ASYM Tarp for Long-Distance Hike

**blue indian** · 03-01-2019, 21:43

Has anyone successfully used an asym-tarp on a long distance hike and not hated it?

Looking at pairing one of Dutch's asym DCF tarps with his summer sock for 3 season use.

Ive only ever used Warbonnets edge tarp; never had any issues getting wet...

Anyone with experience using an asym-tarp on a long distance hike would be appreciated

**Dlrocm** · 03-01-2019, 22:09

You can do it if you choose camp sites and hang locations carefully. with long distance hiking I think I'd rather have a hex tarp though.

**Brooklyn** · 03-01-2019, 23:29

I am an avid asym fan. That said, if ponying up the money for DCF, I would not go asym.

**blue indian** · 03-02-2019, 11:54

I realized the best situation to use a asym tarp is probably on a 2-3 day hike where chances for rain are low

But since I have no experience with one, I was curious what several days of rain or a real storm is like with an asym tarp.

Also wondering if anyone has regretted using an asym tarp instead of a hex or something even bigger

**FLTurtle** · 03-02-2019, 12:08

If you get any wind driven rain, it looks like something gonna get wet.

dyneema-asym-tarp.jpg

**cougarmeat** · 03-02-2019, 16:14

You may experience rain for several days in a row and have very little opportunity to dry things out. So keeping things dry in the first place is very important. A lot of "light" solutions look good on the scale, but may fall short when asked to do the job they were intended for. It might help to not look at the weight of a full size tarp (hex or rectangular, with or without doors) but instead look at the weight difference between that and an asymmetrical. My guess is, if you had to choose between those few ounces and being more assured of keeping dry, you'd opt for "dry".

An asymmetical tarp, if pitched low, may keep your hammock dry. But wouldn't you also like an area around your hammock to move about a little without getting wet?

I went Ultra-lite (out of ignorance - no tarp) when I did the PCT (Oregon). I just had a gore-tex bivi bag. It had bug netting and a hoop to keep it off my face. I was perfectly dry inside, but with rain, I was wet when I got out to get dressed. If I had a hammock and asymmetrical tarp, I would have been dryer but maybe not by much. Because I could put the bivi bag in the open, but with a hammock needing to go between trees, I imagine there will be a lot of wet foliage to negotiate around.

I think a tarp adequate to keep your hammock dry, and some real estate in front of the hammock you can move around in with the tarp in porch mode, will be much more pleasant for a weight penalty you can handle.

**Brooklyn** · 03-02-2019, 17:12

Originally Posted by blue indian

I realized the best situation to use a asym tarp is probably on a 2-3 day hike where chances for rain are low

But since I have no experience with one, I was curious what several days of rain or a real storm is like with an asym tarp.

Also wondering if anyone has regretted using an asym tarp instead of a hex or something even bigger

I owned a hex but never used it. I've done all seasons with an asymmetrical for years. Some people like big *** tarps and spend a lot of time in camp. I never felt the need. That said, I have a tarp with doors so I'll never worry. THAT said, I didn't worry in the past.. Try the one from SLD. It's great and cheap. Then see if you want the dyneema one (it's smaller, be warned). Maybe look at a hex in 15d if you're worried.

**MikekiM** · 03-02-2019, 17:15

No doubt I have been stricken with Asym virus, and recently contracted cuben fever real bad. Always been a UL junkie. So, I completely understand the attraction of a 3oz, cuben Asym. It ticks off all the check boxes.

Long distance is a relative term. I don't think I would want to rely on a true asym for anything more than a few days unless weather is going to be nearly a non-issue.

Maybe take the weight penalty and go with a Wide Asym? I made one recently replicating the KitsapCowboy Glasgow KISS Asym.. at least that gives some options for pitching it and side wings if you have to manage some precip. 9oz with lines.

That said, the price of the DWG DCF Asym is more than halfway to a 5.1oz 11' HG Standard Hex... That would be my choice.

At this point I've given up on the massive tarps I DIY'd a few years ago, as well as the micro membrane asym I did at the same time and use either a HG Stand w/ doors, a HG Palace or the Asym.

**SilvrSurfr** · 03-02-2019, 17:17

My first hammock was an HH Expedition Asym Zip with the tiny postage-stamp asym tarp. My first night using that hammock and tarp, it rained five inches! Thankfully, the rain was straight down, and I stayed dry as a bone. What a charmed introduction to hammocking!

Since I love bad weather, I soon discovered that an asym tarp doesn't provide very good coverage against blowing, sideways precipitation. I researched how others were dealing with blowing, sideways precipitation and read that, "you gotta pitch the tarp really low," and "site selection is key." Well, you can only pitch a tarp so low. As for site selection, I don't know where people are camping, but here in the Northeast you are 9 times out of 10 at a designated campsite, so there's not much opportunity to find a natural windbreak. I can count on one hand the times that I actually found a campsite with a decent windbreak that would shield me from blowing, sideways precipitation. Often, that meant camping in non-designated campsites (you can camp just about anywhere in NY as long as it's 200 ft. from a river, etc., but you can't have a campfire except in designated campsites, which is a pretty big bummer, in my book).

I soon dumped the asym tarp, and moved to a hex tarp. Again, a hex tarp works fine and gives great coverage if the wind is predictable - always coming from the same direction. In variable-direction winds, a hex is as useless as an asym tarp. I once spent an hour and a half during a rainstorm trying to set up a hex tarp for my son. Every time I thought I had found a site with a natural windbreak, the wind would suddenly shift and wind-blown precipitation would come in through the ends. I finally found a spot in a hollow, but it was not at all ideal.

And finally, I moved to a 4-season tarp with doors, the HG Winter Palace. I haven't had to worry about blowing rain, sideways precipitation, or site selection even once. A 4-season tarp is essential for me - I'm glad i don't have to spend one minute thinking about "pitching the tarp low" or "site selection!"

**Brooklyn** · 03-02-2019, 17:26

Originally Posted by MikekiM

No doubt I have been stricken with Asym virus, and recently contracted cuben fever real bad. Always been a UL junkie. So, I completely understand the attraction of a 3oz, cuben Asym. It ticks off all the check boxes.

Long distance is a relative term. I don't think I would want to rely on a true asym for anything more than a few days unless weather is going to be nearly a non-issue.

Maybe take the weight penalty and go with a Wide Asym? I made one recently replicating the KitsapCowboy Glasgow KISS Asym.. at least that gives some options for pitching it and side wings if you have to manage some precip. 9oz with lines.

That said, the price of the DWG DCF Asym is more than halfway to a 5.1oz 11' HG Standard Hex... That would be my choice.

At this point I've given up on the massive tarps I DIY'd a few years ago, as well as the micro membrane asym I did at the same time and use either a HG Stand w/ doors, a HG Palace or the Asym.

Got to agree with all of this. I too have a K.I.S.S. Glasgow from Kitsap that I've never used and now that I went DCF will put up for sale. It's a very nice piece of kit. Right size, right weight and the options storm ridgeline pitching and ground use... PM me if you're interested so I don't have to write the ad blue indian.