Good lightweight tarp for Darien Dream Hammock?

[enthusiast]

Hi all!

This is my 1st post on here.... up until about a year ago I have been backpacking with a tent. The Darien in the 1st & only hammock that I've ever owned. I must say, I do love it

I've been looking for a lightweight tarp option better than what I'm using now. The tarp I bought to go with my Darien is the Hennessey Deluxe tarp. Its luxuriously huge. I do like all the space it covers.... but it was purchased only because my backpacking partner had also just switched over to a hammock, and didn't have any rain cover. So I got something big enough that we could both use. Now, I am only interested in how I can cut my weight down from this pound-and-a-half beast!

Does anybody else use this hammock as well, & if so, what tarp do you use? I'm also looking for an UQ. Nothing fancy... I'm not into cold weather, something in the 40° F range would do me perfect, as the coldest I've ever slept in the hammock in is about the 50s. I just freeze my butt off every night I'm in that thing!!!

Weight (ounces), is something that is a definitely a factor I consider. If I'm adding an UQ to my pack, I know I'm adding at least a pound. I would love to save that pound in my tarp, but do not wish to drop the $200 on a cuban fiber tarp. I'm still learning and not sure exactly if any of the hennessey hammock tarps are compatible with my 11 ft ridgeline

[TominMN]

I'm guessing your ridgeline is actually 83% of 11' (?) That said, any 11' (or 12', for that matter) tarp will cover you. A hex like a Tadpole, Edge or Hanger would be a good tarp to own. If you want one with doors, two popular choices are the Superfly and the Winter Dream. Some day you'll probably end up with more than one of the tarps I've named...

[hutzelbein]

Tarp: If you want super light and don't mind spending big money, have a look at HammockGear's Cuben fiber tarps. If you do, don't bother with the smaller tarps, but get the largest one. If you don't mind carrying a bit more weight, Warbonnet makes tarps with the best weight-to-coverage ratio. I love the WB Mamajamba. If you need doors, you can't go wrong with the WB Superfly.

Underquilt: Do yourself a favor and get a 20° underquilt. It's probably the most versatile, and it doesn't weigh a lot more than a 40° underquilt. I can recommend HammockGear for the best weight-warmth-price ratio. But there are plenty of other good underquilt makers.