I managed to find another bundle of silnylon at wally world. Only problem is, it's 4 feet wide instead of the 5 1/2 feet wide stuff I had bought earlier (it's exactly the same fabric otherwise). I'm torn on what to do to make a tarp.
I have 12 yards of the 4 feet wide stuff, and a 9 foot chunk and a 12 foot long chunk of the 5 1/2 foot wide stuff. (all the 5 1/2 foot stuff I hemmed for making a hammock, so i'd have to cut the hems off to make anything w/ them).
I want to make a tarp, but since i live in the pacific northwest and it rains 2/3rds of the time, I want to make darn sure I make something more than adequate for rain coverage.
What are your experiences with your tarp size and the coverage you get under your hammock?
I can use the 5.5' chunk alongside a 4' chunk and make a nice wide tarp, but then my ridgeline on it will not be centered. I'm just really concerned about an 8 foot wide tarp being wide enough, I set up a mock setup inside my house, and i'm still wondering..
Also would it be a good idea to put the tarp diagonal instead of rectangle. How much overlap do you have of your tarp over your hammock?
Lastly, can anyone give me some tips on how the heck to get out of the hammock? I've set mine up sometimes so low that my back sometimes touches the ground, and I still have troubles getting out. I swing my feet over the edge, but I can't get my center of gravity leaned forward enough to get out. I've had to resort to pulling on a ridgeline, or pushing myself upright with me feet, both methods i've almost flipped myself over. I'm wondering if i should loosen the long edges of my hammock (i pulled them out about 4 inches when whipping), since the main hurdle seems to be getting over the 'lip' of the hammock.. Once I get this step figured out, I'd be confident to leave the safety of my backyard and start camping.
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