I use a MacCat Ultra with my BB and it does work very well...in the winter it would be perfect to have about 1' more per side but...
I can and do close off one end of the ultra in windy winter conditions.
It is a very nice tarp
I use a MacCat Ultra with my BB and it does work very well...in the winter it would be perfect to have about 1' more per side but...
I can and do close off one end of the ultra in windy winter conditions.
It is a very nice tarp
"Every day is a new day to a better future"
"Of all the things that matter, that really and truly matter, working more efficiently and getting more done is not among them." ~ Mike Dooley
"What if I told you that you couldn't have anymore of anything... No more friends, no more money, no more anything, until you first got happy with what you have?"~ Mike Dooley
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." ~ Socrates
After setting up my Superfly and my MacCat Deluxe this morning, I'm going to have to say the Superfly would be a superior tarp if your only going to have 1. It covers all needs and possibilities without sacrificing much weight gain. Your looking at about a total of 7 extra ounces over an Ultra. Unless you get a Spinntex Ultra, and then well you'd be my hero.
Not the guy to ask for Directions.
I'd love to be your hero but money is always an issue at my house so . . . I guess you'll have to stick with your current heros!
I really want to say "thanks" to everyone that shared comments and suggestions. I am trying to calculate getting the greatest bang for the buck alongside of my projected needs tarp-wise. I am at this point leaning toward the McCat Ultra or the Big Mammajama. I don't think I can justify the additional cost of the Superfly vs the few times it would prove beneficial for my hammocking treks.
I don't think you would be unhappy with either the Big Mammajama (BM,) or the MacCat Ultra; can't ask for better quality in either. If you're a gram weenie, well I guess you wouldn't be carrying either but the MacCat is gonna be a bit lighter and smaller. But, if you're hangin a BB and you can only have one tarp (for now) then my vote is to get the matched set and really hang in style.
Trust nobody!
Thanks everyone for your input. I went with The MacCat Ultra. I had contacted Brian at OES with a question regarding shipping costs and lead time for delivery. He offered me a cosmetically blemished Ultra for $25 off. I ran with it. Thanks again!
"Every day is a new day to a better future"
"Of all the things that matter, that really and truly matter, working more efficiently and getting more done is not among them." ~ Mike Dooley
"What if I told you that you couldn't have anymore of anything... No more friends, no more money, no more anything, until you first got happy with what you have?"~ Mike Dooley
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." ~ Socrates
Good choice.
Not the guy to ask for Directions.
I'm also trying to decide on a first tarp for a BB.
I'd like to get an OES b/c it seems Brian has the best prices on spinntex tarps. I'm having a hard time deciding between Deluxe and Ultra for 3 season use. Brian told me approx weight of Deluxe in spinntex is 9.8oz and 11.5oz for the ultra. Weights include stuff sack and seam sealing.
I guess the benefit of the Ultra's extra tie out is you can close the doors somewhat if you needed too. Downside is that the Ultra is 16 inches shorter in width than the deluxe. Also I wonder how well creating a porch with hiking poles would work with the ultra.
Finally i'm interested in catching water with the tarp and i bet i could attach one of those Hennessy water collectors (or something similar) to the middle tie out of the ultra.
Use the OES Deluxe Spinntex version with the BB. Enough coverage even in a driving rain storm if pitched properly. Light, no need for tarp tensioners(more weight savings), no mist through.
Noel V.
These thoughts relate to the Ultra and MacCat in general, not just with the BlackBird:
The biggest benefit of the Ultra over the Deluxe is the ridgeline length. In a hard blowing precipitation, the ends are the most vulnerable spot to moisture (far more than the low-pitched sides IME). Having extra coverage over the ends of the hammock makes a big difference in staying dry. I have both an Ultra, but also a BlackCat (both with 12 foot ridgelines) and several times I've been in wind-driven rain where I would have regretted having less ridgeline coverage. YMMV
The extra side tie-outs on the Ultra are nice to have, but I think they are more a design function of creating several shorter and more effective edge cat-cuts rather than being needed for the wind conditions that most hammockers encounter. In fair conditions, it's easy to simply ignore the middle tie-outs and use the Ultra with only the corner guy points.
Works great. Here's a pic of an Ultra in porch mode in the snow from the recent Sipsey hangout:
“I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy
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