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  1. #1
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    Top Cover vs Tarp with doors in storm mode

    Folks,

    I tried a top cover recently - I had a bit of a claustrophobia attack in there! . I mean, it was tight and the air was certainly being captured. Worked great to isolate from the wind, I guess you get used to it.

    Last week I slept on the beach right next to the shore with some pretty good offshore winds. In that situation I lowered the tarp sides and closed the doors and I was warm and toasty in there shielded from the wind.

    I would imagine a top cover is intended for the same purpose. I was wondering if folks use both together or one over the other and perhaps why. It seems like the tarp would provide much better protection since it can also shield the UQ and hammock wall itself. Perhaps the cover is for that in-between area where I don’t want to storm mode the tarp and the conditions are much milder?

    They also look cool - maybe that’s it!

    Thanks,
    -Tom

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    I don't have a top cover but from what I've seen, they aren't intended to be weatherproof. They are there simply to trap heat. If they were waterproof I would imagine there would be a problem with condensation.

    Sent from my SM-T378V using Tapatalk
    "God never sends us anything we can't handle. Sometimes I wish He didn't trust me so much." - Mother Teresa.

  3. #3
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    I've never seen a waterproof topcover. A topcover is more an attempt to keep heat in - which also keeps condensation in. I still haven't figured out when to use one and when not to use one. My current thought is that topcovers should only be used at 10* F or lower, when the weather is so cold you don't care about condensation. My face really doesn't like cold weather, and after a sub 10* night, my whole face can be burnt to a crisp from the cold. That's even using a balaclava.

    Then again, I could be wrong. I really don't like the condensation that comes with a top cover. That much I know.
    "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson

  4. #4
    New Member
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    Aug 2018
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    So has said above TC is not good against rain. There are many types of TC : solids (like no vent at all), vented (can be at head, on sides, usually can be customized), some you can adjust the venting window like Dutchs moonlight or traillair... And then there are also socks that uou can put all around the hammock, some are half net half solid on the horizontal level so you csn rotate twist it to get the protection and vent you want.. Different uses for me. First it adds privacy, not always want to be all always all open to the world. I also feel it helps for heat retention. I use it from about 40s and lower, with a UQ i can often sleep bareskin with that. The first hammock I got had it, so it's part of the game for me. Many people don't use it, feeling it has more downsides than ups, even for winter where some say condensation becomes snow inside the hammock. Lsoh don't sell TC for that (although I think they are working on possible clippping TC. So for a more spartan gang, tarp does it all if needed, no need of TC. I don't feel tarp give the same heat retention at all. I never had any condensation problem as long as it is vented. There are also techniques and gear that helps the venting like Dutches Breathalizer that you can DIY easily if you are into that.

  5. #5
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    A waterproof top cover would allow condensation to form. It’s breathable on purpose. It does provide additional protection from wind direction changes, especially if your tarp doesn’t have doors. Also, if you don’t need the tarp you might still have a bright moon. Yes, I find it does get dark when I close my eyes, but a full (or full-ish) moon shinning on my face is not always a feature. I use mine at home because have a bright street light - no longer required by city code but they still won’t remove it or turn it off - that shines like a Nova when I’m sleeping outside.

    So - its job is not to take the place of a tarp. But it may provide a little more comfort as your approach the limits of your gear.
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 10-08-2020 at 12:06.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  6. #6
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    Thanks for the responses. I didn’t think of the cover as replacement for the tarp so much as a tarp with doors making a cover less useful.

    I am trying to decide on some of my hammock gear. I like multi-purpose gear in general which is part of my thinking. So far, my favorite hammock is a netless. The bottom entry net is kind of nice because I can use it with any hammock or leave it at home. I’m thinking the same about a cover - I could get a sock which seems to serve the same purpose and use it with any hammock. Of course, I understand the convenience of an all in one system as well. Pros and cons to both.

  7. #7
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    Sounds like bug issues are minimal for you - even in rainy Seattle? If so, you might consider a HUG net. That’s like a ¼ net. It has one bungee that can attach to your hammock ridgeline to lift the net off your face. Then rest of the net tucks along your sides down to a little above your waist (depending upon your height of course). The idea is, you are already protected from below by either a DL hammock, an UQ, an UQP, or pad. You are protected above by your TQ. So the only area uncovered is your head. The HUG give you that protection there in about the smallest/lightest “net” package out there.
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 10-09-2020 at 10:04.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by cougarmeat View Post
    Sounds like bug issues are minimal for you - even in rainy Seattle? If so, you might consider a HUG net. That’s like a ¼ net. It has one bungee that can attach to your hammock ridgeline to lift the net off your face. Then rest of the net tucks alone your sides down to a little above your waist (depending upon your height of course). The idea is, you are already protected from below by either a DL hammock, an UQ, an UQP, or pad. You are protected above by your TQ. So the only area uncovered is your head. The HUG give you that protection there in about the smallest/lightest “net” package out there.

    Thanks for the tip!

    Yeah, the PNW basically has no bugs really to speak of. Certain lakes and areas, sure, but absolutely nothing compared to anywhere else I’ve lived.

    Even the mosquitoes here that we do have are far more timid than what I saw in PA, MD, NY, or god forbid Michigan.

    We make up for it in spiders though, although nothing dangerous.
    Last edited by Tpatter; 10-08-2020 at 14:47.

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