Handling tarp setup in the high winds.

[Northbound_Paddler]

Hello all.

Just got my first hammock tarp this week from SLD, and I have set it up a couple times now in calm weather. This morning, I put it up with gusting wind and had a bad time.

I rig it as follows:
-11ft trail haven hex tarp, cat cut with ridgeline drings and corner lineloc tie outs with 9' of guy line.
-12ft of zingit tied to ridgeline with a truckers hitch.

What recommendations do you all have for the process of setting up in windy weather? Start to finish, how do you do it? Try and keep it in the bag as long as possible, etc?

Thanks for your time!


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[MAD777]

Snakeskin! Keep the tarp in snakeskin until you secure the ridgeline tie-outs to the two trees. Then peel back the snakeskin and I stake the windward side first, then finally the leeward side.

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[OneClick]

I don't struggle with keeping it in the bag. Or even the snake skins. Just let it all out and stake down the leeward side; doesn't even have to be perfect. Just something to get it down and not flapping in the wind.

Go stake out down the leeward side. Then go back to the windward side and adjust as necessary. You can take your time and get it just right now that nothing is flapping all over the place.

[Northbound_Paddler]

Snakeskin! Keep the tarp in snakeskin until you secure the ridgeline tie-outs to the two trees. Then peel back the snakeskin and I stake the windward side first, then finally the leeward side.

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Any advice on purchasing one? Which do you use?

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[Northbound_Paddler]

I don't struggle with keeping it in the bag. Or even the snake skins. Just let it all out and stake down the leeward side; doesn't even have to be perfect. Just something to get it down and not flapping in the wind.

Go stake out down the leeward side. Then go back to the windward side and adjust as necessary. You can take your time and get it just right now that nothing is flapping all over the place.

I tried doing exactly that today. I let it all out, and had to carefully hang on so that my fancy new tarp didn't go to the treetops! I think I just need a solution to get the ridgeline tie outs on before the wind can catch it.

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[WalksIn2Trees]

yeah snake skins exactly as he said. it also helps to have a ridge-line that you can just hook on, rather than trying to tie a perfectly positioned knot while the tarp is yanking around in the wind. I'm not sure how much it matters which side you stake out first. I don't really remember doing one particular side, specifically, whatever feels right when you're doing it. all of the major tarp makers sell snake skins and most offer it as an option when you purchase it. as a bonus I use my snake skins as a water break, since I leave it on anyway and it's just kind of bunched up there at the ridge-line loops.

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[poor_jalopy]

Check out the DIY subforum ... the snakeskins are about the easiest thing to make (last time I made some, I made two sets in about thirty minutes with most of the time spent explaining to my wife and son what I was doing, and why they wanted to have some).

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...y-Line-Storage

[hangerdave]

I also think snake skins are your answer, easy peasy then to unfurl.

[cougarmeat]

Before SnakeSkins, Wind 2 vs Cougarmeat 0
With SnakeSkins, now it’s Wind 2 vs Cougarmeat 2 - and I don’t see the wind winning any time soon.

If you go skins, you will have to choose between a double (each half the length of the tarp) or single (same length as the tarp) version. I think the current trend is using a single skin. I’m guessing that when others - and certainly for me - started out, Hennessy made the double skin and other vendors followed suit. But once someone used a full length model, the simplicity of pulling all the way on from one side caught on.

Note that is STILL important to consider your orientation. I started with my tarp broadside to the wind, thinking it would give me most protection. But, even with panel pulls (though they were supported with just external poles, not tie outs) the side of the tarp would push into the hammock. Once I oriented parallel to the wind, there was less surface area for the wind to “attack” and the support trees offered a bit of a buffer.

Just the existence of skins does NOT make the wind give up. It allows you to slowly expose the tarp the the wind and guy it down as you go. The other great feature, if you like to look at the stars, is you can set it up, keep it in its skin, and deploy it quickly should the weather change or you suddenly remember those bird “presents” deposited on your tarp.

[Fisc]

I've never had a problem with my tarp in the wind. Just tie of one side of the ridgeline, slowly let the tarp out to your other side and tie that off. then stake out your guylines. The part I have a problem with is my hammock turning into a kite.