Dyneema and Snake Skins

[Fisc]

I bought a Dyneema tarp with doors and have tried using mesh snake skins. I like the idea of being able to pull the skins on and letting the tarp dry a bit outside my pack. The problem I'm having is in regards to how much space it takes up. Am I doing something wrong and does anyone have a best practice/method for saving space with this setup. I'm really a big fan of how much silnylon packs down. I like the weight savings, but the bulk seems a bit ridiculous.

[SilvrSurfr]

Regardless of whether you use mesh, silnylon, silpoly or Dyneema snakeskins, your tarp isn't going to appreciably dry out when rolled inside the snakeskins. Face it - you're exposing probably 1/50th of the tarp surface area - that isn't doing much.

As for bulk, yes - Dyneema is bulkier, but I have always stored my tarp in an outside pocket of the pack, so I don't notice any difference.

[Otter1]

Unfortunately there's no silver bullet for this issue. I too use snakeskin. For large dyneema tarps, folding to a suitable size can create a slightly more packable solution, but I always hated the folding idea - although I don't know that it causes anymore of a problem than stuffing.

[bonsaihiker]

I wind up one end of the CRL and stuff it in the snake skin, then roll up the tarp from tie- outs to Ridgeline, pull on the snake skin, roll it up in an oblong shape about 14 inches long (rather than a round spiral), then wrap the other end of the CRL tightly around the whole package, tightening it down as i go to compress the bulk, hooking the Dutch hook on a wrap of line.

Very compact bundle about 3 inches by 14 inches that can be tossed like a football and has a dedicated spot on one side of my mesh back pouch where I can grab it quickly in the rain without opening the pack and soaking the rest of my gear, and after breaking camp is the last gear to be torn down after the pack is closed up to the elements.

Love that tarp and wish I had switched to DCF long ago. I'm not sure why anyone would keep their tarp inside their pack, anyway.

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[MikekiM]

I wind up one end of the CL and stuff it in the snake skin....

For clarification for the newer folks... bonsaihiker is referring to a tarp CRL (Continuous Ridge Line).
CL is a Continuous Loop.. used for a lot of stuff, but most often at the ends of a gathered end hammock.


I've tried every type of snake skin.. Single & double, mesh, silpoly and cuben. Settled for the single mesh for a few reasons. I store the skinned tarp in a cuben stuff sack, more often than not I put it in my pack unless wet. It certainly isn't going to dry much as packed below, with or without the stuff sack.

Yes, larger volume than a silpoly tarp, not nearly as malleable when packing but on average a third of the weight. As with all this stuff it's a compromise.

Left to right... HG Standard, Standard with doors and Palace. With 32oz Nalgene for scale. They all can be compressed a bit smaller, but.. why? I never fill a pack to its' capacity.

[bonsaihiker]

For clarification for the newer folks... bonsaihiker is referring to a tarp CRL (Continuous Ridge Line).

MikekiM, thanks, you're correct.

Corrected.



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[Fisc]

So if I'm understanding, you roll it like a ball of yarn?

[bonsaihiker]

Here's a photo of my HG Winter Palace. Hope that answers your question.

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[Fisc]

Here's a photo of my HG Winter Palace. Hope that answers your question.

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Ahh, thanks. Makes sense now. I guess I just need to be a little more aggressive with my squishing and wrapping.