Talk me out of buying a Zpacks Cuben Asym Diamond

[WaffleBox]

I'm putting together my first hammock setup from scratch. I'll be using it almost exclusively for backpacking, so I figured I would just jump straight to cuben. I will either be getting a Weight Weenie Micro or a Dream Hammock Roaming Gnome (probably the latter). Either way it will be 11' with an 83% ridgeline.

I know the prevailing wisdom around here seems to be bigger = better as far as tarps go. But I am very intrigued by the utter minimalism of the Zpacks Asym Diamond (the relatively lower price doesn't hurt, either!). My normal camping style doesn't involve cooking any food or generally hanging out under a tarp, unless it is raining hard in which case I have historically just gotten into my tent (and would now just get in my hammock). So I don't think I need a tarp that acts as a full room. But I personally don't like being wet, either, especially when I am trying to sleep.

I do live in Florida, and most of my camping will be done here or in states nearby where the rain comes heavy, hard, and sometimes sideways. I'll be using a MollyMac Baby Orca underquilt which should continue to function if it gets wet. But I will also most likely have a GoLite Poncho Tarp or similar to use as my primary rain gear, and when getting into the hammock I could rig it up to provide additional rain protection if necessary.

Now please, if you don't mind, do your best to talk me out of this silly idea

[Boston]

Before dropping a bunch of cash:

1) Make sure hammock camping is right for you
2) Make sure you know exactly what you need - this often mean's experimenting - what you think you'll like and what you'll actually like can be very different. I'd start with a cheap blue poly tarp to get the feel for it, then decide what you actually need.
3) In line with #2 - minimalist tarps are often not good when using down gear, as they can allow some water to spray under them more easily. If you're going ultralight, you'll probably eventually get down gear.
4) There is a reason many people have drifted away from minimalist tarps - something to consider.
5) I've personally never felt the cost of cuben was worth the weight savings. Sil is 4 to 5 times cheaper, and "light enough".

[Two Tents]

I started with hanging way back with a stock Hennessy set up. There is a learning curve to using an asym tarp. A sideways rain = not good for any tarp. If I did go with the stock asym the weather forcast would be studied so I could pick my hang spot accordingly to maximize the coverage; as in a small compass to set up, hopefully the correct orientation, to the coming storm. Summer showers that come straight down or the dripping off of trees are a cake walk for a small asym tarp. The problem is wind shift and sideways rain. If you have systhetic insulation it isn't that big of a deal vs down. Still dampness sucks. So read up and study weather and live and learn. It can be done and an asym works best when it stays in your pack cause it didn't end up storming. I'd have saved money if I would have known then what I'd end up using the most. Maybe not cause it is a life long learning thing and plus I'm hard headed and a gear addict.

[SwinginIt]

I am a big proponent of cuben but in your situation with wanting to go minimalist I recommend getting an MLD Asym Spinn tarp. It's only about $70 and weighs just an ounce or so more than cuben. That way if you end up realizing you need more coverage you can get a bigger tarp cuz you're not broke from buying the first one. And if it's good coverage but you want lighter you can sell it and get the cuben and you might be out $20 from the deal.

[WaffleBox]

I am a big proponent of cuben but in your situation with wanting to go minimalist I recommend getting an MLD Asym Spinn tarp.

Would you mind providing a link? I've checked out their website and don't see a tarp matching that description, but I may just be missing it.

[Two Tents]

The spinn is a good idea or I'm selling a sil asym for a good price. It is in the FS section. Tarp options, mmmm!

[SilvrSurfr]

Would you mind providing a link? I've checked out their website and don't see a tarp matching that description, but I may just be missing it.

He doesn't sell them anymore so you would have to find one used.

[SilvrSurfr]

A minimalist tarp and sideways rain don't go together. Some people get by using ponchos to supplement their minimalist tarp, but there is an assumption that the rain will only blow from one direction (not my experience at all). Then there are the disciples of site selection who say they can use landscape features (hills, rocks, brush) to augment the abilities of their minimalist tarp.

I'm a hiker also, and when I roll into camp, I want to set up my gear, eat and go to bed without worrying about site selection or which way the wind is blowing and will it stay that way. I started out with an HG standard CF tarp with doors. They used to call it a 4-season tarp but I found it didn't provide enough coverage from blowing, shifting winds and precipitation. I have subsequently upgraded to the HG Winter Palace. For 8.5 oz., it provides sufficient coverage that I never have to resort to other means to keep me and my gear dry.

[jwright]

SilverSufr speaks wise words.

I have 2 non-cuben tarps-the larger, heavier Superfly and the Edge. I tend to do more backpacking/hiking, and I still rarely find myself grabbing the Edge. My kit is fairly light, and for the 6-7 oz difference (sounds like a lot), Its just not worth the worry or the concerns about finding just the right spot with the perfect protection and facing the right way with a best guess for which way the weather will blow in from, and having to have some sort of additional protection ready to deploy, etc.
So FWIW, I think it is a good idea to start with a larger tarp, then scale down after a season or two if you find you really aren't using the extra coverage. And with the cuben, the weight penalty is like 2 pop tarts anyway.
Just my 1 cent

[lazy river road]

Check out the Hammock Gear Standard Cuben Tarp without doors. Excellent summer, spring and even fall tarp. Not as minimalist as a diamond but certainly provides more coverage. However people do use diamonds and are happy with them but their just not for me. To small for me but not for others YMMV