Will this setup work?

[Of Wolf and Man]

Hi all,

While I have 10+ years experience UL backpacking, bushcrafting, and hot tenting, etc, I’m new to hammocking. I always avoided it because I always have my dog in tow and thought it wouldn’t work for me. After adding a sub7 as a luxury item for lounging in camp, I was hooked and with a little research learned that I can make it work with my dog.

So my question is this. I have a Hummingbird Hammocks long which is 128” (10’8”) with a 105” (8’9”) structural ridgeline. I am hoping to use my ZPacks 8.5’ x 10’ dyneema flat tarp. I’ve already experienced 2 pretty serious thunderstorms with this combo pitching the tarp in a diamond. However, I would like to order the Cave Creek Pet Palace for my dog and bug protection for both of us. But the rectangular bathtub floor won’t work well with a diamond pitch, so I’d have to pitch the tarp along the 10’ ridgeline.

With the tarp pitched with a 10’ ridge line and the 105” structural ridge line on my hammock, that would leave 7.5” overhang on each end. Will that work, or do I need to go to an 11’ tarp? I love my ZPacks tarp and like the idea of how familiar I am with going to the ground with it, so I’m hoping this can work.

Thanks I’m advance from a hammock noob.

[JollyRoger70]

Assuming you use drip lines, a 7.5” overhang should work most of the time. Other people on the forum who have more experience than me may know better, though. Also, if you have water blowing in, it’s also possible to rig a poncho over the most upwind end. People do get tarps with doors to have better end coverage, but of course they weight more.


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[Of Wolf and Man]

Assuming you use drip lines, a 7.5” overhang should work most of the time. Other people on the forum who have more experience than me may know better, though. Also, if you have water blowing in, it’s also possible to rig a poncho over the most upwind end. People do get tarps with doors to have better end coverage, but of course they weight more.
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Thanks,
I do have a Dutchware Grizz Beak that I bought for my ground A frame a while back that I could use as a door on end. Being sort of a minimalist though, I’d prefer not to bring extra doo dads if there’s a minimal chance I’ll need it.

[cmoulder]

The 8.5x10 on the diagonal is essentially a small asym tarp.

This can work fairly well in the rain until it gets windy, and even less so when the wind changes direction. I've never used one, however looking at a pic of the Pet Palace it doesn't appear that it'll provide much coverage at all for the dog, even under the best circumstances.

The few times that I've used an asym in the rain, the dry space beneath it was exceedingly small, if not entirely non-existent. And even with a smaller hex like the HG DCF, I typically wrap my gear in my polycryo ground sheet if I really-really want to keep it dry.

[Of Wolf and Man]

The 8.5x10 on the diagonal is essentially a small asym tarp.

This can work fairly well in the rain until it gets windy, and even less so when the wind changes direction. I've never used one, however looking at a pic of the Pet Palace it doesn't appear that it'll provide much coverage at all for the dog, even under the best circumstances.

The few times that I've used an asym in the rain, the dry space beneath it was exceedingly small, if not entirely non-existent. And even with a smaller hex like the HG DCF, I typically wrap my gear in my polycryo ground sheet if I really-really want to keep it dry.

Definitely agree that a diamond pitch with the rectangular pet palace won’t work. It’s my fault for posing my question in such a long winded fashion, but what I’m asking is, if I switch to a rectangular A frame pitch along the 10’ ridgeline of the tarp, to accommodate the shape of the pet palace, I’ll only have 7.5” overhang on each end of my hammock (since I use a 105” structural ridgeline). I’m trying to figure out if that will be sufficient.

Thanks

[TominMN]

... if I switch to a rectangular A frame pitch along the 10’ ridgeline of the tarp, to accommodate the shape of the pet palace, I’ll only have 7.5” overhang on each end of my hammock (since I use a 105” structural ridgeline). I’m trying to figure out if that will be sufficient. ...

You could try setting the rainfly as low as possible. Obviously, the closer you get it to the hammock, the more effective that minimal overhang will be. That might feel a bit claustrophobic and only a few inches between the hammock and the fly can cut down on air circulation. But that isn't all that different from most tents. Setting up the whole thing low can help keep your furry buddy drier but the height of the Pet Palace will dictate that.

[dustin]

+1 on pitching the tarp low. I have spent a couple of lightly rainy nights under an 8'x5' diamond-pitched poncho in a short hammock. The dry space underneath (for pack and shoes) was very small, but if I'd set the whole setup lower to the ground, that space would have been slightly bigger. It was an okay setup, but nowadays I use a longer/wider tarp with small beaks. The extra size/weight is minimal for a lot more space above and below.

[Of Wolf and Man]

Thanks everyone. Very helpful insight. The ZPacks tarps have built in linelocs at the connection points, so raising and lowering the tarp based on the weather is much easier than raising and lowering a continuous ridgeline. I’m contemplating picking up a second Grizz Beak as well. My only hesitation with that is I want to keep my setup as simple and minimalistic as possible.

[cmoulder]

Thanks everyone. Very helpful insight. The ZPacks tarps have built in linelocs at the connection points, so raising and lowering the tarp based on the weather is much easier than raising and lowering a continuous ridgeline. I’m contemplating picking up a second Grizz Beak as well. My only hesitation with that is I want to keep my setup as simple and minimalistic as possible.

Since you're already a donating member, be sure to check out the Ultra Lite Gear forum.

Some good info HERE on UL hammock setups.

[Of Wolf and Man]

Thanks to all who helped out but after some more tinkering in the yard and contemplating getting an 11’ foot HG dyneema flat tarp, I decided to instead replace the Humming Long and ordered a Warbonnet Blackbird Original. Being 5’6” the Hummingbird Long felt like a little more Hammock than I need, and making this switch will give me 10” on each end which I think will be just fine if I pitch the tarp relatively low to the gathered ends. This is a cheaper solution than a new dyneema tarp. I also like the storage features, and gives me a bug net solution for when my dog isn’t with me and I’m not using the pet palace. I’ll still be able to pitch the tarp diagonal for more coverage when not using the pet palace as well.

So I guess I officially have the bug now. I was going to order a lab Outdoor Vitals UQ but fortunately perusing this forum saved me from making that mistake. I ended up coughing up a little extra and ordered an EE Revolt V2 to pair with my EE top quilt which I have been backpacking with for about 5 years and absolutely love.

John