View Full Version : Speer Cat vs Black Cat
Okay, I've put it off long enough. I need to get my new tarp built. Seeing Speers new tarp has got me interested in making one. Is there any advantage to making a Speer Cat vs a Black Cat?
I imagine the Black Cat would be lighter, where as the Speer would be easier to make?
Okay, I've put it off long enough. I need to get my new tarp built. Seeing Speers new tarp has got me interested in making one. Is there any advantage to making a Speer Cat vs a Black Cat?
I imagine the Black Cat would be lighter, where as the Speer would be easier to make? Dunno, but I'd love to see the Speer Cat Cut tarp, I've not seen a photo yet and it's killing me....killing me I tell ya! :D
It's the second picture: Speer Cat (http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1156&page=3)
I don't think the speer would really be easier to make. The thing that really makes the BlackCat hard to make is the cat cut.
slowhike
05-23-2007, 07:48
a lot of it would come down to personal preference, but one thing to note is that the middle tie out on the speer would allow someone to bring the ends into the middle (crossing the guy lines) & close the end for wind rain protection.
i'll see if i can find a picture of dave's (youngblood) tarp from the last hot springs camp out.
the middle tie out on the speer would allow someone to bring the ends into the middle (crossing the guy lines) & close the end for wind rain protection.
i'll see if i can find a picture of dave's (youngblood) tarp from the last hot springs camp out. I saw Youngblood do that in Hot Springs and it seemed to work out well for him. It's one of those "Duh-I-should-have-thought-of-that" ideas. :D
headchange4u
05-23-2007, 08:13
Was Youngblood using one of the Speer Cat cut tarps?
Was Youngblood using one of the Speer Cat cut tarps? HC, I'm thinking he was using a regular Speer-type tarp. That's what it looks like in your pics and mine.
stoikurt
05-23-2007, 08:32
Looks like you'll have to carry 6 stakes for the Speer Tarp vs. 4 stakes for the McCat or the BlackCat.
I think like slowhike said, the advantage of the Speer is closing the ends. It also has more useable room on the ends. To me the disadvantage is 2 more tieouts.
I like the deeper Cat cut. Seeing the Warbonnet tarps, I think my next one is going to have a little deeper cat cut on the bottom, a small cat cut on the ridge line, and not be a true hex shape. I want to make the sides longer than the ends. That will make more usable room on the ends.
Just Jeff
05-23-2007, 08:47
As everyone says above, I think the Speer would give better end protection, especially from windblown rain coming from the sides. And it'll probably be more flexible if you have to go to ground with it.
If you're not using grosgrain trim, the mild cat cut might be easier to sew the rolled him, but that's not much of an advantage. Plus you have to sew on another tie-out...so I'd guess it's not really easier to make, just different.
slowhike
05-23-2007, 09:09
yep, the new speer would require 6 stakes. and i can't seem to find a picture of dave's tarp w/ the ends closed at hot springs. maybe someone else can locate one.
dave told me the only thing he didn't like about having the ends closed was that it made it so small & close inside.
at times like sat morn this past week end, the conditions are right for every thing to be wet w/ condensation... including the inside of the tarp. so every time i went to & from the hammock i had to be extra careful not to rub against the inside of the tarp or i would have a wet shirt.
after dave made mention of that, i began to think that a set of "pull outs" like i have on my tarp would go a long way in solving that problem, because i do like the simplicity of being able to close the ends just by having that extra tie out in the middle.
blackbishop351
05-24-2007, 20:00
As everyone says above, I think the Speer would give better end protection, especially from windblown rain coming from the sides. And it'll probably be more flexible if you have to go to ground with it.
If you're not using grosgrain trim, the mild cat cut might be easier to sew the rolled him, but that's not much of an advantage. Plus you have to sew on another tie-out...so I'd guess it's not really easier to make, just different.
I haven't really seen any lack of ground flexibility with my BlackCat...it's a lot more versatile than I originally expected - honestly more so than a few of the tarps I used when I was still on the ground.
A shallower cat cut is definitely easier to sew. The more curvature you have, the smaller the "bites" you have to take in order to keep things straight. Definitely takes longer. Adding grosgrain trim also exacerbates this; the grosgrain is kind of stiff and so doesn't like to conform to the curve.