Rigging tarp without tieouts

[hatchetation]

Hey all,

long time lurker, first time poster. I do a bit of tree camping in a normal hammock, and am pretty happy with my setup... in good weather.

Anyone have any discoveries or tips for hanging a tarp without depending on stakes and tieouts? Up high in the canopy, you just can't depend on having convenient anchor spots for the tieouts. And, rigging everything takes a lot longer - so even if there is a spot "right over there" - it could be a PITA to actually use. (Even with a good climb anchor directly above the hammock, maneuvering around the hammock footprint can put you at high rope angles and make things tricky.)

I've experimented with improvising spreaders (long sticks) under the hammock to hold the tarp out, and it kinda worked, but wasn't very reliable.

Ideas?

[cougarmeat]

hatchetation, welcome to the forum. Sounds like you need tarp spread and stability. You’ve hit on the spread issue by using what’s called a “pole mod” (pole modification) where the tarp has additional tie-outs halfway up the side and the camper puts a shock-corded (like a tent pole) over the tarp ridgeline and connects the ends to those pull outs. That’s referred to and an external pole mod. The internal pole mod uses longer shock-corded poles - either two, one at each end or one in the middle - that arcs under the tarp and is attached to the usual guy line tie outs. So that gives you spread. Now if you took a line from one tarp corner, around your hammock tree, and back to the opposite corner (same end) and do that on both ends, those lines will have a compression force that is countered by your internal poles and that “balance of power” may give you some stability. Clearly something to try while you are standing on the ground first.

[nanok]

hey, and welcome to the forum

i've thought about this as i was planning to do a bit of treeclimbing (and obviously dreamt of hammock camping up there), but never got around to trying it yet, so i don't have a solution for you.

my advice would be to also look into what big wall climbers use: they typically use porta ledges these days i think when they camp "on wall", but these porta ledge tents might provide some inspiration as to how one might rig a tarp for that type of purpose. they are basically rigged as pyramids using the frame of the porta ledge as the base of the pyramid. this wouldn't directly translate to the hammock very well, but it might provide some ideas (they also do not use additional tie in points to rig the tarp)

my one thoughts were to start with the idea of a tarp supported on the ridgeline/suspension of the hammock, featuring something similar to the pole mods people use for hammock tarps, and some way to weigh it down. maybe a combination of pole mods and spreaders at the corners. the spreaders would be perpendicular to the hammock obviously, and held apart from the same suspension point as the hammock itself. would need to be careful regarding what happens with the wieghts in high winds though (well, you wouldn't want to be up there in high winds anyway, but it might happen). i'd test low to the ground first, it'd probably require some r&d iterations, these are just the very first thoughts.

in any case, i'll be very interested in your experiments and findings, keep us informed.

[Phantom Grappler]

Did you say you hammock camp higher up in trees, like up in the canopy, maybe ten feet off ground or higher?!?!?

You might be able to see some YouTube videos by a hammock camper—TreeFool. Not sure if I’ve spelled his name correctly. TreeFool hammock camps up high in trees. Maybe he has some workarounds that you can use.

Old Phantom—skeeerd of heights

Good luck!

[Shug]

Here is TreeFool's YT channel....https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfa...HZssQBrY_mq3DQ
I don't recall him using a tarp but there may bo a video there on that.
Shug

[hatchetation]

Yup Phantom, sometimes dozens of feet high. It can be really nice. Here in cascadia, hemlocks and western red-cedars are generous and give you a bunch of shelter for free, and it gets better up in the canopy. Climbing in the rain can be a lot of fun, as long as you're on rope and sheltered before the waterworks start. So, that's the good news.

Porta-ledges are too big and heavy for my taste. Single point suspension is rad, but they'd cause me more problems then they solve. Turns out that staying on-rope with a tarp above is pretty natural and works well - I kept thinking that there would have to be a pass-thru at the tarp, but its not been necessary.

That pole mod is very interesting - thanks. That's addressing the same flavor of problem, for sure. Don't have a good feel for the center of gravity and the way the whole thing will hang - guess I just get to play with something along those lines next. I think the right size spreader plus a bit of weight at the bottom corners might work well.

Oh yeah - I'm familiar with 'fool and his DIY exploits; but don't remember him doing much with ye old gathered end hammocks up there.