Tips to staying dry under a Hex tarp....

[Us5Camp]

Hello All -- My 1st tarp was a Noah 12, then moved up to a winter tarp w/ doors, the Winter Dream 12. Picked up a 11' Hex Hanger tarp from Dutch to have for my son and to bring a lighter tarp on occasions.

Admittedly, I just got the tarp, but failed to keep dry on my 1st back yard trial. I packed up and brought my hammock / quilts in when my shoulder was wet. Not sure in the darkness whether the failure was due to my drip-line failure or the lack of coverage. Wind wasn't horrible, but rain wasn't falling straight down either.

So, question is... how does one stay dry using a hex tarp? I believe my hammock was centered well.

I was using a turtle-dog stand, so flexibility of tarp height relative to hammock is somewhat limited compared to trees.

I would assume w/ a hex style tarp one key is hanging the tarp close & tight to the hammock to maximize coverage and minimize exposure of the hammock to wind/rain.

Drip lines on the suspension..... what are your preferred materials to help drain / catch water? I am using some she strings I had no use for. Maybe they weren't tight enough or wicking enough? Might need more absorbant drip lines to catch and channel water down?

Other tips?

I could move to a 12' hex, but want to give this 11' hex more time and practice. If I take this tarp to the woods for myself or my son, I want to be sure I can stay dry. Can it be done w/ a hex or are you always going to get wet with some rains?

[TrailSlug]

So, question is... how does one stay dry using a hex tarp?

I've tried one of these and it's simply not worth getting wet for the weight savings. I would recommend a large more full coverage tarp. The hex tarps are only good in light straight down rain with no wind. This is too hard to predict so I carry a larger rectangle tarp.

[Zilla]

Easy answer , try to watch a few of Shug's videos on tarps, he has a way of explaining things, uummmmhmmm.

[kitsapcowboy]

The good news is -- at least in my personal experience, which involved a lot of Pacific Northwest rain, it's not too difficult to stay dry under a hex tarp most of the time.

Hex tarps are most susceptible to lapses in weather protection at the angled ends where the ridge line tie-outs are attached. Not all hex tarps of a given ridge line length are created equal. Their coverage varies with three key features of their shape:

1) Ground Edge Length/Cutback Depth -- Independent of the ridge line length, the sweep of the angled edges of the hex (i.e., the four sides not running parallel to the ridge line), or cutback depth, determines the departure of a hex tarp from a rectangular tarp shape of the same length and width. The ground edge length is a function of the ridge line length and the cutback depth, i.e., RL length - (2 * CB depth); for a tarp with a given RL length and panel width, shallower cutbacks and a longer ground give superior coverage but don't save as much weight, while more aggressive cutbacks provide less coverage but she'd more weight.

2) Panel Width -- Hex tarps of a given ridge line length and cutback depth may still vary significantly in the the width of their tarp panels, the perpendicular measurement from the ridge line down to the tie-outs on the ground edge. Given a certain RL length and cutback depth, a narrower tarp will have an effectively sharper angle to its cutbacks than a wider tarp, and coverage will decrease proportionately, making it more susceptible to letting rain in on the ends.

3) Presence and depth of Cat-Cuts -- Catenary cuts in the tarp panels, either along the ground edge or between the corner tie-outs and the ridge line, improve the pitch of most hex tarps and save weight, but these benefits come at the cost of a reduction in coverage. Deep ground edge cat-cuts can reduce the effective width of the tarp panels for blocking wind and rain where the hammock is widest, and deep cat-cuts on the angled edges can create too acute of a pointed end at the ridge line of a hex tarp, rendering it ineffective against precipitation except when it is falling straight down.

To stay dry, make sure you consider all three of these aspects of shape in your choice of hex tarp with respect to how you plan to use your tarp, e.g., storm mode vs porch mode, bridge hammock vs gathered end, and choose accordingly.

HTH...

[Zilla]

The good news is -- at least in my personal experience, which involved a lot of Pacific Northwest rain, it's not too difficult to stay dry under a hex tarp most of the time.

Hex tarps are most susceptible to lapses in weather protection at the angled ends where the ridge line tie-outs are attached. Not all hex tarps of a given ridge line length are created equal. Their coverage varies with three key features of their shape:

1) Ground Edge Length/Cutback Depth -- Independent of the ridge line length, the sweep of the angled edges of the hex (i.e., the four sides not running parallel to the ridge line), or cutback depth, determines the departure of a hex tarp from a rectangular tarp shape of the same length and width. The ground edge length is a function of the ridge line length and the cutback depth, i.e., RL length - (2 * CB depth); for a tarp with a given RL length and panel width, shallower cutbacks and a longer ground give superior coverage but don't save as much weight, while more aggressive cutbacks provide less coverage but she'd more weight.

2) Panel Width -- Hex tarps of a given ridge line length and cutback depth may still vary significantly in the the width of their tarp panels, the perpendicular measurement from the ridge line down to the tie-outs on the ground edge. Given a certain RL length and cutback depth, a narrower tarp will have an effectively sharper angle to its cutbacks than a wider tarp, and coverage will decrease proportionately, making it more susceptible to letting rain in on the ends.

3) Presence and depth of Cat-Cuts -- Catenary cuts in the tarp panels, either along the ground edge or between the corner tie-outs and the ridge line, improve the pitch of most hex tarps and save weight, but these benefits come at the cost of a reduction in coverage. Deep ground edge cat-cuts can reduce the effective width of the tarp panels for blocking wind and rain where the hammock is widest, and deep cat-cuts on the angled edges can create too acute of a pointed end at the ridge line of a hex tarp, rendering it ineffective against precipitation except when it is falling straight down.

To stay dry, make sure you consider all three of these aspects of shape in your choice of hex tarp with respect to how you plan to use your tarp, e.g., storm mode vs porch mode, bridge hammock vs gathered end, and choose accordingly.

HTH...

The more detailed answer..
Cowboy also has a way of explaining things!!

[Otter1]

My experience with less-than-full-coverage tarps is like Trailslug's - When the insane wind or rain/wind combo would arrive, I found myself wishing for more coverage. Love my doors in a big blow.

[leiavoia]

I've never had a problem staying dry under my WB edge tarp, even in all-night rain.

If i know its going to be a real soaker, i pitch the tarp directly against the hammock. They should touch when you are not inside, and they should separate by just a few inches when you are inside.

But like Coyboy said, that's for PNW style rain. If rain is going sideways, all bets are off. You need doors.

[Five Tango]

I would like to see a pic of your turtle dog stand with the hammock and tarp set up under it the way you had it.Also,have you thought about more than one drip line and/or a break like a whoopie hook,carabiner,descender ring,cinch buckles etc upstream of the drip lines?

[Us5Camp]

I would like to see a pic of your turtle dog stand with the hammock and tarp set up under it the way you had it.Also,have you thought about more than one drip line and/or a break like a whoopie hook,carabiner,descender ring,cinch buckles etc upstream of the drip lines?

I'll try to get that for you in the next several days. It would be good to add to this thread anyway.

[Tikker]

If rain is going sideways, all bets are off. You need doors.

this, or a grizz beak (which i guess is just modular doors)

I know that I get really nervous about the angle of my Amok tarp relative to the wind. if it's head on, zero concerns about getting wet. the tarp will be bouncing off the head or feet in a good breeze, but you'll stay dry

when it comes in from the side tho, you're looking at big tarps online on your phone, lol

was out in a crazy wind a month ago or so with Firesong, and at about 2 am, I just about walked over to him and offered to buy his big orange tarp right then and there