Really Bad Wind

[Rat]

So you had no choice but to stay in a compromised location; when this happens you need to be able to adapt your set-up. You say there was no time for a more elaborate set-up, that's why it failed; you didn't take the time to properly set-up for the conditions.

Many good ideas have been shared here, but you shoot each one down: it was dark, not enough time, no choice in site selection...You need to rethink your decision making paradigm; if all these conditions existed at the time of arrival maybe you should have been in a tent to begin with. However, there are many options to maximize a location and set-up; I'm only going to cover two which haven't been covered yet.

1) Abandon the tarp. Do you really need it? Is it going to rain? With high winds you don't generally get heavy dew. So you may not have needed the tarp anyway.

2) Have as a back up a hammock sock/weather shield. This can be used in lieu of a tarp in windy conditions to counter heavy dew and rain.

One solution that was mentioned is to use multiple stakes per guy point. you said the stake was bent in half so either you didn't have it all the way in the ground properly (for high wind), or the ground was soft enough to cause the stake to dredge and then pull out. Avoid round stakes for this type of set-up as well, the angled stakes get a better bite.

If it was because you didn't have the stake in correctly, learn to place a stake for maximum holding power. A good angle and driven all the way to grade offers the best holding power.

If the ground was soft using an additional stake will increase the holding power.

[Highbinder]

Funny you should mention sleeping without a tarp Rat. I did that a few weeks back in heavy blowy winds - I had set up on a beach (with only 2 trees, go figure..) and two of my guylines were shredded by the rocks I was using to hold them in place (as the sand was too fine for pegs), I ended up just taking the tarp down altogether and I was surprised how much of the windchill my UQ cut out! Plus it was fun being rocked to sleep by the heavy gusts hehheh

[JCINMA]

So you had no choice but to stay in a compromised location; when this happens you need to be able to adapt your set-up. You say there was no time for a more elaborate set-up, that's why it failed; you didn't take the time to properly set-up for the conditions.

Many good ideas have been shared here, but you shoot each one down: it was dark, not enough time, no choice in site selection...You need to rethink your decision making paradigm; if all these conditions existed at the time of arrival maybe you should have been in a tent to begin with. However, there are many options to maximize a location and set-up; I'm only going to cover two which haven't been covered yet.

1) Abandon the tarp. Do you really need it? Is it going to rain? With high winds you don't generally get heavy dew. So you may not have needed the tarp anyway.

2) Have as a back up a hammock sock/weather shield. This can be used in lieu of a tarp in windy conditions to counter heavy dew and rain.

One solution that was mentioned is to use multiple stakes per guy point. you said the stake was bent in half so either you didn't have it all the way in the ground properly (for high wind), or the ground was soft enough to cause the stake to dredge and then pull out. Avoid round stakes for this type of set-up as well, the angled stakes get a better bite.

If it was because you didn't have the stake in correctly, learn to place a stake for maximum holding power. A good angle and driven all the way to grade offers the best holding power.

If the ground was soft using an additional stake will increase the holding power.

Thanks for calling me out on that.

Thinking for the future, if I ever need to camp there again, I'll try to give myself more time to set up, pitch my tarp lower, use more stake-out points (and heavier duty stakes are incoming from JRB as I type), and if necessary, ditch the tarp altogether.

[Roadrunnr72]

I had two corners tied to the trees, and two corners staked down. It was really too dark (and cold) to do anything more elaborate.

Sounds like you were NOT prepared, as to the fact that if it was to dark to just stake down a tarp, then you didn't have proper lights. I own the Kelty 9, it has other tie outs than just the corners. In high wind, make sure you use them, that's what there for.

[TiredFeet]

QuestionS:

1. how deep did you drive the stake, and
2. how did you tie the line to the stake, not what knot did you use, but how high above ground level did you tie off and how did you tilt the stake when you drove it into the ground?

[Rat]

Thanks for calling me out on that.

Thinking for the future, if I ever need to camp there again, I'll try to give myself more time to set up, pitch my tarp lower, use more stake-out points (and heavier duty stakes are incoming from JRB as I type), and if necessary, ditch the tarp altogether.

7hanks for picking up on it (and not getting all offended)! I tend to look at situations through the eye of survival and efficiency; this has taught me to look at, and think of, things critically first. This is also how I teach; but, sadly, many students do not get it. The fact you are asking the question means you want to better yourself; but too many times we get caught up in defending our past mistakes. Survival is learning and adapting from our past mistakes and victories, the alternative is death. Sounds like you are on the road to a long and comfortable life...

[BillyBob58]

7hanks for picking up on it (and not getting all offended)! I tend to look at situations through the eye of survival and efficiency; this has taught me to look at, and think of, things critically first. This is also how I teach; but, sadly, many students do not get it. The fact you are asking the question means you want to better yourself; but too many times we get caught up in defending our past mistakes. Survival is learning and adapting from our past mistakes and victories, the alternative is death. Sounds like you are on the road to a long and comfortable life...

It does sound like that!

BTW, so many good tips here, but I always try to attache to something besides stakes when possible. (you may not have had roots/bushes/trees/logs/whatever available to you) But tying the sides to a tree or log is really hard hard to beat. Rain saturated ground can let stakes loose in the middle of the night. Roots are much less likely to turn loose. Or, big rocks or logs over the stakes, as already suggested. It is worth the weight of having some extra cord for extension of at least one or two guylines, so that you can reach something strong to tie to.

And you can't say enough positive about taking the time to find a sheltered spot. If you ever get a chance, read Ed Speer's book about his experiences during extremely high winds which were blowing the tenters away. While he would find a spot unusable by the tenters, on the lee side of a hill or cliff, and have a very calm night. As he listened to the winds howl over his head all night! Good reading!

[psyculman]

Windy conditions = damaged equipment !

I tried to set up my hammock facing several different directions to counter an intermitant brisk breeze to 20+ mph wind Saturday afternoon. My bug net got ripped, and I nicked a hole in my tarp. The wind did die off a little after sunset, and the temperature settled at 20 degrees for the night. Everything went ok after that, with a tarp-less set up. Incidentally, I had used 14 inch aluminium knitting needles for tarp stakes, and, they did not bend at all. But, the hammock damage is a real bummer. It was my first experience with that kind of wind. Won't try that again.

[jlb2012]

Windy conditions = damaged equipment !

I tried to set up my hammock facing several different directions to counter an intermitant brisk breeze to 20+ mph wind Saturday afternoon. My bug net got ripped, and I nicked a hole in my tarp. The wind did die off a little after sunset, and the temperature settled at 20 degrees for the night. Everything went ok after that, with a tarp-less set up. Incidentally, I had used 14 inch aluminium knitting needles for tarp stakes, and, they did not bend at all. But, the hammock damage is a real bummer. It was my first experience with that kind of wind. Won't try that again.

what gauge knitting needles did you use? - I'm considering some change away from the aluminum gutter nails that I currently use

wrt winter use - I use a top loader with no bug net in winter and only use the Hennessy during buggy times - in addition to saving weight it avoids the frost buildup on the bug net from my breath

[slowhike]

what gauge knitting needles did you use? - I'm considering some change away from the aluminum gutter nails that I currently use

wrt winter use - I use a top loader with no bug net in winter and only use the Hennessy during buggy times - in addition to saving weight it avoids the frost buildup on the bug net from my breath

I would do some testing before counting on them all together.
I don't know what gauge they were but I found the hollow knitting needles from wal-mart much easier to bend than the hollow aluminum stakes from Easton.