Looking for advice: How to position internal poles

[JJBrewbus]

Hi, I’d like some advice from anyone who uses / has built tarps with internal poles: I’d like to know if my idea is going to work or not.

I have only 8 yards of silpoly to make a tarp. I’ve never used a tarp with any pole mods before, but I want to make a tarp that can utilize 2 internal poles so I can pitch it on the ground (when there are no trees or good hang spots available). When pitched with the internal poles and a couple of trekking poles, I want to know whether you think it would be free-standing and stable enough to add a bathtub floor + bugnet.

As far as I have seen, internal poles can be set at an angle, with the poles leaning toward the middle of the ridge line or leaning outward toward the end of the tarp. To my mind, when the poles lean toward the middle this would be the most stable the tarp pitched on the ground, but it would provide far less space for a bug net.
Conversely, with poles leaning toward the ends of the tarp I’d have have more space for the bug net (see pictures), but do you think this would still be stable enough?

Pictures show: tarp with poles leaning inward, and outward; bath tub floor and bug net - cramped or more spacious (both designs have the same sized footprint, but both require different seams that follow the direction of the poles where attachment points would hold up the netting).

Any opinions on what could go wrong, or needs to be considered, would be greatly appreciated.

Happy hanging!

[MikekiM]

I'm of the thought that less is more.

Sounds like you want this design as a backup and not your primary setup. That said, why not equip the tarp with the center internal pole mod pockets, which you can DIY, or just have a set of Beastie D's at the center and use that when the tarp is pitched in the trees.

If your ground corners also have Beastie D's you can move the pole to one end, inserted straight up as you would in the center. Pitch the tarp with the pole moved to the head end and no pole at the foot end, just the trekking pole. Skip the full bathtup/bug net since your hammock, set up like a bivy will provide skeeter protection and use something like the Z-Packs Bathtub Poncho as your ground sheet.

[Countrybois]

I think either way would work. With all options you will need a way to secure the poles from folding in/out. Either lines to the ridgeline, to each other or to the ground.

I use the two-pole method every time on my hammock setup and angle the poles inward. I've tried outward leaning, but prefer inward .

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[Singlespeed]

I think the poles lean in or out, by necessity rather than design. If your pole length matched the fabric width and stretch wasn't an issue, then you could have them vertical.

Unless you're prepared to match pole length and tarp width and also build in some adjustment to accommodate stretch, leaning poles are the easier solution.

Leaning outwards will give more internal space, but the ends of the tarp could be opened out and cause problems with wind/rain blowing in.
For the want of adding four tie offs into the ridge line, you could have leaning in or out, or a combination of.

This could give you some ideas for bugnet options for under a tarp.
https://youtu.be/uL_wQRzMbMM

[JJBrewbus]

Thanks, MikeKim,

Yes. I saw Shug’s YouTube video about setting your hammock and tarp up on the ground. I considered this but thought it would feel cramped — I don’t like the claustrophobic feeling of a bivy bag (odd! I don’t mind hanging in a fully zipped-up hammock!).
But, you’ve given me so me useful food for thought; I’ll play around with poles in different places and will probably create this as a versatile tarp that can utilize poles in all the tie-out points.
Thanks!

[JJBrewbus]

Thanks, Countrybois,

May I ask why you prefer the poles angled inward; is it because the tarp becomes wider and roomier in the middle, which is ideal for hammocking? I think I’d prefer that while hanging, myself. Or did it become slightly loose or floppy when angling the poles outward?
I really appreciate your opinion and experience — our best resource for information is each asking each other!

Thanks

[JJBrewbus]

Singlespeed, thanks for your comments.
The poles I have are a bit longer than the tarp’s width, so they’ll have to lean one way or the other.
You are right about the doors becoming wide and open to the elements. As I don’t have sufficient silnpoly to make doors, I might just have to fabricate two pieces of DWR ripstop, cut to the shape of the openings and clip them to the ridge line and corner tie-outs, perhaps with another tie point half way between those two points. But I’ll have to make those last, after I see how wide the door openings actually become.

For securing the poles at whichever angle I want, I’ll be running a line between the ends of the tarp, internally, like Dutch has on his XL two person tarps, and I’ll use a prusik knot to keep the poles at that angle.

And thanks for the video link. I hadn’t seen that one.

JJ

[Countrybois]

Thanks, Countrybois,

May I ask why you prefer the poles angled inward; is it because the tarp becomes wider and roomier in the middle, which is ideal for hammocking? I think I’d prefer that while hanging, myself. Or did it become slightly loose or floppy when angling the poles outward?
I really appreciate your opinion and experience — our best resource for information is each asking each other!

Thanks

I honestly don't recall I only tried it with the poles out as a thought ....like hey why not this way...I don't think it was floppy, probably just seemed the better of the two options. Very likely that it supported the tarp at a point that is more where I am likely to be.

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[OutandBack]

I installed ties to hold my internal poles in place an sealed the threads with rtv.

[Cruiser51]

There was a couple of builds by KitsapCowboy using method, I have built quite a few .... rather than repeat it all, I will give you the link

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ll-Season-Tarp

He also did a cat tangle with the same technique ... you make get some useful info from theses builds.


Brian