Help deciding maccat micro or JRB 8x8?

[Festus Hagen]

So I've been hammock camping for about a year now and I find my gear is steadily evolving toward the lightweight. I have the DD traveler and tarp and love them both, but they are both on the heavy and bulky side. I've picked up a Grand Trunk Ultralight hammock which I like a lot, but it doesn't mean much as my tarp is something like 23 ounces!

I've been researching silnylon options and the two on my mind right now are the Maccat Micro and JRB 8x8 mentioned in the subject line.

Price IS an object. Weight too... the JRB is heavier (ok, less light) and significantly more expensive but I like that it only wants two stake guys rather than 4 like the JRB. I wonder if folks out there would have advice for me one way or the other, right now I'm leaning towards the Maccat. <ETA- I'm open to other, similar options as well. I do not sew, tho.>

The DD will remain as my winter/car camping tarp. This one is just for rain protection, while I'm IN the hammock... for hiking and multi-portage paddle trips so the lighter the better.

Also, if anyone has a MINIMAL bugnet solution they like, I'm all ears.

TIA,
FH

[Shug]

All I can add is that you may get one from JRB a bit quicker.

[tpkanu]

Speer Hammocks has a silnylon 8' x 10' tarp kit on sale now for $45 (plus $9.50 shipping). It comes precut into (2) 5' x 8' silnylon parts and includes the tarp guidelines, pull tabs, reinforcement patches and even polyester thread.

You have to sew it, but it doesn't take all that long and is a great project for beginners.

Your finished tarp (without guidelines,etc) should weigh about 12 - 13 oz.

Ed Speer ships fast.

[Festus Hagen]

Thanks for the replies!

Being the super-decisive fellow I am, I finally went with... an HH asym 30D silnylon rain fly.

Seems like it's among the best "bang for buck" UL tarps, and I wanted to be reasonably sure I'd get it in time to do a 3 day hike I have planned for April (with time to spare for test/practice hangs).

The Speer was tempting but I just don't want to try and sew.

This will be part of my UL setup, which I'll make a post about later on...