Tarp Theories

[KC8QVO]

I've been reading through Water Monkey's blog and some other sites and the general theme seems to be the newb's using very large tarps and as you gain experience/comfort the tarp size seems to decrease. I wanted to throw this out to the group as more of a "discussion".

My thoughts with a tarp are that #1 it is the main shield from the elements and #2 it should provide sufficient protection.

There are a lot of hangers that use the smallest tarps they can get away with, seeing as they are lighter. For fair weather this would be OK, but what about the occasions when you are set up through storms? In a straight rain you will probably be OK, but any wind blown rain is bound to get in somewhere - not to mention the ground below the tarp.

How are you supposed to get any sort of cover over yourself and your gear in the rain, say to dry off and put fresh clothes on, when the only thing that fits under the tarp is the hammock?

My big mamajamba tarp is probably the biggest, or one of, and for space its great. We've even camped under it cooking dinner waiting out thunderstorms. I know weight is a viable concern, but when you need the protection I don't think you can beat having a nice big tarp.

[gunner76]

Its all a matter of personal preference.

[Raul Perez]

The notion that you NEED a large tarp is a matter of preference in my opinion. But the necessity to have a large tarp to provide the same amount of protection is also up for debate.

I started with a superfly and then moved to a smaller tarp... the OES Deluxe. To me this tarp size is perfect for me. It's much lighter (cuben version now) and it protects in various types of rain.

I've dealt with drizzle, heavy straight rain, and the nasty blowing rain (see 9:20 of the following video)



I've been thoroughly surprised at how well this particular sized tarp maintains your ability to stay dry.

With the blowing rain it is important to set up with the wind blowing at the tarp so the rain doesnt blow in from the head or foot area. In the above video it had rained a few times during the day and the wind was blowing a certain direction before it came down. I noticed this and changed the position of my hammock and tarp before it came down. I was in the shelter cooking when it actually came in and when it passed I went to my tarp expecting a soaked hammock and came to everything bone dry... even underneath.

You can probably go smaller with the WB Edge but for me I'm happy with the OES Deluxe size.

To be noted I feel the Zpacks 11' x 8.5' cuben tarp to provide much more coverage than the OES Deluxe but for some reason I keep my faith with the Deluxe. Thats me... personal preference.

[MAD777]

I have two tarps. One for trips when the weather forecast says "no rain." The other for all other times. The fair weather tarp barely covers my hammock but I can keep rain out by setting it up like a coffin lid on the hammock. As for dressing, I do that in the hammock anyway. The larger tarp is more comfortable and is my tarp of choice for questionable to down right wet weather.

This way I don't carry anymore weight in my pack than necessary.

[Roadrunnr72]

I have two tarps. One for trips when the weather forecast says "no rain." The other for all other times. The fair weather tarp barely covers my hammock but I can keep rain out by setting it up like a coffin lid on the hammock. As for dressing, I do that in the hammock anyway. The larger tarp is more comfortable and is my tarp of choice for questionable to down right wet weather.

This way I don't carry anymore weight in my pack than necessary.

I think this is the reason for the move from the large to small. When your getting started, atleast for me, I could only afford one tarp. So I went with a larger tarp, more coverage. As time goes on and more hanging experience is gained (and money) you can get the smaller tarp for good weather, and still have the large for the bad.

And when you do get caught out in the rain with the smaller tarp, and find that you still have the protection needed, the switch full time is made.

My "go to" tarp is a Kelty 9, hung in a diamond. When I first used it in the rain, (and it poured at times) I was worried that I would end up wet. I pulled the sides down and could still see my hammock, I just knew that I would end up wet. Woke up the next morning high and dry. Many scouts on that campout (in tents) could not say the same.

[pb&j]

I have to say that this thread gives me hope. I have a smaller tarp, and have been seriously considering adding to it. I think that I still will, but not to the extent that I would have if I had not seen this. Thank you! for the perspective.

[SGT Rock]

9'x7' is fine for me. I've done bigger and smaller, and have found this works in all four seasons for me. I think it is just preference. I like a smaller tarp so I can have a tighter camp in cubbyholes. I could only speculate that when people first start hammock camping they figure they want all the protection they can get. I also notice a trend towards extra "bells and whistles" on the hammock too. I've trended down to the simplest hammock I can get by with.

I recently made a 11'x8'10" for a friend, it felt like I could park a car under it, I wouldn't know what to do with all that room.

[dejoha]

I've trended down to the simplest hammock I can get by with.

+1

I've come to the same place. I love the simple approach. Less trinkets to lose or tie you down. It is all personal preference.

[Cannibal]

My first tarp was the Hennessy napkin tarp. Talk about intimidating to someone that hadn't messed with tarps in more than a few years! I was absolutely positive that I was going to get wet using it; zero doubt in my mind. Luckily, I lived in Florida at the time, so all I had to do was wait a few hours for the next rainstorm. Every time I heard the rain, I was running outside with my stuff to practice. Within a couple of months, I was totally comfortable under that tiny thing.

My second tarp was an early SuperFly. It felt like a condo by comparison and I developed a bit of a crush on the big tarps. My time learning real tarp skills was priceless, but that SuperFly made things soooooo easy. Still, I learned this very thing while dragging my SuperFly along the AT:

I like a smaller tarp so I can have a tighter camp in cubbyholes.

There are so many more spots to hang when you have a small tarp, that it makes them very attractive. I had a OES Standard sent to me on the trail and instantly realized that I had no need for a large tarp unless I was dealing with cold temps. At least, as a thru-hiker on the AT. If it was raining and I wanted to cook under my tarp, I just took one end of the hammock down and I had plenty of room.

Since those days, my tarp purchases have been fairly balanced. I've got big tarps to use for blocking cold wind and entertaining camping friends and neighbors. Then I've got my 'hiking tarps', which are minimalist in size. They work just fine and if I had to, would work in winter too. I just wouldn't be quite as comfortable as easily.

So yeah, preference is the name of the game. In the summer, when I'm solo, I don't generally take more than my OES Micro. It covers every hammock I own and other than a couple of stupid-moments on my part, my quilts haven't gotten wet. My opinion, is to start small and learn by trial and punishment. Once you can use a small tarp effectively, making the transition to the big boys is nothing but pleasurable. Going the other direction might not be quite as enjoyable because you will probably feel like you're missing something.

[dbean]

I might have missed it in a previous reply but don't forget about a hammock cover. A small piece of silnylon wrapped around the bottom of your underquilt (underquilt cover). One should keep in mind their "System". You can get by with a very small tarp if you are covering the underside of your hammock.
Planning ahead is key. If rain is in the forecast then you are packing more/bigger tarp.
Snow isn't a problem so much as rain when dealing with hammock moisture. When it's that cold though, you need to think wind protection.
You should also try to see what you can get by with inside. I'm not so claustrophobic so I can pitch the tarp low and hammock high so I get my butt out of direct wind.