I have recently been experimenting with using a single tree strap to set up my hammock and rain fly.
my conditions were,
1. I needed to be able to put up the rain fly first. To keep things dry.
2. I didn't want to get a "loose" fly once I got in the hammock.
I found a way that works for me, by adding an attachment point to the strap at the tree, then pulling the fly tight. Then I connect the hammock via Marlin spike/ whoopie sling.
I have found to get around the fly being too high, I leave it a little bit loose, then pull tight when I stake it out, How much I need to do this is dependent on the distance of the tree's.
Once I am done work for the day, I can go out back and set it up and take some pictures.
Here are some photos of my set-up.
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I like your method of attaching the tarp before having a hammock in place. Was wondering how you were going to do that.
Thanks for the pictures - definitely picked up some things I’ll be trying out.
ah, cool to see somebody else is doing this (it's basically the same as the levitating tarp )
the difference is i was attaching the tarp ridgeline differently, using a firction hitch on the webbing itself (your way works well if you're using a marline spike hitch with a toggle in it, so it will stop the tree strap from coming loose when you tighten the ridgeline, but without it that won't work)
what are you using for the split ridgeline? it looks like some sort of glowire or such
nice setup, thanks for sharing, and welcome to the forum
What I have found in my testing, When I larks head the loop onto the strap, it pinches and holds the straps in place. This did a great job of holding the tarp up while I get it situated.
I use the marlin spike to attach the hammock mainly because I use a whoopie sling and like the adjustability it gives me, and I try to avoid rope on rope for moving parts.
Once I sit in the hammock the "first" time and get all the stretch worked out. I usually go back and tighten things up again... After that it holds well and I have not had an issue. The only thing is when I put the weight in the hammock, the larks head will "slip" or move over onto the soft shackle as my weight pulls on the strap... but by then the tarp is already set in place. And since it really only moves over, it doesn't create sag. And as always once I remove the "stretch" and readjust it hold the rest of the night.
The rope is Notch Acculine I made a UCR out of it.
I go backpacking in any and all weather.. so the ability to put up the tarp first is a must. And then being able to take it down last.
the main reason I wanted to go down to one set of straps is because i find them more "bulky" than anything when I pack my bag. I have come across a lot of huge tree's in my time, so now I carry 10 - 15 foot straps.. carrying two sets was just getting a bit much.
yeah, it seems we have many very similar priorities.
i was also using a larks head (or a pile hitch) for the attachment to the treestrap, but i hitched it directly on the strap (and make it out of non-dyneema, so it's not too slipery), this makes it very easy to slide it along the strap to where it needs to be depending on the setup (as this attachement point lives on the strap permanently, it doesn't need to be hitched every time), then the ridgeline would come in along the strap, through the loop/shackle (dark grey softshackle in your pics) and then clip in to this small loop hitched on the strap. when tensioned, a relatively thin line on a treestrap makes an effective friction hitch even with one wrap or larks head, or pile hitch. also, when tightening the ridgeline, the treestraps would be nicely set in place rather than pulled off the tree.
(i speak in the past tense about it as i'm now using a different kind of treestrap which i designed and been testing, which makes things a lot easier, but also means it's a bit different then the version in the "levitating tarp"; btw, if you need to deal with huge trees, you'll like that system a lot, **** i need to document it already)
agreed, being able to setup tarp before hammock is one of the hard requirements, and this kind of setup makes it much nicer to do so in my experience.
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