Hangin' with Andrea

**Gyrfalc** · 06-08-2013, 16:12

In the spirit of "I wonder if this will work", I set up my hammock and tarp (WBBB + Edge) while Andrea was busily dumping 6 inches or so of rain in DE. The goal was to see if I could set up in a downpour and remain dry at the same time. The good news was basically, yes, I set up without getting soaked. The disappointing news was it took me forever and seemed to require way more effort than I expected. Ergo, I'm thinking the pros might have this down, and I'm hoping they'll share some ideas.

I donned my rain jacket, a trash bag for a rain skirt, some sandals, and loaded all the gear into giant zip lock bags and headed out behind the shed where I have a couple of big trees. I dropped a Tyvek sheet on the ground, thinking I would use it to set things on while I work and so on, but that turned into a bathtub in a matter of minutes while I fumbled with the tarp. Working as fast as I could, I got the tarp hung, but not after dropping it on the ground more than once, and then spent a lot of time trying to get it centered properly between the trees.

But that was cake compared to the hammock. I worked one strap around the tree, with the rest of the hammock in the zip lock bag. Then the hammock starts oozing out of the bag and I suddenly need five hands to get it contained and deal with the straps at the same time. Finally under control, I crawl under the tarp to start unveiling the hammock only to realize that the strap is too short and the end of the hammock is not covered. Stuff stuff stuff, back in the zip lock, loosen the strap, try again. This went on for, oh, maybe 30-40 minutes as I tried to get everything lined up without getting soaked or dropping the hammock in the mud.

So here's what I'm thinking I would do next time, and I'd love to hear other ideas. Even though this is extra weight, I thought I'd bring a line of some sort and use it as guide line (temporary ridge line). String that up first, and somehow mark the end points where I want the hammock... maybe aluminum toggles so the hammock can't slide past. Then I could quickly drape the tarp over this like a clothes line, keeping it off the ground, getting it centered properly, and tie it up. Put the Tyvek down to keep the hammock from laying on the ground while clip the ends to the guide line and get it strung up.

BTW, I stayed nice and dry, with one notable exception. Somehow water was dripping down along the hammock zipper, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out where it was coming from. Just the zipper was wet... nothing else. I didn't have any drip lines or anything, just the stock straps that came with the hammock. Other than that, I just lay out there and listed to Andrea do her thing for the next few hours. Very nice.

**Kyle** · 06-08-2013, 16:22

I'm so incredibly far from a "pro" it's laughable, but here's my input regardless.

Snake skins for your tarp, and double-ended stuffsack or BBbag for the hammock. Makes everything far easier. While I haven't set up in a hurricane, I've set up in a fairly wicked thunderstorm that was dumping rain like nobody's business and started dumping more hail than I've ever seen in one place - and I stayed dry doing it. In some snakeskins, a tarp is FAR more manageable than just loose in a sack of some sort. If you don't want to or can't invest in some skins (I very highly recommend MountainGoat; impeccable quality and at way cheaper than I'd probably pay for them), you can get away with using velcro cable ties.

I drape the tube of a tarp over my shoulders, get one end up, then the other, never touching the ground, then center it. Stake it out, and the rest becomes a cakewalk (depending on the size of your tarp, I guess). Whoopie hooks make hammock setup easy peasy. Get both your straps around the tree, spiked, and whoopie'd, attach one end of the hammock, open the sack, walk to the other side and attach that end. Very simple, very efficient, very dry.

My $0.02, for whatever it's worth.

EDIT: My guess on the zipper is condensation.

**MAD777** · 06-08-2013, 18:42

Considering the fact that you just started hammocking, in a hurricane no less, you should be pretty proud of yourself!

Here is the best method I have settled on. I wear a poncho in the rain that also covers my pack. I can remove my pack while still wearing the poncho and keep it covered. My tarp is in the outside pocket of my poncho. Of course it goes up first.

Then the hammock straps alone go around each tree. I then adjust the straps such that they are the correct length and end up underneath the tarp.

Finally the hammock comes out and gets hooked to the straps, all the while, sheltered underneath the tarp. Final tweaking is then done.

Many do not like to carry their straps separately for fear they would leave them behind when packing up.