Nother Noob Question

[bmize]

I have ordered the WBBB with Superfly tarp... The wait begins on it's arrival. WB was out of a couple of items, and I'm really not sure what to purchase after visiting a few other "supply" sites. Would appreciate a bit of guidance / wisdom.

What I purchased:

1 WBBB 1.7 Double Layer
1 Superfly Tarp
2 Carabiners
12 Y Stakes

I will be using the hammock for an extended period this fall, as I will be spending a month in the field with my Army unit. So...

I know I need guy line and shock cord? I know I've seen shock cord in various sizes. Any thoughts there? And does guy line come in different sizes, or is it a "one-size" sort of roll? Also, do I need anything to go with the shock cord / guy line (stops, locks, etc...)?

Finally, as I've never set up a tarp before, will I need anything (or want any special mods) for it before moving in for a month?

I appreciate your help, as my mid-40's body just doesn't accept ground sleeping like it used to. :-)

[wiscoman]

As far as guy lines go, I just use stout string with a piece of shock cord on the end that hooks on my stake. In 2-3 years of moderate use the wind is yet to rip a stake out on me. I highly suggest msr line tensioners. They weigh nothing and work GREAT!http://www.rei.com/product/829842/ms...sioners-4-pack

As far as hanging the tarp. Some people use a separate ridge line, but I have a line on each end of the peak that goes around each tree and then I use figure 9's to tension them. Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps

[lesspayne]

If you are going to use the continuous ridgeline with the Superfly you have to go over the ridge seam, if you go under the ridge seam, the cat curve of the ridge seam will be in the way.

[ChacMool]

Why 12 stakes?

I think you'll want two stakes for the Blackbird (the shock cord for this is included with the BB), plus six stakes for the Superfly? Am I leaving something out? The hammock and tarp set-up videos on Warbonnett.com show how this works, and suggest how many and how long the tarp lines you'll need.

You can maybe tack on 100' of zing-it for guy lines to your WB order, or spend more and have Dutch make up some with tarp flies and attached loops, cut to length. [MSR's tensioners are a less expensive alternative.]

If its cold in the fall where you are, you might want an underquilt; if not that cold, you may still want a pad between the double layers. Some people might want snake skins for the tarp, a scrap of tyvek for a ground cloth to set your stuff on, and maybe glow-in-the-dark doohickeys for your BB's zippers (MSR makes these).

[Bubba]

The OP probably got 12 stakes because there are 12 tie outs-8 on the edges and 4 side pull outs and maybe he is going to use 1 stake for each side pull out so there will be 2 for the hammock. Just guessing.

Of course you don't need that many but they're good to have during at first.

Zing-it/Lash-it is very popular for tarps. It is very light weight, low stretch, strong and spliceable.

As mention, you're going to want some kind of top and bottom insulation. There is a fair amount of convective heat loss and you couldn get chilled even in warmer weather. At first, a pad slid in between the layers works fine but for real comfort, an underquilt is a must IMO. For top insulation, a sleeping bag unzipped will work but an top quilts uses less material and is therefore lighter and less bulky.

[bmize]

The OP probably got 12 stakes because there are 12 tie outs-8 on the edges and 4 side pull outs and maybe he is going to use 1 stake for each side pull out so there will be 2 for the hammock. Just guessing.

Exactly on why 12 stakes. At $1.25, I figured it couldn't hurt to have one for each spot... and I didn't want to look too stupid by not having one for each spot.

Guess I got it half right.