Is bigger really better?

**Just Jeff** · 09-23-2010, 13:54

Originally Posted by Buffalo Skipper

Not having yet camped in a hammock, I find this statement, well, puzzling. I live on the northern Gulf Coast (though I rarely camp near/by the gulf). There are nights here when I have woken up in the morning and everything was covered with a heavy dew. Even the underside of tarps and everything within their footprint. Granted, that was unusually heavy, but a decent dew covers things most mornings here, vitually year round, except during the less common "dry" days during the winter.

For me, to sleep without a tarp would be to wake up wet. Is my area so out of the ordinary that way? Prehaps it is our year round high humidity.

I've experienced the same thing in Charleston, SC. And in Monterey, CA, but it's dense fog there so you can see it coming.

There's no single piece of gear that excels in all conditions.

**Buffalo Skipper** · 09-23-2010, 14:13

Jeff, I was stationed in Montery for a year (almost married a girl from out there...) and I also spent time in Marin County (north of GG Bridge). The fog there is unlike anything I have ever seen anywhere. Beautiful stuff (glad I don't camp in that), but I digress.

No it is usually here in the fall and spring (transitional weather, with fluxuating temps and humidity) that I have experienced the massive dews I described. One in particular was simply amazing. We had a "pop-up" dining fly and everything, even the upper poles was completely soaked. As we ate breakfast, the sun was up and it rained down (from the inside) on our plates. Not a cloud in the sky.

I cannot plan for this. It happens, or it doesn't. I will survive it.

**desmobob** · 09-23-2010, 16:14

Originally Posted by Just Jeff

No formal guidelines, but I'd say 9x9 and 12x12 are pretty big. Small tarps would be the a JRB 8x8, MacCat Standard and Micro, stock HH tarps, etc.

Well, that makes me happy. I can carry my "small" tarp and know that it's really a "big" tarp!

Take it easy,
desmobob

**MAD777** · 09-23-2010, 19:00

You know ... I can just tell that this thread is going to cost me money!

I was perfectly happy with my MacCat Ultra Spinn as a "do all" tarp, until I started reading this. Now I've drawn up plans for an asymetrical diamond tarp, all little bigger than the small Hennesey one - AND - figured out that if I build it in CUBEN, it will come in at ONLY 4 OUNCES or less, including tie-outs!

You people are killing me!!!!!