Snakeskins for winter tarp

[drewboy]

If you've tried to put up a tarp when the wind is gusting, you gain an appreciation of how much easier a skinned tarp is to deal with. Once you get the ridgeline locked down and nice and taut with a skinned tarp, the rest of the setup goes very quickly. If a tarp is bunched up or put in another stuff sack, I really don't see how much faster it would dry out compared to a skinned tarp. I think that regardless of how you store the tarp you will need to spread out a tarp for it to dry out completely. OK, so maybe the skin weighs an extra oz or so compared to a conventional stuff sack. Different people will make different choices on whether that extra weight is worth it.

[ltruelove]

I actually just last night had my mom make me some skins for my tarp. i just got my 11x10 cat cut four seasons backwoods daydreamer tarp(from hf's own sclittlefield) and wanted to have some way of keeping it off of the ground while setting it up so it doesnt get muddy. my mom and i went to the fabric store a but couldnt find any no seeum(which i wanted so the tarp can dry while strapped to my pack). instead the only thing they had that was pretty light and strong was craft lace. so i guess now i have the sexiest skins around but they work great. they only took like ten minutes each to make and i am really happy with them. (by the way, great work scott on the tarp you made me! keep up the good work!)

[koaloha05]

As RamblinRev noted above. Reasons why I prefer skins for a tarp. The HH SS#4 have more than adequate volume for the SWT. I snake the OES DeLux in a cut down SS#2. Fooled around with a DIY double ended BlackBishop style sack. SS type of tarp sack worked better for me. But for the hammock personal preference for the double ended BB sack. One of these nights will get around to sewing up a couple SS made out of mosquito netting. I think the Nanoseeum netting from Thru-Hiker is 0.7oz/yd2. Bit of a weight savings over the HH SS plus a bit more breathable for the wet tarp. Probably insignificant in drying out the tarp once skinned.

[Ramblinrev]

Once the tarp is rolled I don't think there is any significant advantage to mesh reptilian derma layers. The tarp rolled to the inside ain't gonna dry out no matter what. You gots to give it a chance to get dry the next night.