, more than 30 inches shorter than the Micro. The silnylon is not heavier gauge than OES, but the bare Clark is heavier in total weight, even without grosgrain hems.
Huh? well the cutouts are non-existent, so there is more coverage. There's the rub. IMO: Every hexagonal tarp with deep cuts in the end overstate coverage with the raw size dimensions, as though the weight savings of deep end cuts did not come with some sacrifice.
If your hmmk is DIY, or even if it isn't, I'll suggest sewing, snapping on, or velcroing some rain-shedding hoods for the hammock ends, oversized triangles of fabric. Bingo: Reduced vulnerability to wet even with hexagonal rain flys.
I doubt a Micro would be big enough to keep you dry, but it really depends on your hammock size. I to no longer use the hexagonal shaped tarps - even the big ones allow too much wind driven rain under the ends of the tarp. Now I use a standard 8X10 tarp, but thinking about getting a 11X8 or 11X10 rectangular tarp for my new bigger and longer hammock.
Maybe it's because I learned to hammock in the rain with just the napkin-sized fly that HH provided with their hammocks, but I never had issue with the MacCat Micro. I have used it with my Blackbird in the rain and stayed dry. I've used it with Trek Lights and stayed dry. I've used it with my Traveler and stayed dry. None of these hammocks are exactly small.
There is much less room for forgiveness, so you have to pay attention when setting up. Especially true of the larger hammocks, but generally those looking at the Micros are doing so for gram savings and if that's the case, odds are you won't be in a larger hammock anyway. For weight savings, the Micro was great! With the arrival of cuben, the advantage the Micro once had, has slipped away. If/when Brian figures out how to use cuben material to make a Micro-sized tarp...I'll be all over it!
Also consider where you are hanging your hammock. I generally only take my Micro out when the weather is warm. I use winter tarps when it's cold out. When it's warm, the trees I hang from are covered in foliage. When you have a canopy full of leaves, how much tarp do you really need? The chances of sideways rain coming in through the trees is pretty slim. When weather is on the horizon, I also select my site differently than I would a clear night. JMO, but my tarp is there to cover the weaknesses of my site selection. It is not my only, nor first line of defense against the elements. If you fight fire with fire, it only makes sense to fight nature with nature.
I like my Micro, but I also like small tarps. I've got lots of big tarps and they are great for winter or social trips. Still, on a long hike where everything you carry matters, I have no problems taking my Micro and am anxiously awaiting one using the more modern fashion of cuben. :woot:
Okay, thanks for the replies. It doesn't really get that cold or snowy in Alabama, so I really only need a 3 season tarp. But how "big" is a "big" hammock? I just measured my ridgeline, and it was ~100". Brian says the micro is 120" long. Is ten inches on each side enough coverage?
And thanks Kyle, I'll give it a test run before I hit the trail next.
I may just end up pitching it really steep and close to the hammock when I'm expecting rain....
Thanks,
Henry
My rule of thumb is a minimum of 6" on either side of the hammock. Really, 12" is preferred for bad weather, but there are ways to make up for it: a poncho used as a Grizz beak or undercover works wonders for minimalist tarps, as does proper site selection (you want to be partway down a draw, with the ridgeline above you on the windward side, and broadside to the prevailing wind for max coverage in stormy weather; if you have a Grizz beak, instead turn that end into the prevailing wind, since you'll have three sides to shed wind-blown rain rather than just one).Quote:
Originally Posted by thehoneybadger
Hope it helps!
I have one set aside for a light set-up. I have never used it, but did lay it and the stock Hennessey asym expedition fly out together. It was slightly larger than the stock Hennessey fly. Should be fine for most conditions.
Sure 20" is enough, especially if you pitch it as you imply and that 20" is all at the head end. That's the way the old small Clark tarp was tailored to hang. And why not pitch that way? My feet are sightless, and they don't mind the obstructed view which also obstructs rain.Quote:
Originally Posted by thehoneybadger