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  1. #1

    Poly Tarp (tell me what I'm for)

    Long time lurker here. Have been reading on the subject of tarps for a while and based on what I gathered there are many benefits of using SilNylon/Hammock Tarp. Based on what I've seen the primary one is weight savings and second that it's compact once folded. I know there is few others.

    I almost pulled the trigger on Warbonnet one for RR (and few others) but each time I kept thinking about these benefits and how they apply to me. After some consideration, I decided to just go with Poly. Mostly because weight savings I found to be very low. 10x10 3.3oz Camo Poly tarp is 2lbs and 20 bucks, about $120 to save 1 pound was tough to justify (plus many hammock tarps are over 1lbs even 1.5lbs).

    Pack Size is a none issue either as I can hang it off my pack if needed (or if it won't fit)....which it will as space is none issue.

    If the tarp won't cover the WBRR I can rotate it 45 degrees into diamond shape as well. Possibly do some trimming if needed.

    So now, tell me what I'm in for and how long will it take before I will end up purchasing "proper" nylon Hammock tarp.

  2. #2
    curlymaple42's Avatar
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    That sucker will be noisy if it gets windy I suspect!! Grommets will rip out if it is guyed tight and you get wind I would guess. Most of the hammock tarps are stupid light weight too. My 12' hex by COGS is under a pound I think and packs so small it's silly.
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  3. #3
    Senior Member kitsapcowboy's Avatar
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    If you're trying to cover a bridge hammock like the Warbonnet Ridge Runner, asym or diamond tarps tend not to work too well; a bridge hammock is wide at the ends, where a gathered-end hammock is narrowest, so diamonds, parallelograms, and squares hung on the diagonal tend not to provide adequate weather protection over the spreader bars. A 10 x 10 poly tarp will probably work better over a bridge hammock if you hang it as a simple A-frame; you'll have a foot and a half or so on each end (not quite enough to cover the suspension triangles, so you'll have to install four drip lines) and enough width at the corners to keep the entirety of your hammock spreader bars dry. My favorite bridge hammock tarps have a 12-foot ridge line, either a full-coverage 12x10 or 12x12 rectangle tarp (with tie-outs 36" in from the corners to form doors) or a 12x10 hex tarp (with 84" ground edges) if I'm wanting to save weight. Properly positioned panel pulls will really increase the space for your bridge hammock and make for easier entry/exit; such features are among the many big advantages of a proper hammock tarp. HTH...
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  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by kitsapcowboy View Post
    If you're trying to cover a bridge hammock like the Warbonnet Ridge Runner, asym or diamond tarps tend not to work too well; a bridge hammock is wide at the ends, where a gathered-end hammock is narrowest, so diamonds, parallelograms, and squares hung on the diagonal tend not to provide adequate weather protection over the spreader bars. A 10 x 10 poly tarp will probably work better over a bridge hammock if you hang it as a simple A-frame; you'll have a foot and a half or so on each end (not quite enough to cover the suspension triangles, so you'll have to install four drip lines) and enough width at the corners to keep the entirety of your hammock spreader bars dry.
    Yep, that's the plan

    Quote Originally Posted by kitsapcowboy View Post
    My favorite bridge hammock tarps have a 12-foot ridge line, either a full-coverage 12x10 or 12x12 rectangle tarp (with tie-outs 36" in from the corners to form doors) or a 12x10 hex tarp (with 84" ground edges) if I'm wanting to save weight. Properly positioned panel pulls will really increase the space for your bridge hammock and make for easier entry/exit; such features are among the many big advantages of a proper hammock tarp. HTH...
    Will keep that in mind for the future. For now, I'm just trying to make things work with the least amount of damage to my wallet.

    I did almost pull a trigger on 12x10......I will see how 10x10 will work and maybe return it. Or $20 is no big deal. But 10x10 tarp rotated 45 degrees does provide 14'2" corner to corner length!

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by curlymaple42 View Post
    That sucker will be noisy if it gets windy I suspect!! Grommets will rip out if it is guyed tight and you get wind I would guess.
    None issue. That's what ear plugs are for (which I use regardless as many campsites are quite noisy).

    I have not had grommets rip out of me in the wind in decades of car camping (we use tarps on top of tents during severe rains.....

    Quote Originally Posted by curlymaple42 View Post
    Most of the hammock tarps are stupid light weight too. My 12' hex by COGS is under a pound I think and packs so small it's silly.
    Every tarp I have looked at is over a pound. Again, size is a none issue (to me).

    I'm wondering about any other cons I might have missed.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Andy "Bull" Bullock's Avatar
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    I have the cloudburst in Sil poly from warbonnet. I've used it on one trip. I love it. However i was surprised it wasn't made of a rip stop material, unlike my xenon poly tarp from Dutch.

    Anyway. I like the compactness of it for putting in snakeskins. It's super light weight (16.5 oz) and huge. Plus the properly installed pullouts to match the spreader bars. Another nice feature is the split rings on the underside of the ridgeline placed for the bugnet shock cord hooks.


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  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Andy "Bull" Bullock View Post
    I have the cloudburst in Sil poly from warbonnet. I've used it on one trip. I love it. However i was surprised it wasn't made of a rip stop material, unlike my xenon poly tarp from Dutch.

    Anyway. I like the compactness of it for putting in snakeskins. It's super light weight (16.5 oz) and huge. Plus the properly installed pullouts to match the spreader bars. Another nice feature is the split rings on the underside of the ridgeline placed for the bugnet shock cord hooks.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Trust me, there was at least 5-10 times when I came click away from buying it....and will probably do so in the future.

    For now, I will be testing out Poly Tarp as I get a hang of this hammock thing...

  8. #8
    Senior Member Andy "Bull" Bullock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SectionHiker View Post
    Trust me, there was at least 5-10 times when I came click away from buying it...
    Yeah, I did the same. Ha!


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  9. #9
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
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  10. #10
    Senior Member rweb82's Avatar
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    I used a poly tarp for a while before deciding to purchase a dedicated hammock tarp. Honestly, I never had an issue with the poly in terms of keeping me dry, or the noise. The grommets did stretch a bit, but never failed on me. I used a 9x9 tarp, and hung it in a diamond configuration- which provided plenty of coverage. It was also quite light. That said, I am glad I decided to upgrade to a more durable tarp.

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