Tarp recommendation for my Chameleon

[nach_]

First time posting here. I have just picked up a Chameleon as my first hammock, right now I'm looking to buy a tarp to complete the setup.

Wondering if anyone has a Minifly or Thunderfly for their Chameleons, I have been teetering between these two for a long time now and the more I read about them the harder it becomes for me to make a decision since I've never done hammock camping before, so I thought maybe information from someone with an exact same setup can help me make up my mind.

I don't do winter camping but heavy downpour with strong wind is my concern. Really like how simplistic the minifly is but I have doubts whether it would be able to keep me dry in a rainstorm.

Any advice would be appreciated.

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[tom_tom]

I've used the mamajama if that's any consideration it works perfectly fine. So I'm assuming that the thunder and mini flys will work good also

[fr0sty]

I use a mountainfly with my chameleon, but have only had light rains so far.

[cmc4free]

Length-wise, any of the Warbonnet tarps are fine with the Chameleon. The stock tarps are all 11' long, which will give you nearly a foot of tarp overhang at each end of the hammock. Even the hammock's continuous loops where you attach the suspension will be covered by the tarp.

Between the Minifly and Thunderfly, the differences are:
- Width
- Size of doors
- Panel pulls on sides of tarp (Minifly doesn't have them)

This photo from Warbonnet's site shows a comparison of the Minifly, Thundefly, and Mountainfly.


Not to mention the one that is probably the most popular Warbonnet tarp, the Superfly, which is the same width as the Mountainfly but with full sized doors. The Superfly is also available in a 13' length as a stock choice.

In terms of matching a tarp to the hammock, there's nothing special about the Chameleon compared to any other 11' gathered end hammock. Your choice of tarp should come down to personal preference. As your tarp gets wider and the doors get bigger, you face this tradeoff:

More coverage
vs.
Higher cost, heavier weight, larger packed size

Which one is the best choice for you comes down to how important each of those factors is to you, and the individual responses you'll receive may not necessarily match up with what's best for you.

[CrawDaddy4]

I have the MiniFly & Thunderfly for my Chameleon. Obviously, the Thunderfly provides a skosh more coverage, but both are nice for fair-ish weather. If it is really coming down hard with any type of wind, you have to pitch the Thunderfly extremely steep. I have carried either of these when the forecast is clear. Given the potential for nasty weather, I bought a Dutchware Xenon Ultralight Winter Tarp. Similar weight to the mnifly and thunderfly, but full doors and coverage. I was so pleasantly surprised when I got the DW, that I just carry it now regardless of the weather. YMMV.

[cmc4free]

To offer a little more info...

Any of the above tarps can keep you dry in a rainstorm. Even the Cloudburst or Mamajamba without doors can do that, esepcially if it's not very windy. Where doors start to come in handy are conditions where wind would otherwise be blowing through the length of your tarp shelter. You can't always find a pair of trees that will allow you to keep the tarp perpendicular to the windward direction, and maybe the wind will change directions, perhaps constantly. In those conditions, maximum coverage will help ensure that everything stays warm and dry.

With a narrower tarp like the Minifly, you may have to pitch it as low as possible to the hammock to give yourself the best chance of keeping everything dry. The wider the tarp gets and the larger the doors get, the more forgiving the coverage will be to things like strong winds or windblown rain, shifting wind directions, and pitching the tarp a little higher above the hammock so you don't have to crouch as much.

[nach_]

To offer a little more info...

Any of the above tarps can keep you dry in a rainstorm. Even the Cloudburst or Mamajamba without doors can do that, esepcially if it's not very windy. Where doors start to come in handy are conditions where wind would otherwise be blowing through the length of your tarp shelter. You can't always find a pair of trees that will allow you to keep the tarp perpendicular to the windward direction, and maybe the wind will change directions, perhaps constantly. In those conditions, maximum coverage will help ensure that everything stays warm and dry.

With a narrower tarp like the Minifly, you may have to pitch it as low as possible to the hammock to give yourself the best chance of keeping everything dry. The wider the tarp gets and the larger the doors get, the more forgiving the coverage will be to things like strong winds or windblown rain, shifting wind directions, and pitching the tarp a little higher above the hammock so you don't have to crouch as much.

Appreciate the insightful comments, I specifically wanted to know how this setup would work out as I came across a post about someone ripping a small hole through the "peak" of his minifly because it was resting on the beetle buckle. Since I will be using the same suspension system and the same hammock I felt like it's better to be safe than sorry.

Anyway it's nice to learn so much from all the replies, can't wait to get out there soon and experience it myself.

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[cmc4free]

Appreciate the insightful comments, I specifically wanted to know how this setup would work out as I came across a post about someone ripping a small hole through the "peak" of his minifly because it was resting on the beetle buckle. Since I will be using the same suspension system and the same hammock I felt like it's better to be safe than sorry.

Anyway it's nice to learn so much from all the replies, can't wait to get out there soon and experience it myself.

Sent from my VTR-L29 using Tapatalk

FWIW, all the tarps are the same length and are available in the same material choices, so that sort of wear could be equally likely with any of them - with the caveat that the Minifly is the narrowest and therefore the most likely to be pitched lower to the hammock where it could potentially come into contact with the Beetle Buckle.

[wbJohn]

I have three tarps that I use with my Chameleon. When I started out, I bought an 11 foot hex tarp that I used on my Tensa 4 stand before the tarp extensions were available. I made a 12 foot hammock and got a 12 foot hex tarp for it. After camping in some challenging situations, I decided to get a tarp with doors so I got a CRO Winter Haven. 20190907_153151 (1).jpg

[100 Ton]

I am sold on the Superfly. I’ve got a handful of tarps, but since I got the Superfly, the others have not seen any use except as loaners. I really appreciate the overall size and cut of the tarp, and of course the doors.