In my neck of the woods, when it finally stops raining in the spring, it STOPS! So I like to have my tarp in snakeskins and just pitch it above my hammock ready for instant use. I love the stars and the sunrise. I like having the tarp in an outside pocket of my pack, ready for instant use in case it DOES decide to rain, and to allow it to dry if it does get wet. From now through most of the rest of the summer, about all we get are the afternoon thunderstorms, so it is always ready. My hammock (Clark) lives in its own stuff sack.