Upgrade to Hex Tarp from Asym Tarp?

[uninjured]

Just ordered the superfly. I actually have 4 tarpworms. I'll have to read up on customizing the superfly, i.e, tying back the doors so they won't flap and rigging up porch mode which I'll probably be using a lot. Thanks again for your help, I think this should work out pretty well for me and definitely should be a step up from the asym tarp.

[cmc4free]

You're welcome and I hope you enjoy it. Being a very popular tarp, there are lots of videos about it, and lots of threads on the forum here that discuss different ways of rigging it.

[Bubba]

You may find you will use the doors more than you think. Even if it's not for weather, its good for privacy in public campgrounds.

[MikekiM]

OK I at least settled on a 11' tarp. Still a lot of options to choose from though... The superfly looks interesting but I'm not sure I really need doors.

I went from a gaggle of tarps.. doors, no doors, asyms, 11's, 12's, poles, no poles... to just two (and truth is, if I wanted to carry a few extra ounces all the time, I could be down to one). Both have doors. I keep them rolled and tied back 99% of the time and don't give a second thought to them. However.. when conditions call for them I am so grateful I have them.

My humble opinion.. don't debate the doors..unless you live where the chance of foul conditions is 0%. It's just not worth NOT having them.



edit... just saw you ordered the Superfly. I had one of those too!! Great choice. Try the internal pole mod with the Superfly.. it opens it up so much!! I made the pole pockets for all of my tarps tarps.. if you want a set, let me know.

[Skytow]

I’ve got to again agree with the door Recommendation. Even though I like my Dutch hex tarp a lot if I want a bombproof set up I use a WB Superfly that I purchased here used. Also great option and you will be dry!

For a Weekend with forecast good weather, particularly if it’s warm, I use my hex but for poor weather or longer trips where the FC is not reliable I’ll use the superfly. Great choice on a tarp, you’ll love it.

[SilvrSurfr]

I've got a hex tarp but my HG 4-season Winter Palace is my go-to tarp. It can handle any weather.

[uninjured]

Tarp just arrived today and I set it up in my living room (it's pouring outside now). I really like it a lot! I stuck 4 tarp worms and what I think is 1/16" shock cord Dutchware rigged up on the 4 tie outs. I'll seam seal the pull outs when the weather clears up. I also moved my stingerz and 12.5' of lash-it to the ridgeline tie outs. I have about 15' of 3/16" shock cord sitting around, should I perhaps move the tarp worms to the door tie outs and use the 3/16" for the main tie outs to the ground? I suspect this might be a better setup since I'd probably want less tension on the doors but perhaps someone here with more experience with this tarp can comment?

Since I live in the city and won't be able to really rig it up and stake it out, does this sound reasonable: use 6" of shock cord tied in a loop using a sheet bend (I think this is the lowest profile knot for tying a loop) then attach those to the 4 tie outs to the ground. Use lash-it to those for tying out to the ground (I use sticks or secure objects I find as stakes). For the doors, I'll attach 1-2' of lash-it to the tarp worms and find some kind of small hook so I can hook the doors to the other door tie-outs either width-wise or length-wise. In porch mode, I suppose I'd find 4 long enough sticks and stick them through the d-ring tie-outs then use enough lash-it to get to the ground.

Not sure how I should rig the pull-outs though. I've seen a few videos with some people just attaching a semi-taught length of shock chord between the tieouts but I'm not sure how I'd get that to stay on a stick in the ground. Will search for more videos and the threads on here for more ideas. I also welcome any suggestions!

[dakotaross]

If you're getting a hex, I think doors is the way to go, and congrats on your new Superfly! I choose between the small, lightweight SLD asym and a large Toxaway with doors added. The extra weight of the tox with doors is worth it most of the time, and I love porch mode! The minimal simplicity is worth it most of the time I take it, which is light trips when I'm reducing bulk to use a small pack. Comes down to just knowing your situation, where you're going and time of year, and living with the consequences if its not the best decision for whatever reason.