I just endured insane lightning & thunderstorms and days of continouus rain last week at the Shawnee National Forest with my 12' Wilderness Logics Bullfrog tarp over my 11' Night Owl hammock. I was completely dry the entire time and it really reinforced the reason I got the 12' tarp. I do have the pole mod so that widened up things perfectly.
Formerly McBlaster
The Tent is a Lie
right, but you still need 11' (+ whatever stretch) space between trees for an 11' tarp. that's a total of 1 foot difference. this whole idea that you can use an 11' tarp in many more situations than a 12" is bunk. except in the exclusive example of the state park you mentioned, it's not a limitation in the real world...
not in any way that's significant to choosing one over the other. duh...Originally Posted by mychal
choose the smaller 11' tarp for the weight... choose it for the price... choose it because your favorite maker doesn't off a 12'...
but to say that you regularly hang from trees too close together to use a 12' tarp but are able to do so with an 11'...
After using 12' exclusively for about a year, I can say that I don't like 12' ridgeline at all, and I am planning to make a new 11' Hex tarp. With 12' ridge line tarp, I was limited to where I can hang my tarp AND my hammock to be comfortable.
Sometime when I decide to setup my hammock up first because I like the place, then try to put up 12' tarp and it doesn't fit because it's too big, forcing me to move. Some places where I can get 12' tarp up, I have issue with hanging my hammock because it is too far and use up the webbing/suspension. And when it does fit, the trees are further apart, I have to hang my hammock higher up to get the right amount of sag. I camp/backpacking mostly with a group of people, so the shorter ridgeline makes it easier to hang in a group setting and not taking up a huge amount of space or try to find a the right spot to fit the whole setup in.
I never had the issue with rain/hanging in 10.5' grand trunk hammock with 10.5' ENO tarp, 11' dutch hammock with 10.5' eno tarp, so I don't see why I would have issue with 11' hammock in 11' tarp. The only reason why I have 12' tarp is because I bought a 12' tarp kit from Ripstop by the Roll, and decided to just cut and sew since it was my first DIY tarp.
I'm interested in getting a 12' tarp for my bridge, but I have run into a number of scenarios where the best option in NE FL would only accommodate an 11 footer. The other challenge with a long, rectangular tarp is dodging brush while staking out the corners.
+1 on the 12 foot hammock! On the trail, a few extra inches on the tarp make a huge difference for me..
Secondmouse, I think I've discovered the "glitch". This tread was about an 11 ft tarp vs a 12 tarp. And surely the space difference between those two is very small. But you ask about an 11 ft HAMMOCK and a 12 ft TARP and those two have a much larger space difference. Maybe it was clear to others that you meant to say 11 ft tarp, but I just answered the question as stated.
I agree with you if you are talking just about tarps. I'm a large tarp advocate. I don't feel the extra wait is that much and when it is really raining, I want to be covered. Not only when I'm in the hammock, but also when I get out of it. But in my case, I'm talking about an 11 ft hammock vs minimalist diamond tarps. I do have two 13 ft'ers for my bridge hammocks.
Bigger is always better, especially if it is a rib eye steak. Just ask Phantom Grappler.
I use a long tarp for most of my hanging, 13ft.4in., and it is overkill most of the time. When it is needed, it rocks. It was made to use on a particular stand, but has been great between the trees. I have a SuperFly, and another 11ft. tarp and like them all. My go-to is now the long sil-poly.
If you prepare for failure you will probably succeed.
The bigger the tarp, the more is "implodes" in on itself. Even with silpoly, that extra foot adds enough material that it's just not going to stay as taut. I went back to a 11' after realizing there's a lot more to it than just an extra foot and a little weight.
Definitely not bunk, and that's from real world experience. In fact, my last hang was with another tarp of mine, 11 footer with ends practically touching the tree on this particular hang. With my 12' Tox, I'd be looking elsewhere.
This, however, is bunk. Sorry, just sayin'. Not for a cat cut hex anyway.
"I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
- Kate Chopin
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