Rain bounce spray?

[JmBoh]

I had a problem with rain splashing once in my Ridge Runner. I was at a MAHHA and it rained almost all day. I hung my hammock a little higher and spread my tarp out a bit more and that solved the problem. Everything stayed nice and dry after that.

[Bribak]

I had a problem with rain splashing once in my Ridge Runner. I was at a MAHHA and it rained almost all day. I hung my hammock a little higher and spread my tarp out a bit more and that solved the problem. Everything stayed nice and dry after that.

Thanks for that. Yeah when I first went out, I had a small pillow down in one of the side pockets and it was so wet I couldn’t even use it. I also couldn’t store any clothes in the pockets that were hanging down because the pockets were already soaked. I will definitely be more careful when I hang it next time and try some of these suggestions.

[scrope]

I do have drip lines. Thanks for the suggestion though.

I was out last weekend and it dumped 4" of rain in 6 hours. I had drip lines on my hammock suspension but I noticed that I was getting water coming down my tarp ridgeline and dropping into my hammock. Fortunately I had extra drip lines so I put two at the ends of the ridgelines under the tarp and that stopped drips from the ridge line. Never had that problem before but it never rained like it did before.

Also, I often setup in porch mode which works fine with my tarp that only has a 6" overhang on my RR. This however, only works if the rain is mild and coming straight down. When I go to sleep I reset the tarp into batten-down mode because I don't know what's going to happen during the night.

I also had a bit of problem with the saddlebags getting wet because even though 95% of the rain was straight down, an occasional slight gust would cause some misting to get under the tarp. Over time that was enough to get the hammock wet. [Aside: I had a pinhole leak in a pipe in my basement. The amount was insignificant. However, after a day or so it managed to flood my basement. Never underestimate the amount of water you can get over enough time]

That being said, if you were using the doors I can't imagine how rain could get in from the side. It sounds like bounced rain to me. A wider pitch lower to the ground should solve all that. Save the porch mode for the light rain days, especially when you are there to monitor the situation. Camping in the rain has its challenges but I actually enjoy it (mostly).

My solution: I'm sewing a new tarp that will only be 12' but will have doors that will close. I'm also going to sew an underquilt protector that will cover any splash or side spray if I'm not completely enclosed or using a smaller tarp.

[<-Pointer]

I've been a couple of storms like this. When the rain is coming down hard and there is heavy wind it can carry a LOT of water. There is a also a "splash" from when the water hits the ground but I think that the wind is really more of the culprit than the splashing in a bad storm. I have two solutions that I have found to be effective:

1) Large, full coverage tarp with doors that is pitched almost to ground level (4-6" off the ground) - ex HG Winter Palace)

2) Tarp + underquilt protector (Dutch Summer Sock)

Since a tree fell on my Winter Palace (while I was in it,) I have been using the summer sock + tarp combo

[ofuros]

I use a UQ protector/cover for rain splash from the ground up...and I pitch my tarp steep & low if there's dark clouds heading my way.

I've encountered the 'misting' inside, usually during torrential downfalls.
Sili tarps don't last for ever, maybe it needs a little lovin' after being scrumpled, stuffed & stretched. Falling twigs, birds claws & small furry mammals scurrying along the ridgeline also take there toll...
A fine spray from a can of silicone will fill any micro holes that open up while its being tightly staked out & extend its working life. Wear a mask while doing this though, as atomised silicone is nasty stuff.

...stay dry & keep enjoying the great outdoors.

[Five Tango]

I just saw a video of a thru-hiker that gathered leaves to put under the edges of his tarp to eliminate the splash affect so you may want to try that if available.

Yep,I saw Evan do that in a recent AT video.That guy knows what to do with a tarp!

[Bribak]

I use a UQ protector/cover for rain splash from the ground up...and I pitch my tarp steep & low if there's dark clouds heading my way.

I've encountered the 'misting' inside, usually during torrential downfalls.
Sili tarps don't last for ever, maybe it needs a little lovin' after being scrumpled, stuffed & stretched. Falling twigs, birds claws & small furry mammals scurrying along the ridgeline also take there toll...
A fine spray from a can of silicone will fill any micro holes that open up while its being tightly staked out & extend its working life. Wear a mask while doing this though, as atomised silicone is nasty stuff.

...stay dry & keep enjoying the great outdoors.

Yeah a UQ protector would surely do the trick but I think I just need to get smarter about how I pitch it. My tarp is plenty wide (136"), so if I can't figure out how to pitch it properly to avoid splash - then shame on me. I guess the key will be the tarp side edges closer to the ground when weather this nasty is expected. I've got full doors on this tarp so the rain/spray was definitely coming in from the side - not the ends. I had to hose the hammock off today before I let it dry. There was a lot of dirt/grit on the bottom surface that I guess was transferred up from the ground as it bounced. I will be smarter next time!

[hutzelbein]

If the problem is splashing rain, the type of ground is a big factor. If it's packed earth, there will be a lot more splashing than when it's grassy or mossy.

If the problem is neither splashing, nor misting or water running down the hammock suspension, I can only think about a tarp suspension under the tarp. That's a mistake I made as a beginner. I was never able to actually see the rain running down the line, but since I stopped running it under my tarp, I've never had that problem again.

[Bribak]

If the problem is splashing rain, the type of ground is a big factor. If it's packed earth, there will be a lot more splashing than when it's grassy or mossy.

If the problem is neither splashing, nor misting or water running down the hammock suspension, I can only think about a tarp suspension under the tarp. That's a mistake I made as a beginner. I was never able to actually see the rain running down the line, but since I stopped running it under my tarp, I've never had that problem again.

That’s a good point. And it is hard packed dirt where I pitched. No vegetation or leaves at all. The fact that there was so much grit on the bottom of my hammock has me totally convinced that it was rain bouncing off the ground as the source.

[BillyBob58]

That’s a good point. And it is hard packed dirt where I pitched. No vegetation or leaves at all. The fact that there was so much grit on the bottom of my hammock has me totally convinced that it was rain bouncing off the ground as the source.

I had the exact same problem once with all that splashup on a JRB UQ under a JRB 10X11 tarp, hung over packed ground. I can not remember if it was on a bridge hammock or gathered.