Tarps: Doors or No Doors??

[luhutchi]

Sorry if this topic has been posted before but I tried a cursory search of the forums to no avail. My first and only tarp at the moment is the WB superfly and I enjoy it but am wondering if I can get away with a doorless tarp. I've got a major crush on the hammockgear standard cuben tarp at the moment. With the superfly I can basically set up between any two trees without having to worry about wind, just pitch down the doors if needed. In a tarp without doors would I just need to take a little bit longer to find a spot out of the wind? Just looking to get a little insight from the experienced on doors vs. doorless.

Thanks in advance

[Ratdog]

Prevailing winds can be managed by site selection generally speaking. That allows you to get away without using doors for the most part. An under quilt protector is a nice way to block the wind and maximize heat retention for under quilts.

There are many exceptions, say at elevation, particularly near peaks, when winds will swirl and wind direction shifts occur. Setting up in a depression can help mitigate but not eliminate concerns.

I happen to prefer the option of doors for all sorts of reasons but every tarp I owned prior to a couple years ago, was your basic tarp, no doors and it worked just fine. A little more leg work in site selection, always paying attention the weather forecasts and surface level winds in planning, was S.O.P.

[luhutchi]

Prevailing winds can be managed by site selection generally speaking. That allows you to get away without using doors for the most part. An under quilt protector is a nice way to block the wind and maximize heat retention for under quilts.

There are many exceptions, say at elevation, particularly near peaks, when winds will swirl and wind direction shifts occur. Setting up in a depression can help mitigate but not eliminate concerns.

I happen to prefer the option of doors for all sorts of reasons but every tarp I owned prior to a couple years ago, was your basic tarp, no doors and it worked just fine. A little more leg work in site selection, always paying attention the weather forecasts and surface level winds in planning, was S.O.P.

That has been my thoughts in my short hammock career. If I need the doors, I have 'em. Don't need 'em? Fold 'em back. But it seems many guys actually prefer no doors. I was just wondering what peoples' thoughts were.

[Jay77gunn]

I own both of those tarps and find that I use them at different times of year. Summer in Okinawa is hot and humid and I look forward to a little extra breeze from a standard tarp. When it starts to get cold(read 50*F), or if I'm looking for a little more privacy because of the location, the Superfly is my choice. It's really a matter of what you like. HYOH.

[Womble]

If you can be sure that you won't meet conditions where you wouldn't like to have doors, you can pack accordingly.

My policy, unless it seriously handicaps my travel, is "rather have it and don't need it than need it and don't have it...". The difference between the cuben tarp with/without doors is $60, 1.2 oz and packsize.

Depending what weather protection you carry, you probably can transform that into a windbreaker/doors, at least for 1 side.

[12trysomething]

As I was learning and trying to figure out what worked best for me I ended up always going back to my tadpole tarp with add on door on my head end. In 2013 & 2014 I had over 300 miles like this in varying conditions. That lead me to....

A HG cuben tarp with doors on my head end. I hang my pack from my head end suspension, close off the doors and typically pitch both of the feet ends up in porch mode, which I call the Flying V.

Experiment, possibly pick up a set of Grizz beaks and you will eventually land in the right place.

[hutzelbein]

When I bought my first tarp, I wanted doors. I thought I absolutely needed them. But there were no tarps with integrated doors available at that time - so I got the previous Superfly model (which didn't have integrated doors then) plus door set. I have never ever used the doors. I carried them around with me for a long time, but had to admit that they were just dead weight for the type of camping I have been doing so far. I have hammock camped in several countries between April and October, and instead of doors I have used a hammock sock. It retains warmth much better. However, if I would do winter camping, I'd probably use a tarp with doors.

I have to add, though, that my hammock is only 10', and my tarps are 11'. I have lots of coverage even without doors.

[MAD777]

I started out with a Spinnaker hex tarp but have since moved to a Cuben tarp with doors. I didn't get wet using the hex, but it had a 12' ridgeline. My Cuben tarp with doors is 10'-10" long. Tarps with doors don't need to overhang the ends of the hammock hardly at all, whereas a hex tarp does. The longer hex tarp was eliminating a lot of potential hanging spots because the trees were too close together. All in all, I'm glad that I went with doors and with the shorter Cuben tarp, the doors don't add much weight.

[DuctTape]

What everyone has previously said is why there exists so many different tarps, sizes and designs. One needs to find what works for them. My first tarp was the rainfly from a eureka timberline tent, I now have a number of tarps. I use my "total coverage tarp" only in winter. I have been caught in some serious rains with a more open tarp, they do a surprisingly good job of protecting from the rain. I had doors as I was worried about coverage, but found they were not needed. It was a security blanket for me until I came to this realization. Many like to tighten the pitch during the rains, I do the opposite (note: I seem to do a lot of things differently from the mainstream hammocker), I try to maximize the footprint of coverage. I have found this to be more effective for my tarps. Like others have said, you will eventually find what works for you.

[ktitan]

I've camped for years with no doors and it worked fine. This winter I picked up a cuben tarp with doors and I think I stay a bit warmer on very cold days especially with wind. Still, one of the things I like about hammocks is that I am more attached to the natural world and I think the doors cut you off a bit.

So I prefer first no tarp, second no doors, third doors (for cold and windy). This coming summer I will probably carry the cuben with doorsbecause it is so light and I can fold them back.