How Windy Is To Windy?

[sideshowraheem]

Was out for a back yard afternoon hang while my kids were napping and ultimately cut it short due to wind. According to my DIY weather station we were getting sustained winds of 20 mph with gusts as high as 40.

I was using a Warbonnet Thunderfly with the two pole mods and shock cord guylines running 3mm Lawson GloWire. The tarp was shaking like crazy, even pitched as low as I could, and it got me worrying that it ultimately wouldn’t hold up. That either the stakes in soft wet ground would get yanked out or that the ridgeline would rip and my tarp would go flying off into Lake Superior.

This all got me thinking. How windy is to windy for hanging a tarp? What could you or would you do in a similar super windy situation?

For me, I pitched it as low as I could, and tried to not be broadside to the wind. Beyond that I just sang the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” in my best Gordon Lightfoot impression as a peace offering to the wind coming off of the lake.

[joe_guilbeau]

2nd large tarp works on the beach as a wind break.

No bueno for biped transport, except to walk down to the beach.

Screenshot 2022-04-26 133725.jpg

[LowTech]

Dealt w/ a lot of wind in the last year of desert camping and if it wasn't a rain storm, like when I was just using it for shade, I would often lift the sides up on poles to make it more horizontal. Sometimes just the upwind side and sometimes both.
Of course this doesn't protect you from the wind or rain but it keeps the tarp intact.
I do feel that the interior pole mods help a lot and I've had my tarp in high winds configured that way as well.
So far I've only suffered damage on one of my tarps and it was a silpoly. My silnylon tarp from Onewind has gone through some crazy azz winds for the last few years and has held together great.

Out here winds are just a way of life, especially in the spring. We live in it, vend on high wind days (yesterday and Fri) and sleep rocking in the hammock w/ your head opposite the the side the wind is coming from. If it's cold I add my bugnetting to cut it down some.

"Sent w/o me knowing"

[TominMN]

...

For me, I pitched it as low as I could, and tried to not be broadside to the wind. Beyond that I just sang the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” in my best Gordon Lightfoot impression as a peace offering to the wind coming off of the lake.

I'm on the south shore of Superior at the moment. Definitely too windy! I think I heard you singing...

[Double]

IMG_2717.jpeg

This is my diy half winter tarp that I like to car camp with from time to time. Mid April I was out at a local lake for a one nighter (really a half night since I have to be at work at 6am) and a storm rolled in. It was a sustained 20/30 mph and gusted frequently up to 50.

All was fine until 1am when the rain stopped and the wind started. I have one internal pole mod in the middle set up to give me extra space underneath. I spent an hour plus holding one side of the pole mod so the wind didn’t suck it up and damage anything and the other side I was pushing it away from me as the wind shoved the whole tarp it into me time after time. It’s do able for sure but it’s not the most restful night in the hammock.

[iceman857]

I've been through several 20-30 mph sustained wind situations while hammock camping, and the only way I think my gear survived was to put rocks on top of all the tieout stakes. Works a treat, but still not fun to experience.

[cougarmeat]

The high wind issue is why I put some shock-cord on my guy tie-outs. It's not so much to keep the tarp taut as it is to allow it some "flex" in order to spill some wind when necessary. I no longer set up broadside to the wind when I can help it. And snake skins make all the difference.

[Hang Williams]

20+ mph sustained is hard to sleep for stress of damaging the tarp. My linelocs on the ridgeline tend to slip during gusts over 30 mph so I have to put a slippery half hitch then I just worry all night about what's going to break.

[Phantom Grappler]

If you look down to see ants that look a lot like little people….it might B2 windy….you will be alright, just sing some songs from Wizard of Oz movie.
I can never remember those songs, but I enjoy when girls sing those songs with all lyrics.
I don’t use any fuses or break away connecters like shock cords or split rings.
I’m not worried about any damage to my tarp. If it gets damaged, I’ll buy another tarp. So far there’s been no damage.
Currently I have Dutch’s bonded seam winter tarp with doors and internal pole mods. All my tarp guy lines are tied directly to the 2 trees my hammock hangs from…..no stakes….zero stakes to pull out of ground during high winds.

No one, so far has mentioned in this thread about increased danger of falling limbs, falling trees, increased chances of widow makers.
That is my fear of hammock camping in high winds and storms. I’ve done it…proof that I’m as dumb as I was when I was 19 years old….just better looking.

[ofuros]

Unless your tarp gets blown away in that one massive freight train gust that you hope will never come (like a sneaker wave along coastline walks), fix any loose flapping/pulled pegs as they show themselves.

Ignore the vibrating outer edges of your tarp or the tight bulging windward side while lee side billows gently...

Just snuggle a little deeper into that warm top quilt & try to block out the mayhem outside...it's going to be a long memorable night in the hands of mother nature.

Those tree trunks your straps are wrapped around, will sway gently to & fro...enjoy the rise & fall.

Wind direction will change throughout the night...it's a given.

You've set up the best you can...react when you need to & try to snatch some much needed sleep.