thanks Griz, thats exactly the info I was wondering about on the JRB - I think I would want the longer ridgeline since the claytor no net is 10' long. Also it looks like the Speer has cat cuts on the "doors" as well. Maybe I'll call and ask about that brown color (although I don't see any mention of it on their website). I'm thinking/hoping the claytor will end up being my main winter backpacking hammock.
As much as I like the bridge (you know how it is with something you sew yourself), its a little more hassle trying to get the tarp set up over it without having the hiking poles rub the tarp. I've seen the stuff you've done with the hangar tarps and all, I just see myself going with a simpler/lighter setup for longer winter hikes (sort of the same reason I'm going with pads instead of an underquilt) so I'm starting to plan around the no-net (although I don't even have it yet, but I trust Neo's opinion).
I'm hearing you loud and clear. The tarp is turning out to be the biggest issue with hanging in the bridge. Without tricks it's hard to pitch things close up around the hammock (but tricks are fun... ) In winter it is worse if you have layers of UQ because you need to pitch high enough to keep from dragging on the ground.
Grizz
What if you were to pitch the tarp using two ridgelines one on each outside edge of the tree this would give you the daimeter of the tree extra in the pitch. Just a Thought.
It's a good thought, I've mused on it before. You'd need to put in extra tie-outs on either side of the center; You'd have to pick your one-size-fits-all distance. Without these, if the tarp just rests on the parallel lines and then is tensioned up then I'd think the tendency would be for the lines to be forced together in the center. In fact you may need to use some sort of spreader stick to separate them at the ends. Maybe even inside in the middle...wherever there is a downward pull.
but then you've created a bathtub for water to pool in.
I've not taken the time to work the angles and lengths to see what the benefit is.
there are other non-standard pitching geometries that are fun to think about. One thing is clear, that the standard A frame pitch is hard to close up around the bridge.
Grizz
Next thought what about putting a spreader bar under the ridgeline say about 3 to 4 inches one on each side of the tarp. this would create a small pitch just enough for the water to roll off and then you could pitch the sides at a steeper angle.
I wish I could do with less actually. I have some ideas to try out this summer.
For this winter, I extended the JRB tarp so that it's 10' x 13', the 10' is the ridgeline. The extra foot on each side hangs vertically, the main suspension tension continues to be on the given tie-outs. I did this after I noticed that in order to both get the walls down to the ground following the slope of the support poles, AND keep the hammock high enough to keep a double layer of UQ from dragging on the ground, I needed about another foot of elevation.
The tarp footprint on the ground is about 10' x 8', so if used as a tent alone you could get four ground-dwellers in there, if they were friends.
So the whole hammock hanger with doors and extra walls and poles and 2.8mm Spyderline ridgeline and tie-out cords and stakes and not-glow-in-the-dark-thingamabobs fits in a not-neo-anymore tarp bag, and weighs 2 lbs 4 oz when inside that tarp bag. Basically on the order of a Henry Shires tarp-tent. 'cept I get to hang inside of it!
But is way too much tarp for the summer. It's probably way too much tarp for the winter too...the size is a side-effect of hanging the hammock high and still avoiding the spreaders hitting the tarp walls.
Grizz
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