Help me pick a tarp...

[kc_joe]

So I'm looking to finally get a new 3 season tarp after a few years of of trying different cheap options.
Looking for an 11' RL as I sometimes use an 11' hammock (with the 83% RL).
I camp with my kids quite a bit and I want to be able to do it bunk bed style (them above me) and still have coverage for both of us.

My choices seem to be narrowed down to the following
Warbonnet Superfly - Love the price but don't like the weight (I am a super gram weenie...especially on big purchases)
Hammock Gear Standard Cuben Fiber (w/ doors) - Love the weight but is it worth more than double the money of the SF?

[Bannerstone]

Those are my two favorite tarps, the cuben has held up better than I ever dreamed it would (5th year) so yeah I'd say it's worth the $. For a double hammock hang I'd go with the superfly because it's wider and I like the way the doors are shaped, overall it's my favorite in terms of design if not the for the weight.

Someday I'll make a cuben tarp modeled after the superfly but just a tad wider like the HG winter palace.

David

[scollard70]

So I'm looking to finally get a new 3 season tarp after a few years of of trying different cheap options.
Looking for an 11' RL as I sometimes use an 11' hammock (with the 83% RL).
I camp with my kids quite a bit and I want to be able to do it bunk bed style (them above me) and still have coverage for both of us.

My choices seem to be narrowed down to the following
Warbonnet Superfly - Love the price but don't like the weight (I am a super gram weenie...especially on big purchases)
Hammock Gear Standard Cuben Fiber (w/ doors) - Love the weight but is it worth more than double the money of the SF?

Have you looked at the Hennessey tarps. I like them. I have the 70D Hex tarp and love it. It is a little heavy, but good quality. And fairly inexpensive. Just a thought....

[flatline]

camo bf 2.jpg

camo bf 1.jpg

Both the HG Cuben and the SF are great tarps. My first tarp was a SF.
After I sold my SF, I moved up to a WL Oldman Winter.
OMW has a center stake loop on each side in addition to the 4 corner stake outs. I like the configuration options that allows.
I also have a really awesome Bullfrog .
The BF has become my favorite all around tarp.
I had Marty add 2 sets of int. pole pockets which allow me to use this as a great huge umbrella like tarp.
THE Most versatile tarp I own. When I can take my wife along (car camping), I'll set up the BF as a communal eating tarp between her tarp and mine.
Anyway give Wilderness Logics a close look before you decide.

[Brady]

I have both those tarps. Love them and yes, the HG is worth it IMO.

The coverage is going to be more problematic for the bottom hammy if it's hammering down. That extra 1.5' makes a difference in a downpour.

I'd say add an UQ protector for the bottom will help with splash and keep you covered and still lighter then the SF. If the weather is fair, I've bunk bed styled with my wife and the SF several times in downpours.

Last point is that Cuben doesn't pick up water weight like silnylon. Expect your SF to gain up to .5lb of water weight. The cuben, shake it and the water is mostly gone.

[SilvrSurfr]

I don't think the HG CF standard is suitable for bunk-bed hanging. In fact, I dumped my HG CF Standard for a Winter Palace because I didn't consider it to be a true 4-season tarp. It wasn't much protection against wind and blowing rain, at least not the protection I desired.

[Brady]

Good thing we all weigh in then. He didn't mention he needed a four season tarp, he said three. I would still stand by the Standard with doors as suitable for bunk bed use except in the heavy wind and rain as I mentioned in my previous post. I've used it this spring as such without an issue.

kc_joe seems to be waffling about the money so may not be willing to make the jump to a Winter Palace like you did.

I feel the need to ask if you've tried double bunking under the Standard it before dumping on it as an option SS. I definitely agree with you that it not for winter without a lot of shoveling to build walls.

[SilvrSurfr]

I feel the need to ask if you've tried double bunking under the Standard it before dumping on it as an option SS.

I have not. I'm not saying the HG Winter Palace or Superfly provide adequate coverage for bunk-bed style hanging (I don't believe they do except in straight-down rain, no wind), but they do provide more coverage. It's 18% more width than the HG Standard, and 20% more square feet of coverage.

The math doesn't appeal to me because the tarp ridgeline would have to be pitched too high in bunk bed mode to provide adequate coverage.

Here's an example:

My hammock is 11 ft. long. My tarp ridgeline is 110 inches long (83% of hammock length). I like to hang my hammock approximately 18 inches off the ground at a 30* angle. The 110" hammock ridgeline results in a distance of 35 inches from the ridgeline to the bottom of my unoccupied hammock.

So I know my hammock ridgeline will be 53 inches (18" plus 35") above the ground, which means that my tarp ridgeline will be at least 53 inches off the ground. However, I've never hung my tarp on top of my hammock ridgeline so let's say that I'll hang my tarp ridgeline 60 inches off the ground.

The HG Standard is only 102 inches wide, and it's going to be staked out in an A-Frame, so even if I have just one hammock I have a lot of exposure underneath. Now let's add another 11 ft. hammock.

Let's not even give 18" between hammocks. Let's assume six inches between the bottom of the top hammock and the ridgeline of the bottom hammock. Then lets add that 35" of distance from the bottom of the top hammock to its hammock ridgeline.

So I needed my tarp ridgeline to be 60 inches above the ground for one hammock but now I need 41 more inches, 101 inches total. So my tarp ridgeline is going to be 8.5 feet above the ground!

[Brady]

Fair point, I'm not big on the math but it does work for me and my wife with our 11' hammocks here on the West Coast of Canada in light rain. I would definitely want my Superfly for heavier weather. I pitch the tarp further on one side so the windy side sits lower and the other in porch mode, doors closed as best as able.

I think we both agree the Winter Palace has the best coverage but the Standard is very doable with good site selection and pitching.

There is one thing that I forgot to include and that is that I don't have ridge line on my Dutch hammock which let's my wife's come a bit lower. I missed that he does have one on his.

[Rolloff]

Don't overlook a Tarp with a 12' RL. I have an AHE Toxaway and it fits my 11' BIAS as with 10-12" of overhang on each end depending on how the weather dictates I center it. I can also get away with Polycro end caps, instead of carrying a door kit, and I've split a pair of late season Tornados in mine. Let me give Tato a shout for his adjustable pull outs too. I didn't even have to get up to adjust or tighten anything all night. Tato stayed up and did it for me.

I'd go with a CF WP if I had the cash, but I made a good choice in Sil with the AHE Tox and I won't need to upgrade until I can afford CF. For me, that was a good choice.