I'm about to order my first tarp and I wanted to get some peoples opinion on tarp sizes. I'm pretty sure I'm getting an 11' ridgeline tarp but is it worth it to by a wider tarp or is the 9.5' width plenty?
I'm about to order my first tarp and I wanted to get some peoples opinion on tarp sizes. I'm pretty sure I'm getting an 11' ridgeline tarp but is it worth it to by a wider tarp or is the 9.5' width plenty?
Also Is it worth it to add tarp pull outs?
If you want good coverage and some privacy then 9.5 is good.
Warbonnet Superfly is about that. And yes, for a wide tarp like that I think pullouts are a must.
Shug
Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven
IMO, if this is your first go at hammock camping...get the bigger coverage tarp and work your way smaller. As you get more experience you'll be able to better judge the pros and cons of a smaller tarp in the conditions you've gone through. My first tarp was one of those 12x10 tarps you find at Walmart. Worked fine for years. When I got into backpacking, I wanted something smaller and packable. In my case I wanted two tarps: the smallest with decent wind and rain protection, and a winter tarp with full doors.
My first 'real' tarp was the Warbonnet Thunderfly and eventually got the Superfly (both in silpoly). Never got wet under either of them. If the storm is gonna be bad, I have to be more judicious with setting up the the hammock and the Thunderfly (pitch it low, almost down to the hammock ridgeline). The end beaks do a good job of blocking wind driven rain, but if it's gonna be really blustery I have to be aware of the wind direction (not have the ends facing directly into the storm).
I have the tarp pullouts on both. I use them rarely, but they are handy. I use my trekking poles to lift up on them as opposed to guylines pulling them out. Same effect, less cordage and no extra stakes required. On the Thunderfly, it doesn't matter as much, but the Superfly...that's a lot of tarp blowing in on you.
Shug's 3rd video there was the cincher for me on getting the Thunderfly over the Minifly.
You will end up with at least a few eventually I would imagine.
I have a basic diamond tarp which I really like for summer when I know I am unlikely to encounter a storm and even then the temps are high enough that I could handle getting wet without serious consequences. In this case, I play the odds and am willing to pay the price if I am wrong and we get a severe high wind deluge.
I’ve got to say that I really enjoy having doors. There is no downside to them that I can find unless you are a gram counter. If I don’t need them, I just fold them back. If I need them, however, there really is no substitute. I don’t want to be selecting a new site or trees AFTER I have discovered that the wind has shifted on me.
Not sure what you have looked at, but the Superfly, Journey, and SLD’s tarps are all super impressive and while they also run a bit over a pound with lines that is completely worth it to me to have doors when I want them.
As long as you get a hammock or tarp from a good vendor (HammockGear, Warbonnet, UGQ, Dutch, et al) don't worry too much about making a mistake. You never know what works for you until you actually get out there and use it for a several nights. Even then, your preferences may change over time (as did mine). The reason I suggested a quality vendor is because first, you can be pretty sure your tarp won't leak (make sure you seam seal it if necessary!) and second, gear from those vendors is very easy to resell here and on other Buy/Sell/Trade boards at a fairly high percentage of retail pricing so don't think you're stuck with something because you find out it's not for you.
If you buy yourself a Superfly as your first you will always have enough tarp for any weather conditions. After you get done configuring and playing around with your Superfly you can always get a second and a third tarp.
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