Sorry for noob type question!
Wondering if I wanted to hang for the night on a 0% rain chance night, how does tarp vs no tarp equate to dew issues? Do you need to use a tarp basically even on dry nights most any nights of the year to keep dew off or does dew get to you even if under a tarp?
Don't get me started on a wet top quilt! LOL
I've gone tarpless so many times without any dew. It's amazing sleeping there in the woods out in the open! It all depends on the weather. Last night it was DRY DRY DRY! But coming from 50° and sunny down to 30°, no wind, anything out in the open was coated in a heavy frost. At warmer temps, dew can form bigtime. But again, it just depends on the weather (dew point, wind, etc)
With a tarp you should stay dry. Again, this morning anything covered was dry and frost-free (under trees, house awning, car, etc)
Here is a good question for people. Once the dew falls in the evening, which I suppose happens when the temp reaches the dew point, does the dew normally keep falling, assuming normal conditions such as no fog or a front coming through? I don’t normally not use a tarp, but it has always been my impression that keeping things closed up until after the dew fell kept things pretty dry.
Dew doesn't "fall", it condenses. A tarp should make no difference unless you are trapping heat underneath it.
That said, i prefer to leave the tarp off whenever possible.
LOL yes it doesn't fall. However, if it isn't windy and isn't too humid, sometimes the small amount of heat retained under the tarp can help keep things drier under it. But a tiny swing one way or the other in conditions can negate that, and when it's really humid, with fog, forget about it — everything is going to get wet.Originally Posted by leiavoia
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
Try going topless a few times and decide for yourself if you like it or not. In the south we have dew everyday of the year so days more than others but the bugnet catches some and some just makes its way inside. I love going topless but be careful as a rogue shower can ruin a good night's sleep.A little dampness is synonymous with hammocking.
If you live in an area with high humidity dew is just part of nature. Carry a small micro fleece towel to wipe your gear off or plan your trip so you can let damp thinks dry in the morning sun.
There are other things that come from the sky besides rain. And “on your back” hammock sleepers probably have their mouths open a bit. Just say’n.
Also, as romantic as a full moon can be, when it right overhead, shinning like a spotlight in your eyes - even closed they can “feel” the light. It’s nice to have a little extra “shade” in that situation.
In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.
There are other things that come from the sky besides rain. And “on your back” hammock sleepers probably have their mouths open a bit. Just say’n.
Also, as romantic as a full moon can be, when it right overhead, shinning like a spotlight in your eyes - even closed they can “feel” the light. It’s nice to have a little extra “shade” in that situation.
LOL! Yes, based on how they seem to hit my windshield right at eye line height, they probably hit me in face for sure!
Good question(s)
In my own experience, when hanging on a night with 0% rain chance, the tarp sometimes does matter, and sometimes not so much - in regards to dew issues.
If it's not going to be raining and I don't need to hang my tarp to dry it from the night prior, or to block cold wind, I do not hang my tarp as a rule. I very much prefer the "no tarp" nights sleep in the woods.
Where you sleep at night does come into play though. What I have noticed over the years is, fields will get soaked from dew, and in "the woods" will be dry by comparison.
Very much stands out to me when on long hikes. I can sleep in the woods and have everything dry when I pack up and start walking in the morning - when I hit a field, it might as well be raining based on how soaked I get walking through the field (of course how high the growth in the field(s) are will be how high everything gets soaked - sometimes just my feet/lower legs, and sometimes my entire body).
I know ground sleeper tarp users, who make a habit of sleeping under trees, as opposed to in open areas/fields, because of the dew "issues".
Now if there is fog, or the clouds are laying down on the mountain(s), yes sometimes a tarp can make a difference in how wet your stuff will get. More so if there is wind blowing that fog/the low laying clouds.
Sometimes too though, it won't make much, if any, of a difference at all, and all your stuff WILL get a "layer" of damp (referred to by myself and other long distance hikers as, "AT dry" - not quite wet enough to wring out, but not dry either, lol, AT dry).
Try going "tarpless" and see how you like it. If your stuff does get "a layer of damp", it's not the end of the world by a long shot. It'll dry, and be just fine.
I prefer no tarp, but I know of many who put up their tarp no matter what.
To me, it's just one more (or less) thing to not have to put up/take down. Plus, I do like falling asleep to the stars and moon.
willin'
Last edited by u.willie; 05-13-2020 at 21:29. Reason: spacing & spelling, lol...
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