Tarp help

[HurricaneWill]

Hey guys I'm a noob. Just wanted some suggestions from the community before purchasing a tarp.

To give you an idea of what its for, I'm hiking the AT this year. Attempting to through hike. hammock is being made. It's 11ft and wanted to know what size tarp I should get for it. Should I get a 12 foot ridgeline or is that too big? Do I need one with doors? Do I want a diamond cut or hex cut? I have no idea.. I'm not new to hiking but i am new to hanging. Don't really know what I need. Spending money on a good tarp isn't an issue, but i'd prefer to have it be one and done. I don't need to upgrade later, or start a collection at this present time.

Thanks guys!

[Deathstar77]

I have a hex tarp and it works great for my occasional camping habits. However, if you're do a considerable amount of hiking, you may want something with doors. Hammock Gear's Cuben Fiber tarp gets lots of great reviews.

[sargevining]

An 11'-0 hammock with a properly installed ridgeline should be +/- 110" (9'-10"). My personal preference is for the tarp to cover at least 6" past each end, so an 11'-0 tarp would work for me.

[Phalse]

This thread has a good pictorial depiction of the different kind of tarps and how they lay.

[tnrdnck]

If weight is not an issue then I would highly recommend the Warbonnet Superfly. If your counting every ounce then go with cuben.

[OneClick]

You'll have to measure to be sure, but with an 11' hammock, I think you should have about 10" of overlap on each end with an 11' tarp. If you get a tarp with doors, that distance doesn't matter as much as a tarp without doors.

Since it's a thru hike and you'll proably see all kinds of weather, a hex tarp with doors seems like a safe bet.

I'll mention the Warbonnet Superfly since I have one and it's very popular. 19oz + maybe 2oz more with cordage. The doors will keep weather out and they can always be tied back when not in use.

You could use a smaller tarp or one without doors, then use an underquilt protector to keep blowing rain off...but that weight savings would probably be a wash. Maybe even heavier depending on the fabric.

I wish I started with a Superfly, then on to a smaller one later on instead of the other way around.

If you really want to save weight and still have doors and lots of coverage, you can get a cuben tarp, but they're expensive.

[doogie]

An 11' ridgeline should be fine. An 11' hammock is generally about 9.25' when hung, so you have 10" of coverage on each end. I like my hex tarps, but in the colder months I will add a grizz beak to help with cold breezes and driving rain. All of my tarps are DIY. I have 2 hex and one winter with fabric for another hex ready to go (I am outfitting myself and my son and sometimes my wife too). I think I would be tempted to go cuben if I were going to thru hike. If you are going to be pushing the cold weather a winter tarp (with doors) is a nice option.

[HurricaneWill]

Wow, you guys are quick to reply! Thanks for all the input. I was thinking about cuban. And its probably going to be my choice. Thanks guys!

[OneClick]

Someone else with experience can chime in here: isn't cuben a little more fragile, but easier to repair with tape?

[WaffleBox]

I've had no durability problems with my cuben, but yes repairs are very easy with cuben tape.