Hammock Polygamy, Tarp Monogamy?

[OCDave]

I have owned about a dozen hammocks and while I have parted with a few, I still own and use enough that I can rotate daily and not repeat for more than a week. I have my favorites but, I use them all. However, I find I seldom alternate from my preferred tarp (Wb Superfly). In fact, I recently parted with my first real tarp, a HG CF standard, because it so rarely got used. I still have a back-up, (Wb Edge). I choose the lighter option for most of my equipment when packing for a trip but, rarely choose my lighter tarp even when the weather is expected to be mild.

I have a yearning to experiment but, I'm not sure I would get the same thrill from any other. Am I missing out? Did I settle too early? Is there another tarp I should try?

[dammfast]

I am right there with you. I have several tarps that I bought so I could have different tarps for different season/conditions. I NEVER use anything but my superfly. I rotate through hammocks depending on seasonal needs but not my tarp, I love me my SUperfly

[zukiguy]

I'm headed down that same path. The weight penalty for bringing along the SF seems to be easily overshadowed by all the extra room and weather protection. I doubt I'll bring along any of my other tarps except for particularly long hikes in mild/dry weather.

[Wanderlost]

I'm in a similiar boat. I have more hammocks than I know what to do with. I have my go-to tarp (Mambajamba). I also have a couple spares (DIY assym and DIy hex). They mainly get given as spaers at hangs and for people to try out designs.

I have a theory about this...well, one that seems to fit me. There's a lot involved with making a tarp: a lot of prep, a lot of fabric, a lot of sewing. This means making one or buying one is going to be more an investment, be it an investment of money or an investment of both time and money. While there are plenty of options on how to make one, even the simplest tarp like an assym no-seam UL tarp is still a multi-hour process. To the contrary, there are lot of different kinds of fabrics available for hammocks and a lot of fiddling that can done with a hammock for very little cost. For the cost of 4 yds of fabric, you can make a 10' or 11' hammock in under an hour. Then there are things you can fiddle with even more: knotty mods, varying the hammock shape, double layers, ridgeline ratios, gathering methods (cont loop, WB style, whipping), suspension styles, etc. The list is near endless.

I have a lot more hammocks because it's easier to mess around with that. I like to experience laying in the different fabrics. I enjoy experimenting with different cuts and blank designs. I'm a Gen-Xer and like my instant gratification sometimes. The time investment of a tarp just isn't within my limited span of attention sometimes....Besides, the wife yells at me when I take up the kitchen table for more than a few hours at a time.

TL;DR version: Tarps are more expensive. Hammocks are easy to fiddle with with little cost.

[jamaulwall]

Count me as another one on this path. I have several hammocks and enjoy them all, some more than others, and each for different purposes. While I have two tarps, I almost always use the Superfly. It's just so versatile and spacious. I know I'm going to stay dry under that thing and that makes a big difference for peace of mind on a trip.