Lightest non-cuben tarps?

[doctor patches]

Hey all,

i'm looking to shed some weight from my current hex tarp (AHE toxaway), it'll be a hand-me-down to my second string of gear (i now have a full set i offer as a loaner rig for friends who want to backpack with me but don't have gear). I have a MLD spinn-tex asym diamond tarp i use for good weather, i'd like to add a hex and a winter tarp with doors, whether they're removable or not is up for review. Any advice on which tarps fit the bill?

Thanks,

Patches

[Xtrm tj]

Im guessing you mean what Tarps fit the bill . I have seen a new membrane material ripstopbytheroll is offering. And he claims it is lighter than other material,suitable for tarps for sure and not the cuben weight or price.

I dont have experience with it, but plan to diy a tarp out of it probably soon.

Hope this helps.

[doctor patches]

Sorry, coffee isn't kicking in quite just yet, edited original post. I started a comparison list that i'll update in the original after i get it posted to google docs.

[WaffleBox]

Check out this thread:

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...mparison-Chart

[hutzelbein]

So you are looking for a tarp with a similar size but lighter? First question is, do you need a 12' ridgeline? If you use the 9' Grand Trunk Nano7 hammock as your camping hammock, you can easily get away with something shorter. Most hammock tarps have an 11' ridgeline. However, the Toxaway is quite light for the coverage, if the specs on the AHE site are correct (12' x 10'7" = 14 oz). Whenever I have compared silnylon tarps, Warbonnet had the lightest sil tarps. The Mamajamba is 11' x 10' and weighs 14 oz - I guess the cat cuts are not as extreme as with the Toxaway. So your best bet would be to go with a narrower tarp like the Edge (11' x 7'10" = 11.25 oz). It should provide more coverage than your diamond tarp, but it definitely is no winter tarp.

Another option would be to go custom. With a 9' hammock you should be able to get away with a 10' tarp. If you shorten the sides to maybe 9' and use the lightest silnylon available, you should be able to shed a bit of weight - provided the construction method doesn't add weight (e.g. by having grosgrain edges instead of rolled hems etc.).

[SnrMoment]

You can save 2-3 oz with a Tadpole tarp from Wilderness Logics.

[doctor patches]

So you are looking for a tarp with a similar size but lighter? First question is, do you need a 12' ridgeline? If you use the 9' Grand Trunk Nano7 hammock as your camping hammock, you can easily get away with something shorter. Most hammock tarps have an 11' ridgeline. However, the Toxaway is quite light for the coverage, if the specs on the AHE site are correct (12' x 10'7" = 14 oz). Whenever I have compared silnylon tarps, Warbonnet had the lightest sil tarps. The Mamajamba is 11' x 10' and weighs 14 oz - I guess the cat cuts are not as extreme as with the Toxaway. So your best bet would be to go with a narrower tarp like the Edge (11' x 7'10" = 11.25 oz). It should provide more coverage than your diamond tarp, but it definitely is no winter tarp.

Another option would be to go custom. With a 9' hammock you should be able to get away with a 10' tarp. If you shorten the sides to maybe 9' and use the lightest silnylon available, you should be able to shed a bit of weight - provided the construction method doesn't add weight (e.g. by having grosgrain edges instead of rolled hems etc.).

I'm happy with my diamond tarp coverage and weight for good weather trips. I'm looking for a hex tarp and/or a tarp with doors (detachable on a hex that i could use for winter would be ideal) to lighten the load for trips with weather imminent (where the diamond tarp wouldn't cut it), but i'm not ready to drop the $$$ needed for a CF tarp just yet. I'd like to keep a longer tarp ridgeline as i also have an ENO double and hope to get a longer hammock as i shed weight elsewhere, i fit fine in the Nano7 now, but having a longer and slightly wider hammock would be more comfortable.

[hutzelbein]

If you really want to shave weight, you should consider going with dedicated tarps. Separate doors add quite a bit of weight. A winter tarp with integrated doors is a couple of oz lighter than a similarly sized no-doors tarp with attachable doors. Example: the WB Superfly weighs 19 oz, the WB Mamajamba plus door kit weighs 14oz + 8oz = 22oz.

I also don't think that there is a lighter silnylon tarp with the same size as the Toxaway. You can either go for a lighter fabric (Cuben) or a smaller size.

[hutzelbein]

I'd like to keep a longer tarp ridgeline as i also have an ENO double and hope to get a longer hammock as i shed weight elsewhere, i fit fine in the Nano7 now, but having a longer and slightly wider hammock would be more comfortable.

Hammock width and tarp ridgeline length have nothing to do with each other. The hammock length, or rather the hammock's ridgeline length is what determines how long your tarp needs to be. The ENO Double is only 9'4" according to ENO's specs. Unless you want an 11' hammock, a 12' tarp is definitely overkill. I use a 10' hammock (ridgeline length about 100") with 11' tarps, and I have tons of coverage. Most people even use 11' hammocks with 11' tarps.

[doctor patches]

Hammock width and tarp ridgeline length have nothing to do with each other. The hammock length, or rather the hammock's ridgeline length is what determines how long your tarp needs to be. The ENO Double is only 9'4" according to ENO's specs. Unless you want an 11' hammock, a 12' tarp is definitely overkill. I use a 10' hammock (ridgeline length about 100") with 11' tarps, and I have tons of coverage. Most people even use 11' hammocks with 11' tarps.

I understand that ridgeline length and width are unrelated, my comment was about the dimensions of the Nano7 being rather "tight", and i'd be looking to increase both length and width with my next upgrade. I'm fairly short, so it probably won't be too drastic of an increase, but i'm pretty much maxing out the Nano7's dimensions as it is right now.