Hang those tarps high but you might die!

[Strung out]

Hello Hangers!

We all have the freedom to hike and hang the way that we choose to.
I want to share my hang style with you today..

I like hammocks for the open air experience.
Waking up with a clear view of the woods, lakes, stars, moon, wildlife, etc is extremely important to me.
I want to be able cook coffee or breakfast and see all around me when possible.

This is not the only way to enjoy the woods, but it is what I have chosen.
I hope to influence other in a way that brings more joy to those outdoor trips.

Here goes:

I hang my tarp pretty high nearly every time I hang.
Often I will hang my ridgeline at 6-6.5 feet and gather some sticks that are maybe 5-5.5 feet long for the porch mode.
I like to be able to stand up under my tarp.
When I only use my hiking poles for porch mode I consider that a pretty low hang.

I use a cuben hex tarp with an 11 foot ridgeline.
My hammock is 11 feet long before the structural ridgeline is added.

I like to leave the tarp rolled up on the ridgeline is it looks like a clear night.

I get out for long weekends several times a year.
I get out on week+ adventures when I can.
We typically camp in the BWCA wilderness.
We camp near lakes often.
I am in Minnesota where it can get in the 40s or lower almost any night in the summer.
We get a decent amount of rain and thunderstorms.

I use down insulation rated for 30* all spring, summer, fall.
No UQ protector.

Sometimes it rains, sometimes it blows. sometimes I get a little spray on parts of my rig.
I have never gotten wet enough for it to matter. I have never been cold because my stuff got wet.

Please, give it a try. Hang in your yard in a storm. Several times. See what happens.
You do not need to hang in a low closed tarp, or use overcovers, socks, UQ protectors, etc to stay warm and dry.
Bring a few more ounces of down just in case and enjoy the beautiful world around you.

Getting a little spray on you is not the end of the world.
If you do get wet enough to get cold enough to almost die, then you might want to be a little more careful next time.
Hasn't happened to me yet.

Or, maybe you just want to do it your own way. Whatever gets you out and enjoying nature is the right way for you.

Have fun and be safe out there.


Here are a few pics from trips showing how I like to hang.









Below is a pic from a rainy foggy morning after a snowshoe hare had chewed through one of my guylines on the tarp.

[Scalz]

When I read the thread title I thought your post was going to end badly. Quite the opposite. Enjoyed hearing about your hanging style and pictures of such beautiful campsites. Keep hanging high!

[OutandBack]

Love it. Hanging with a view and living on the edge always bring this song to mind. Thanks Strung Out.

[Nodust]

I've been going tarpless more and more lately.

[Deadwood]

I like it!!!

On another note, your pics and some of Shug's videos really make me want to visit Minnesota and the BW. Talked about going many times but never made the trip. Thanks for sharing some beautiful camps.

[GoatHanger]

Hello Hangers!

We all have the freedom to hike and hang the way that we choose to.
I want to share my hang style with you today..

I like hammocks for the open air experience.
Waking up with a clear view of the woods, lakes, stars, moon, wildlife, etc is extremely important to me.
I want to be able cook coffee or breakfast and see all around me when possible.

This is not the only way to enjoy the woods, but it is what I have chosen.
I hope to influence other in a way that brings more joy to those outdoor trips.

Here goes:

I hang my tarp pretty high nearly every time I hang.
Often I will hang my ridgeline at 6-6.5 feet and gather some sticks that are maybe 5-5.5 feet long for the porch mode.
I like to be able to stand up under my tarp.
When I only use my hiking poles for porch mode I consider that a pretty low hang.

I use a cuben hex tarp with an 11 foot ridgeline.
My hammock is 11 feet long before the structural ridgeline is added.

I like to leave the tarp rolled up on the ridgeline is it looks like a clear night.

I get out for long weekends several times a year.
I get out on week+ adventures when I can.
We typically camp in the BWCA wilderness.
We camp near lakes often.
I am in Minnesota where it can get in the 40s or lower almost any night in the summer.
We get a decent amount of rain and thunderstorms.

I use down insulation rated for 30* all spring, summer, fall.
No UQ protector.

Sometimes it rains, sometimes it blows. sometimes I get a little spray on parts of my rig.
I have never gotten wet enough for it to matter. I have never been cold because my stuff got wet.

Please, give it a try. Hang in your yard in a storm. Several times. See what happens.
You do not need to hang in a low closed tarp, or use overcovers, socks, UQ protectors, etc to stay warm and dry.
Bring a few more ounces of down just in case and enjoy the beautiful world around you.

Getting a little spray on you is not the end of the world.
If you do get wet enough to get cold enough to almost die, then you might want to be a little more careful next time.
Hasn't happened to me yet.

Or, maybe you just want to do it your own way. Whatever gets you out and enjoying nature is the right way for you.

Have fun and be safe out there.

I really could not agree more. I hang my tarp high during setup 100% of the time, unless it's gale force winds while setting up.

I even do porch mode on BOTH sides unless weather doesn't permit. I LOVE being able to look out either side of my hammock to view my immediate surroundings... especially in the middle of the night.

Sleeping in a hammock outdoors, is a very unique, and wonderful experience if done "correctly". That term is subjective, but what I really mean is "safely".

Thanks for sharing your methods. I'm on the same page, in the same book.

p.s. I do use an UQP, and have most recently adopted a spindrift sock for my Ridgerunner. Adore both of them in the right conditions.

[ufdigga]

O&B:

Do you have any experience hanging without a tarp here in the Front Range? It seems like it would be very doable with the low humidity and infrequent rains.

Thanks,

ufdigga

[Tonykarter]

Thanks for those beautiful pics. I can dream until I retire. Then I'm there. Tell me...does the boundary waters tolerate retired hobos on extended stay?

[Floridahanger]

I do like me some high hanging tarps. Thanks for sharing the great pics. If my tarp is not at arms length high, it's only because I just put the tarp up to see how many times I can change the mode in a day.

So far, my favorite is to have the tarp high and my back guy lines maxed out. I can easily see out from the hammock that way. The front is in porch mode with my poles maxed out. I also like to be able to stand under the tarp, I'm not in a tent. Freedom is great.

[zukiguy]

I need to work on setting mine a little higher. I've found out the hard way that having it at the height where I can "almost" stand up straight is worse than having it lower. I have accidentally rubbed against the underside of the tarp several times and ended up soaked.

The only other problem with a really flat "porch mode" is that I end up with a lake along the front edge in the case of rain. Again, I'll sometimes end up bumping that puddle trapped in the fly and dumping it on myself or my gear. Oops....