ZPacks Diamond Asym CF Tarp

Have not had a chance to go out with it yet, but I did finagle it up in the living room to get a quick idea of the coverage. After looking at a few Diamond Asym tarps, seeing how well they actually do cover, I contacted Joe over at ZPacks to whip me up one. Love how small it packs down, really loving the weight. The tarp with tie outs & sealed weigh in at 3.6 oz. I also only need two stakes. For two Lawson 7" ti stakes - 0.5 oz. So total weight for tarp, tieouts, & stakes, 4.1 oz.

I plan on using this for my 3 season/summer tarp. After walking around it while setup in the living room, the rain would have to drive in almost sideways to actually come close to the hammock on the long sides of the tarp. Joe tape sealed all the seams, so no seam sealing required when it arrived. In the pic of the tarp deployed, you can see the foot end of the WBBB, my feet would actually go away from this long side of the tarp and be covered by the short side, and my head would be lying around the short side shown. I can also bring the tarp down closer to the hammock for more coverage & really get cover.

First pic is the tarp with an iPhone 4 on top just to give somewhat of a size reference. To the right of the tarp is a Cloud Kilt, next to it is my breathable CF rain jacket from ZPacks also. Second pic is my string up in the living room, entry side of the WBBB. Hopefully this weekend I can get out and test it, I'll also try to get a quick video showing a little more detail.

Looks awesome! How long is the ridgeline on that?

Looks great man and I'm looking forward to seeing some more pics of it outside. 4.1 with suspension and stakes is just nuts!

Fronkey

Crazy light! Guess you get to carry the beer! Pretty soon for summer you can just leave the pack at home and carry stuff in your pockets. :D

Thanks more, 132" ridge line, long sides are 88", short sides are 66".

Fronkey, it folds up small enough to feel about like a wallet in your back pocket also.

Rum & Cigars HappyCamper. :)

This is a diamond, not the rectangle tarp that he sells? What was the cost if you don't mind?

duke, no its not the rectangle tarp Joe sells. This is actually an asymmetric design. You basically have two short sides and two long sides. The two tie outs of the tarp tie out near your head end and foot end. It follows the way most of us lay in our hammocks, across the center line of the hammock. That allows you to really pull the sides down if weather turns for the worse. With a diamond design the tie outs are generally located centrally straight across from one another, one side of the tarp is a mirror of the other.

Hope I got that right, anyway, here is my stick diagram of the design.:scared: Forgot, this is a custom, so you will need to contact Joe about pricing, and sorry if you already knew all the asym stuff. Figured I would add that just in case anyone was wondering what the design was like.

Bearchaser, I just wanted to thank you for this thread. I was admiring Warbonnets asym tarp but wanted cuben. Went to zpacks and didn't see one so began the order process for an 8.5x8.5 cuben.
Then saw this thread, so glad I did.
For years I used the minimalist Hessessey tarp supplied with the Backpacker Asym and never had any problems with it except for minor dampness in horizontal wind/rain.
I also wanted to simplify to the one stake per side.
It was perfect timing for you to post on what Joe made for you. Now I'm in his queue for the same with a minor difference-I still intend to use a pole mod on it :)

Cool, glad I could be so timely MedicineMan. It took awhile to finally get here, then when it did, I was out of the country for a few days. I knew it was at home waiting for me though. :)

Well you are there! I however have many weeks to wait.

Thanks for the updated info, I like the drawing too.

Joe from Zpacks is great to work with and very timely on replying all emails. I like the way he communicates with you and works with you and in a couple of weeks going to pull the trigger on a cuben tarp from him. Already got the cuben chaps and they are so cool..had them on yesterday in a 3 inch snow,,and they worked perfect and can't wait to get them in the rain. they pack so small,,will take them in the boat crappie and walleye fishing as well.

Super jealous of this.

Congrats on your tarp Bearchaser! Sweet looking piece of art. Guess you'll have to wear some heavy boots just to keep from floating away!

Home Run

Thanks Home Run. Actually been thinking about it for awhile now, and after seeing you guys at the Mt. Rogers hang come out well with your tarps it made my mind up to give one a try.

Finally able to get out into the woods around my parents house this weekend and made this short video. Want to apologize up front for the shaky video. I had my better camera with me but left the memory card at home. :rolleyes: Here is what I was able to scavenge from using my iPhone.

Tarp with 1.75 Zing-it ridge line tie outs, 2 Tarp Flyz, and 1.25 mm Z-Line, 3.6 oz. The Zing-it is about 8'-10', the Z-Line is 6'. No stuff sack needed as it folds up really small and easy to fold even in windy conditions, found that out yesterday.

I modified my 1.1 single layer Blackbird hammock also. I replaced the webbing suspension with the Dynaglide Whoopie slings using Whoopie Hooks from Dutch. The tree straps are 38" long. Both suspension ends are 2.6 oz. (Pair). The mods to the BB include replacing the Amsteal RL with 1.75 Lash-it. Replaced the wing tie out lines with a little shorter piece of some 80lb utility line from ZPacks, used tiny cord locks and 1/16" shock cord. Also replaced the little metal rings with plastic mitten hooks. Being able to separate the shock cord wing tie out from the hammock makes it nice if they are wet. Makes it really nice on the entry side to just flop the bug netting out of the way when I don't need it.

Tarp, tie outs, hardware - 3.6 oz.
Hammock Suspension - 2.6 oz.
Modded hammock w/stuff sack - 13 oz.
Total system weight - 19.2 oz.

That is a very nice set-up you have.

That's a mighty fine weight savings!!!

Dude thats a really sweet set up, congrats on the new gear

Great looking setup Bearchaser! Incredible weight savings.

Cheers :D

Congrats on the light setup! If you had to do it over again, would you change anything on your current tarp design or is it too soon to tell.

Thanks all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HappyCamper

Congrats on the light setup! If you had to do it over again, would you change anything on your current tarp design or is it too soon to tell.

---

Too soon to really tell but I have a couple ideas to test and possibly improve it a little more. I was also playing around with the Cloud Kilt (or skirt for HC :)) in different areas. If for some reason I get setup all wrong with wind and rain, I can use the Cloud Kilt as additional protection in an area, I can also use my rain jacket zipped up around an end. So with the Tarp, Cloud Kilt, and rain jacket I can be very protected. After playing around with it yesterday, coverage is more than what I originally thought. I also tied the sides down closer, not very comfortable for getting into the hammock, but worse case it would provide a little more coverage.

Only bad thing about a tarp of this size and design is if it's blowing rain around, cooking under the tarp may be a problem unless I just keep the hammock put away until done. Another problem is your not going to be setup in much of a porch mode in blowing rain either. But, because of its design you have a pretty unobstructed view while in the hammock. Course not testing it yet in those conditions I can't say for sure.

Hey! On Joe's site it SAYS . . . CloudKilt Rain Skirt.

Oops, thread drift. Very nice tarp. Keep us updated. Looks like a good multi-use item. When not using as a tarp it makes a good hankie.

that is an awesome setup.
thanks for the video, too. the live action does much better than pictures
can, as we get to 'walk-around' with you.

pitched right, those diamond tarps are solid. i still haven't ventured to try,
only because a friends well pitched diamond tarp didn't save his down UQ
from wetting out in a constant 48 hour rain w/ wind (15mph gusts max).

however, for the mile-maker who isn't concerned on a particular trip to fart
around camp, that design is hard to beat. i''d love to save some coin for
one, someday.

OK thanks to veengle.com I just watched the vid-great meeting Ginger-beautiful hound! and the 360 tour of the tarp was spot on for info.
As mentioned prior I am waiting on one of these from Joe. I decided to go 6 inches wider on each side thinking it might help but I used the original stock HH tarp for a long time in crap horizontal wind/rain and at worst only got a bit damp.
I do wonder though if an undercover of breathable cuben might be the ticket? I know the breathable cuben is heavier, thoughts?
Also at first in watching vid I thought the stuff sack was a 'cone' for the ends of the hammock where the gathered end is. So cuben cones, thoughts?
Speaking of breathable cuben, with it you could go completely flush with the hammock, yep the hammock will sag away when occupied a bit but the little air gap could only be a plus.
I think I'll look into the breathable cuben undercover.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MedicineMan

I do wonder though if an undercover of breathable cuben might be the ticket? I know the breathable cuben is heavier, thoughts?

---

I actually have one of Joe's breathable CF rain jackets that I'm planning on using along with the CloudKilt to increase my coverage if needed. Your idea of having an undercover of the same material sounds ideal, but a little expensive for it's purpose. Plus, with the added weight of the breathable CF in an undercover size, I would think that a full size CF tarp might weigh about the same or less. Now if you could work with Joe to make a breathable rain jacket that is longer with maybe some sewn on loops to convert it into an undercover.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MedicineMan

Also at first in watching vid I thought the stuff sack was a 'cone' for the ends of the hammock where the gathered end is. So cuben cones, thoughts?

---

That's an idea & kinda what I am using the stuff sack as at the head end.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MedicineMan

Speaking of breathable cuben, with it you could go completely flush with the hammock, yep the hammock will sag away when occupied a bit but the little air gap could only be a plus.
I think I'll look into the breathable cuben undercover.

---

Fellow member R00K I believe talked with Joe about a breathable CF tarp. If I can remember correctly Joe basically said it would be very expensive and a little on the heavy side compared to the regular CF tarps. The advantage of using it as tarp material over regular just isn't there. It would make a cool winter sock though.:cool:

The main reason I went with this tarp design is to save a little more weight. My ZPacks full size tarp with doors, all tie outs, and snake skins weigh 8oz. This diamond asym with all tie outs weighs 3.6. That's a difference of 4.4 oz. My breathable CF rain jacket (built to fit me, I'm tall) weighs 4.8 oz. So as you can see, if you have an undercover made of breathable CF that all it did was protect the underside of your hammock, you would add weight to your pack. Plus you would need a separate rain jacket. You would be better off going with a full sized tarp for coverage and weight savings.

This is my plans for worse case scenario. Hang my tarp as close to the hammock as I can, kinda like the video. Tie out the sides a little steeper closer to the hammock. If I am setup with wind blowing in wrong, I plan on using the CloudKilt to block that area. The CloudKilt already has tie outs on all four corners, so adding cord to string it up would be simple. My rain jacket can also be used in a couple of ways. First, just zip it up around the head or foot end of the hammock which has a little more exposure to the elements than around the middle. Second, I can use the existing shock cord around the waist and hood area to wrap is around me kinda like an undercover. The stuff sack itself covers the tip of the hammock, and I normally carry one of Joe's large rectangular roll top stuff sacks with my quilts in. Almost forgot about the pack cover, which is another item that could be used.

I'm hoping it would never come to using all those, but I did think about it before contacting Joe. I'm also utilizing everything that I'm already carrying with me, so no additional weight for single purpose items added.

MedicineMan, if your getting this tarp to try to save some weight, try to use things you already carry to supplement it. Adding more things to it to make it better is just adding more weight to it. You may be better off with a full size tarp which really isn't much more weight.

Quote:

---

Too soon to really tell but I have a couple ideas to test and possibly improve it a little more.

---

After ten days can you share some of your new ideas? :-) I just asked Joe about same tarp but a little bit bigger, and MedicineMan also mentioned earlier:

Quote:

---

As mentioned prior I am waiting on one of these from Joe. I decided to go 6 inches wider on each side thinking it might help

---

The only thing I scared is UQ, like rip waverly said:

Quote:

---

pitched right, those diamond tarps are solid. i still haven't ventured to try,
only because a friends well pitched diamond tarp didn't save his down UQ
from wetting out in a constant 48 hour rain w/ wind (15mph gusts max).

---

So what do you think, if use full width (≈100"x70") instead of 88"x66", will it give significant effect, like less chance for UQ to get wet, ability to cook while sitting/lying, and solve the shelf problem?

Also, why you use one more ridgeline for the tarp and not just connect it two hammock's ridgeline?

I'm really busy with work right now and have not had a chance to get out and test this tarp. It's supposed to rain this weekend here, I was going to test the tarp but it sounds like I will be heading to a job site this weekend, so no testing yet.

Quote:

---

After ten days can you share some of your new ideas? :-) I just asked Joe about same tarp but a little bit bigger, and MedicineMan also mentioned earlier:

---

A couple ideas that may improve this design is a little wider and a second set of ridge line tie outs set back maybe 6". As we all know when you set your tarp really close to the hammock your suspension lines from the hammock to tree end up touching or pushing up on the ends of the tarp. The only way to really set the tarp closer to the hammock is shorten it. If I had a second set of tie outs set back a few inches in, I could essentially shorten the tarp and get it closer to the hammock without the suspension lines interfering. To get it correct I need to get out and hang this thing up and start messing around with it. Too short, and the ends of the hammock may be more exposed.

Quote:

---

The only thing I scared is UQ, like rip waverly said:

---

Yes, that is a concern of mine also, the UQ. With these minimal coverage tarps its a chance I'm taking. That's why I started thinking of ways to increase my coverage with items I already carry and have before purchasing it. I don't use a full length UQ, don't really care for them or see the need, for me anyway. My rain jacket will almost cover the entire UQ, it will cover what needs to be covered, the bottom center and partially up the sides. My pack has some shock cord attached to it that I use to secure items on the outside. My plan is to use my rain jacket secured to the UQ using that shock cord along with the cloud kilt.

Quote:

---

So what do you think, if use full width (≈100"x70") instead of 88"x66", will it give significant effect, like less chance for UQ to get wet, ability to cook while sitting/lying, and solve the shelf problem?

---

A little wider would improve coverage, longer would also improve it some. But the longer you go, the higher it will have to be set up from the hammock due to the suspension lines coming down on an angle.

Quote:

---

Also, why you use one more ridgeline for the tarp and not just connect it two hammock's ridgeline?

---

I'm not totally sure on what you are asking here. It sounds like your referring to attaching the tarp to my hammocks ridge line? The way my ridge line on my blackbird is setup would not allow this. One, it would expose the ends of the hammock. Two, the bug netting on the blackbird flops over it. Three, the tarp itself is longer than the ridge line. You have me thinking about a hybrid SLS and traditional suspension system. Of course what I'm thinking of would increase the weight, and once again if I start increasing the weight of this tarp by maybe even an ounce, I would seriously start thinking about just carrying my full size tarp and not worry about coverage.

So here's the deal with a small minimal tarp design like this. I wanted to shave a little more weight and plenty of people have used Hennessy Asym tarps with not many problems. With this tarp I am going to have to pay a little more attention when setting up for a stormy windy night. I'm also making a few sacrifices like coverage when not in the hammock for maybe cooking or just lounging if its windy and storming. I could leave the hammock packed up until I'm ready for bed. That would allow the entire space under this little tarp to be used. It's not for everyone, and until I can really get a few windy stormy nights under it, I can't say for sure it's for me?

I have basically three pack setups. Winter, 3 season, mid summer. My winter pack will vary in weight the most, an average would be near 16 pounds base. My 3 season will also vary depending on the hang, solo, group, or mood, it will vary from 8 to 12 pounds base. My light mid summer setup would not change much at 6.25 pounds. As you can see from some of the gear in the lists linked, I change my pack setup depending on my mood, where I'm going, who I'm going with if anyone, weather, and my goals for the trip. I can tell ya one thing, I can't wait to get out and try this tarp. :)

Any chance of getting a photo of your setup with the kilt and jacket deployed? I am using a similar setup with a 1.7 BB, Joe's Asym tarp, kilt and BCF jacket and am trying to figure out how to give my UQ some more rain protection as you described. I am using a full length UQ because of some foot and leg circulation issues.

Best I can do is what I posted in the smallest possible tarp thread. This is a shot of it setup from this past week. The rain was blowing in toward the foot end of the hammock the most, it was also swirling and changing on occasion. For the foot end I used my Rain Kilt to provide the most protection to that area, that is where most of the rain was blowing in on. I also used my pack cover, the blue in the pic, to cover the very end of the hammock. At the head end, which you cannot see, I zipped up my rain jacket around the hammock. That kept me nice and dry throughout the night. The BB's wing tie outs I did not stake out, I let them hang straight down to give max protection.

As I said in the other post, early that morning as I was leaning out of my hammock making coffee. I did get a little damp on the backside head end. That was due to me leaning out, in turn the hammock swung out from under the tarp slightly. I could have probably set this up a little better, but the rain starting coming down and I didn't wast any time getting it at least up and cover established. Once I saw I was protected, that was good enough.

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/a...6&d=1349792994

Some mods I plan on trying out.

What I have done since this pic is actually sewed on a couple more ridge line tie out loops about 6" inward on each side of the tarp, actually shortening it. I tied on some shock cord to those inner loops and added small prussics on my hammock suspension lines to snap the shock cord to. I have not tested in outside yet but this is what I'm seeing it do. If stormy conditions before setting up I plan on setting the tarp up with my standard RL tie outs to the trees. After I have cover established I can pull my tree straps out & get those hung and squared away. Next pull out my hammock getting it set, and because I'm using whoopie hooks I have short loops larks headed to my hammock. I pass the shock cord through these loops then clip into the prussics on up the suspension lines. What this does is pulls the tarp down to the level of the loops and puts tension on the inner pull outs by adjusting the prussics. After I'm satisfied, I can do one of two things, completely undo the normal outer RL tie outs or loosen them allow the inner shock corded tie outs to pull the tarp down against/very close to my hammock. I can then maneuver the loose ends of the tarp to provide specific coverage.

The thing I need to test is what happens when I load the hammock and the two side tie outs. I know the tarp will now follow my hammock staying close, I'm sure that when I get in the sides will come down, just don't know how much yet. I may have to use shock cord I already carry on my pack as line tensioners for the sides. Once I test this out I'll try to post an update.

Do you have a picture of this mod? Or have you found something better for storm mode?

Have also recently discovered when it is snowing a very powdery like snow that stuff can go up and into a tarp with very little wind at all. I would like to see what you have tested and what you like best so far.

Joe now offers an asym on his site that has 11 ft ridgeline, 103 long sides, 66 on the short sides. Considering giving this tarp a try.

Would like to see how you handled the mods though. If all goes well with my tests of this tarp, I'm taking it on a thru.

This is a beautiful tarp...do you think it would work with an eleven foot bias wwm hammock?