Wondering if there is any damage, whether uv or else, that i should consider when i leave my hammock up in my backyard for days on end. I Have a spinnaker tarp that is my main consideration-will sun damage affect it? It is well shaded by trees, some light does bleed through though. I just leave my hammock and tarp up and uq & BA bag in it if i need them.
UV has never been the friend of synthetic material I know of ... even indirect light can age it.
Just curious ... why would you want to leave it up all the time?
I've left mine up overnight only and returned to find things like twigs that have fallen out of the trees on the tarp and ants on the hammock. Sometimes spiders and webs and other various bugs. The only reason I ever leave it up is because I'm testing something out during the day. Sometimes I want to test during the night, or early in the morning or it's rained and I just want everything to dry out first. Never left it for more than than unless I'm actually camping in it and staying at one spot for a while. Even then I tend to tweek and move things around (like the tarp). There's no way I'd just leave it to just hang in the back yard all the time though. There are other hammocks that are made to do that.
I am testing it, trying to make sure i know how to use everything.
IMO, a bad idea. As aforementioned, synthetics don't like extended direct sunlight, so if you value your gear don't leave it up for an extended period of time unless you have money to burn. That said, the best way to test it and make sure you know how to use everything correctly is by not only using it, but practicing setting it up and taking it back down. Not only will you make sure you can use your gear correctly, but you'll also learn to be more efficient with your setup and take down times.Originally Posted by ikemouser
"If you play a Nicleback song backwards, you'll hear messages from the devil. Even worse, if you play it forward, you'll hear Nickleback." - Dave Grohl
I've had a few synthetic and natural fiber hammocks that I brought back from Mexico that I'd left up in the past. Even in the shade of trees they deteriorated quickly. I'm talking several weeks to a few months and they start to show serious fading and eventually become weak and break/fail.
I've seen hammocks last quite a while in Mexico; but, they are hung under palapas in complete shade with zero direct light. This is almost like being hung indoors.. just without walls.
IMO it is a waste to leave your stuff hanging all the time.
I think a good alternative would be to leave straps/tree huggers up and devise a quick connect/disconnect system (ie carabiners) to hang quickly when wanted. You could even do this with your tarp. Consider putting your hammock in a rubber-made container stashed nearby.. that way it is easy to find, get, and put up when you want to relax.
Bomber birds are the plague around here. Leave it up at your own risk.
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Spin cloth was designed for sailboats, which never operate in the shade. That said, UV does degrade it so leaving a tarp/hammock setup for weeks or months on end is probably a bad idea but IMHO keeping it up for a few days is no biggie, especially if you don't have full sun.
My wife's away with my daughter in CA, so I've had my HH Explorer setup for 5 days and have slept in it each night. I doubt it's any worse for the wear.
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Mine is up most of the time in the yard stand but is covered by a truck tarp...not my good MacCat. The tarp keeps the bird bombers without success and set high enough allows for maximum ventilation.
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Great question,
I have been there and done that.
Over the past months I have set up repeatedly a home made tarp & Byers Moskito prior to storms to test the following.
Speed of set up,
Waterproofing - and seam seal.
comfort of sleeping.
cold spots.
Several years ago we left a dome tent up for my son in the woods at the back of the property just for the summer, it went up Memorial and I went to retrive it on Labor Day, just something to play in with his freinds, the sun damage totaled it.
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