Lots of questions on severe weather tarp pitching

[HandyRandy]

Give, in my case, is my continious tarp ridgeline(2mm cord). There's some stretch over its long length & during the the night I can retighten it from above my head from my sleeping position.

You can tighten your tarp’s CRL from your hammock while laying down?! Do tell.

[Apollo]

It is fun! But my last experience kept me up, thinking "what's going to break first?" Luckily everything was fine.

In nasty weather, I think the bare minimum to be comfortable and worry-free is having a tarp with doors. Even if there's still a 2' gap from the ground, you're still eliminating (or greatly reducing) that wind tunnel effect.

Totally agree with this, doors on my tarp have been the biggest improvement for winter hammocking. I do also use a bit of shock cord on my tie outs for my sil tarps, but that is more my preference - can't say I noticed a huge difference with/without.

[HandyRandy]

Dutch sells it under the name of Continuous Ridgeline, but the semantics I've read on Hammock Forums state that there is a difference between a continuous ridgeline and a full ridgeline. I'm going to buy the prusiks and replace the tatos at the very least, whatever I end up deciding. By ditch the tarp ridgeline, I mean should I switch to end loops instead.

You are referring to what most folks here call a “split ridgeline”. It is a hot topic which is “better”. Truth is they each have trade offs, but either one is a proven system that just has a couple quirks to watch out for.

My recommendation is Stingerz. They are super easy to use and a solid system.

[rweb82]

You are referring to what most folks here call a “split ridgeline”. It is a hot topic which is “better”. Truth is they each have trade offs, but either one is a proven system that just has a couple quirks to watch out for.

My recommendation is Stingerz. They are super easy to use and a solid system.

I think this may be what Aginor was referring to as a continuous ridgeline. It is quite different from the "continuous" ridgeline Dutch sells. In fact, when I first began researching tarp suspensions a couple years ago, the example from the photo is what was typically referred to as a continuous ridgeline- because it is truly continuous in nature.

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[Aginor]

Thank you all for the many suggestions - and a personal video from Shug himself! Since Dutch is having a 24 hour sale today, I’ll just buy the stingers and fleas and try them out next weekend in the mountains. I’ll bring my ridgeline with the new prusiks as a backup and pick another exposed spot to test the new setup out in stronger winds. I guess I should also start bringing my snow shovel as well in case I need to pile up snow on the windward side

[Trecker8]

I don't buy the "pitch the tarp higher" idea. In severe weather, you've got to get as low as possible - preferably behind a wind block. You may even have to create a lean-to. In real snow and extreme conditions, ditch the hammock completely and go to the ground. You can burrow in to a snow bank and set up there. You'll find snow is the perfect insulator. Anyone who's telling you to hang a hammock in extreme conditions has never been in extreme conditions. You'll freeze and a stupid tarp will be ripped away in a minute.

[OneClick]

I agree to some extent, but "extreme conditions" would have to be defined clearly before I made a decision. I've been in some pretty bad stuff, but I guess not "extreme" like a full-on blizzard for example. But even then, I think I'd go for it. Hold my beer!

[dakotaross]

I don't buy the "pitch the tarp lower" idea - I always pitch my tarp with about a foot distance from the ground. I'm not gonna pitch it lower and end up laying on the ground...

I don't buy the "pitch the tarp higher" idea. In severe weather, you've got to get as low as possible - preferably behind a wind block. You may even have to create a lean-to...

IMO, both of you are right. In this case, though, that tarp he's using is not a winter one and isn't very wide. I doubt he could make an effective Lean-To where he was there. And going low is tough to do without having your UQ drag. However, in that snow, could certainly get low enough to pile the snow around the sides to block wind and dig out underneath the hammock to get clearance.

Maybe a sock would be a good complement to what you're using as it seems you've (OP) already dropped a pretty penny on what you have.

My winter tarp looks much like the gray one in on the front of Shug's second video, including center interior pole mod. Always have it in porch mode, but I don't have much snow weight risk either where I am. Would Lean-To mode be the same as porch mode?

[Aginor]

In this case, though, that tarp he's using is not a winter one and isn't very wide. I doubt he could make an effective Lean-To where he was there. And going low is tough to do without having your UQ drag. However, in that snow, could certainly get low enough to pile the snow around the sides to block wind and dig out underneath the hammock to get clearance.

Maybe a sock would be a good complement to what you're using as it seems you've (OP) already dropped a pretty penny on what you have.

I agree with this. My small cuben hammock tarp has gotten me through snow and rainstorms, but when they mix with heavy wind is when I get into trouble. A winter tarp is on the to-get list, but until I get it I have to make this bad boy work. I think just piling up snow with a lower pitch will work best until then. A sock may be an excellent addition as well - good idea

[Trecker8]

I agree to some extent, but "extreme conditions" would have to be defined clearly before I made a decision. I've been in some pretty bad stuff, but I guess not "extreme" like a full-on blizzard for example. But even then, I think I'd go for it. Hold my beer!

You're brave, my man. Yeah, by extreme I mean howling hell. The kind that would have a hammock spinning. I've been caught in that - halfway up Mt Washington (below the treeline) in late summer.