WTB: Cheaper Beginner Tarp

**Ears** · 07-28-2011, 09:00

rawr, every website has these chinooks for around 34 bucks.... and all of them are sold out with eta unknown just "backordered"

**Ears** · 07-28-2011, 09:05

i think i found aplace for the kelty 12 for 49 bucks iirc....... i was tryng to go all subdued..but thats just what im used to... maybe it would be a bad choice for firstime hammockering? i live in deer hunting territory...
gotta get dem derrs. actually they are yummy as hell.

about the kelty,i only really seeit deployed as a diamond. how do they play as aframe? or square farme?

also, more of a general question becuase i dont have a brain filter. but hypothetically. if i have an AR-7 and brought it along on a group hang. would that be innapropriate?
now before you go all coocoo for ar-puffs. heres a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-7 the weight is 1.13 kg

**Deadphans** · 07-28-2011, 11:28

I just got a Wilderness Logics Big Daddy tarp from a forum member. It has great coverage - more than enough. I have a feeling people are going to be hanging under the tarp during the next rain storm when backpacking. My only quarrel with the WL BD tarp is the seam sealing job along the ridge is really sloppy. Its almost as if Wilderness Logics rushed through it. But that is all on the underside of the tarp and does not affect the effectiveness of the tarp.

I too would recommend spending the extra cash and get one that is going to last you for awhile. That Kelty Noah is 2lbs 1 oz. That is crazy heavy for just a tarp. Once you throw in your hammock and suspension in to the mix are you saving that much weight over your tent set up? Just my thought process. GL and hang loose

**dukedante** · 07-28-2011, 12:19

Originally Posted by Ears

about the kelty,i only really seeit deployed as a diamond. how do they play as aframe? or square farme?

I always set it up as a square, because if you go diamond you need 17 feet between trees to go along the diagonal. There are numerous tieouts for you to use if you go square, and I use 3 on each side because it can be floppy if you don't use the middle one. In fact, it's floppy even if you do use the middle one, just less so. I've tied the ends of the tarp to trees, and I've also used a continuous ridgeline, which seems to help a bit with the flop (probably because I feel better stretching harder on the guylines with this setup). There are also tieouts on the middle of the tarp which could be used as pullouts if you needed cavernous room for dressing a deer or something like that.

**Ears** · 07-28-2011, 15:26

word.

hah well then youll definitely not want to help carry my pack.
i got most of my gear when i was in or just got out of the military....so my mindset was get durable stuff. everything else was secondary.
well i can still hump it to where i need to be. i just have to be extra particular on how i pack.... but now im looking into the lower weight alternative. mainly beause i want to do more ...i think its called thru hiking? where you set up camp every day and then tear it down and keep moving....
the weights not a problem im 28 and stillgot time to ruin my back and such. but setting up the tent every day...just to sleep on the ground was driving me nucking futs.

but thats all just ramble. how is the door capabilities on the noah?
or hennessy hex?

you guys are having an impact on me. i just ramble alot. you already got me out of the eno dryfly and i know its not a bad tarp but there are better. thank you guys for your input. (and the slapstraps but i dont want to admit that i was looking at those)

**KerMegan** · 07-28-2011, 16:27

consider adding the (aggh..forgot the name) stretchy tarp line tensioners, might help some with the flappyness of the larger/no-cat tarps. I know JRB- 'Jacks aRe Better' has sets available for purchase.
KM(who is noticing more failures of the internal-RAM this week.. need more caffeine..)

**dukedante** · 07-28-2011, 17:04

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...6_original.jpg
As you can see, the Noah can be closed down pretty tight.

**Ears** · 07-28-2011, 17:04

caffine is life blood KM.

**Ears** · 07-28-2011, 17:09

duke that looks sweet. its prolly easy to make it off set and have a porch with a half door huh. how is it durability wise? i found one for 50 bucks i think its in stock

oh also, i looked and looked and searched for one of those fabled 30$ chinook, and the only place i could find was something about firsttactical. and they had a whopping F from the BBB due to 16 things.... so that went downhill quicker than a fat kid on cake.

**Timberrr** · 07-28-2011, 20:19

http://www.huntingzone.net/chinook-t...-6-sand-11016/

I only checked 'sand' and not 'green' but it let me go all the way to confirm order so I assume it's in stock. (YMMV) It's $34 plus $10 S&H.

And hey. They list the weight as 0.00! Now that's UL!!

I'm not in a hurry so I'll keep looking and post if I find something better.