No tarp at night

[GopherHanger]

I'm wondering you're thoughts on sleeping without the tarp at night? I used to always deploy the tarp at night "just in case" . Now if there is a near zero chance of rain I won't even take the tarp out of my pack . I like it for a few reasons now. Number one, I love seeing the open sky at night, of course if I'm lucky and it's a clear night. Number two, I like it for ease of set up and take down. It shaves off a few minutes when setting camp or packing down camp. So what are the cons? I can think of two. The weather could change, some unexpected rain could come in, or heavy winds can be cut down with a tarp. Also some bird or animal droppings could make their way onto you or your expensive gear. 2 trips ago, I went on a 2 night, 3 day trip and there was no chance of rain. I didn't even bring the tarp with. Maybe that was pushing it, but hey, I'm really digging the no tarp , when I can get by without it I guess. Thanks for your thoughts.

[johnspenn]

I guess in NM, you probably don't have to worry about dew as much either. In the SE, that's always a consideration. Also, I just plain don't trust weather forecasts. I doubt I would ever leave my tarp at home, especially if I were going to be out more than one night.

That said I can definitely see the attraction of hanging tarpless on a clear starry night!

[Rick68]

I love to star gaze also so I like to hang mine and just leave it in the skins for easy deployment if needed, and easy take down.

[Brommeland]

I'm in East Tennessee, which can be really humid and dew can be a problem. However, if it is a really clear night a little dew is a small price to pay for the stunning view of the sky that you can get from a hammock way out in the boonies. As a compromise, I will sometimes set up my tarp, but leave it in the snakeskins so it is quickly and easily there if I need it, but pretty unobtrusive if I don't.

[ofuros]

Depends wear you live & how stable the weather is in your neck of the woods.12 hrs of darkness is plenty of time for a weather system to roll on through.

I've only gone tarpless once in all my hangs over the years & even then I had to run around naked & cold at 2 or 3 in the morning because a weather front came in. Waking up to raindrops on my face in the darkness, that's gradually getting heavier & knowing I have get up & stake out isn't a great feeling in the world.

But I do like staring at the billions of twinkling stars & catching glimpses of shooting stars though. If there's a bushfire nearby a smoky rising moon can look really eery too.

Nowadays I half deploy...have the other half of the tarp rolled up or folded under so I access it from the comfort of my hammock & tie it steeply to 2-3 stakes already in the ground close to the hammock.

StilI get to star gaze or spotlight that noisy possum jumping around in the canopy above + I get the peace of my mind that I can quickly close up if the weather changes.

[TrailSlug]

I go topless if there's a slight breeze and the trees aren't sapping. I hate getting sap all over my bug net if the trees are really pouring. I always string up my tarp but leave it in the snake skins for the just in case scenario.

[kitsapcowboy]

I love sleeping under the stars, but I live in the Pacific Northwest, so when there's a "0%" chance of rain there is STILL a 20% chance of rain... :/

With the occasional exception of summer camping during out typical months-long drought (July-August), I always deploy my tarp, although in warm, fair weather I may leave it in my snake skins hanging over my hammock. In some areas we get so much leaf litter, dropping needles, and other falling detritus that I will still deploy the tarp even when the night sky is clear. I am also not a big fan of avian excrement on my bug net, so deploying the tarp at night is valuable to me when our feathered friends come home to roost in the evening in the trees from which my hammock is hung.

[Us5Camp]

I watch the Dewpoint forcast... unfortunately, too many nights where the dewpoint and temp are too close together.
Thankfully, w/ the UGQ Winter Dream and dual internal pole mods, I have almost a 6' high veranda even when the tarp is deployed in good weather.

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[Tikker]

around here, the tree critters like to use hammocks and tarps for nut chucking targets, so the tarp is needed for debris deflection almost more than rain protection

[TrailSlug]

around here, the tree critters like to use hammocks and tarps for nut chucking targets, so the tarp is needed for debris deflection almost more than rain protection

That's funny. When hiking last fall and could hardly sleep because the acorns fell all night long and bounced off the trampoline above my head. A bug net helps with this as well.