Out of the many videos I’ve watched of folks hanging hammocks under tarps,why do the vast majority hang the tarp first ? I understand weather conditions play a role in the shelter first theory, that said,wouldnt it be much easier to hang the hammock first,then the tarp ?.........inquiring minds
Basically you want to have your shelter up first so that if it’s raining or anything similar then you and your hammock are protected. Also, I have found that I walk back and forth between the sides enough that I would het annoyed at having it go all the way around the tree, but the main reason I do this is to get used to hanging my tarp first.
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“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
-John Muir
I don't get it. I hung my tarp first...maybe twice in 7 years. Only if it's raining or just starting to rain and you need to get some dry area to work.
Otherwise, getting the hammock set perfectly is more important. You'll be in it all night sleeping and need to be comfortable. I want the angles right, good sitting level, and hunching under a tarp tweaking things sucks.
Depending on the tree spacing, the height of the suspension will change. So I want to get that nailed down then mess with the tarp. Sometime I want that really high in warm weather, lower for cooler/wet weather. That's a lot easier to decide with the hammock already up.
I hang the tarp first because it is on the top of my bag, as it was the last thing to come down and be packed away.
With a tarp sleeve, the tarp doesn't get in your way. Stretch the tarp snake from tree to tree and then setup my hammock, quilts, etc. If it is raining I can go ahead and stake it out and work under it.
If it is wet, the tarp needs to be the last thing to go into or on the bag. I try to keep the same order of loading and unloading for the sake of speed and consistency. After loading all dry items into my bag and rolling the liner down, I can put the tarp on top and it is ready to go up first. If it is raining when I am breaking down my hammock, I need the tarp to be up until the last moment, so I can stay dry as I break down.
All that being said, you could still do the loading/unloading the same way and just throw the tarp over to the side while setting up your hammock.
I go ahead and setup the sleeved tarp, because it prevents redundancy and wasteful motions and it has never really gotten in my way. After all else is setup (in dry conditions), I can unsleeve the tarp and stake it out.
HYOH, but I like to have a ritual and do it the same way every time. Keeps me out of the rain during setup and takedown when necessary. In those times of fatigue or darkness or rain or whatever, I don't have to think about it too much, because it is the same pattern every time and it is most logical to keep me out of the rain if needed.
Imagine yourself arriving to your campsite later than expected, in the rain, it's dark and you are dead tired. Now think about using your tired brain and body to decide which random way you want to set up your gear today. Does the tarp go up first?
I'll add, many times I won't hang the tarp until later in the day. If I'm sitting in camp relaxing, it's nice to have a clear view above. I'll put it up eventually, still sometimes just in the sleeve. That way I can still adjust it easily. Once the 4 corners are staked out, I don't want to have to be adjusting it.
Agree with "after" unless required by mother nature.Originally Posted by OneClick
It is something worth practicing many times at least because it will be less forgiving in the rain. And some folks might panic in the heavy rain and fumble something up. For me personally, it has backfired on me numerous times to do it the “wrong way”. That’s usually just a matter of chance. In my case, it seems like a curse lol.
I have a new technique that is my favorite. First, I pitch the tarp 100%, then peel her back into a half-pitch. Allow me to elaborate:
I detach the line from the tarp on two corners that are on the same side of the ridgeline (I always keep them tied to stakes). I enter my hammock from the foot side, so that’s the side that gets peeled back. Then I throw that half of the tarp over the ridgeline onto itself. Two micro-biners clip the corners together to keep them in place. Now I hang the hammock and flesh everything out. This way, I don’t have to work under and around the tarp, but if it suddenly rains, it only takes a few moments to close the hatch.
If there is no chance of sap or rain, I might leave it that way until sleepy time.
I let the weather dictate wether I put up my tarp or hammock first. Like HandyRandy above I use the half pitch with my hammock tarp, I use Dutch’s hookworms. Dutch has a video on it.
Weather nice I put hammock up first and take my time.
If raining or snowing tarp up first.
Just makes sense to me that way.
Enjoy your hammock quest.
Shug
Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven
What I learned the hard way about putting up my tarp...I do hang a lot in Rain Forest conditions. If there is much moisture, normally the air is almost saturated, my gear gets damp and feels soggy. A few times I have come back to a bathtub instead of a hammock to sleep in.
if I am in an arid region I do not use a tarp. If there is a hint of rain the tarp goes up first. I learned to get the tarp right then the hammock is simply centered correctly for the conditions.
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