Tarp too wide? Tarp ridgeline too short?

**old4hats** · 09-07-2022, 17:35

FWIW, I gave up on eleven ft tarps and went to twelve and longer, I usually camp in a ridge runner and for it I use thirteen ft and four inches. I always hang my tarp high, as I am unsteady on my feet when stooped over. I also like wide. I have weathered some heavy wind driven rain a few times and stayed dry. Water breaks on suspension for sure.

**cougarmeat** · 09-07-2022, 18:43

Snow Leopard, I was a little puzzled when I did the math. If you have an 11 ft hammock (the most common size), and you hang it at about 83% of the physical length (the usual sag amount), then the length to cover is about 8 ft. an 11 ft tarp, that would give you about 18 inches overlap at both ends. Even if you had a shallower sag (longer hammock hang length) You'd still mostly have a little over a foot at each end. But now I see you had that - about 24 inches of overhang - it just wasn't distributed evenly at both ends of the tarp.

Another aspect of the tarp hang is the angle. It doesn't have to be level. If you angle it down and low, facing the wind, you might get a better blockage. I used to set up with my tarp broadside to the wind. For me, that created too much surface area for the wind to push against. Now I try to set up parallel to the wind. That gives the smallest "target" and the support trees provide some blockage too.

**joe_guilbeau** · 09-07-2022, 20:20

4x4 meter tarps help to alleviate the dribbles. I camp for a a few weeks at a time, so for my use these are very reasonable, and I really do not like to walk. Still, a larger tarp will compensate for most leakages. My smallest tarp is 12-feet, however I only use that with the Amok Draumr hangs.

**FLTurtle** · 09-07-2022, 20:32

How much water was coming down your foot end hammock suspension? I use DW Beetle Buckles, so they act as a water break...but I can imagine if it's raining really hard that water could conceivably travel down the straps and have enough momentum to splash past the buckle onto the hammock CL. With your straps becket hitched to the hammock CL and a steady rain, it's entirely possible they were just absolutely soaked through.

**Snow Leopard** · 09-07-2022, 20:51

Originally Posted by KBr00ks

In heavy weather, I have pitched my tarp to be as close as 1"-3" above my hammock ridgeline. The tarp only sticks out about 6"-8" past my hammock (have not accurately measured) but having it vertically closer does the trick. It's a PITA to get in and out this way but it's better than getting wet. My tarp does not have doors, though.

I'm thinking there's got to be another way, a missing piece, etc. You don't say, but it seems like you did not use the sideways poles (pole mod)? The extra width of this tarp may make it more suited to using poles than not?

Also slightly mystified by the driplines not doing their job. Were they right up against the hammock ends or further out?

If it's really storming, some misting/splashing/etc. is inevitable. It's also much harder to make adjustments in rain without getting drenched, other than maybe pulling the corner guylines tighter. I have also hung my rain jacket over the hammock ridgeline at the head end to provide a bit more protection from wind-blown rain (and to make it handy to grab in case I need to exit the hammock).

I have an old polyurethane coated Oxford nylon tarp that is much shorter and narrower, but I was able to pitch it very close to my hammock ridgeline. And it kept me quite dry (even without doors), likely because of its proximity to hammock ridgeline. That must be the trick! Pitch tarp as close as possible to hammock.

And I was using two interior pole mods, yes. They just help to create more space inside underneath the tarp. Very luxurious.

The drip lines were doing their job, in fact, they were doing their job so well that they were all completely saturated and soaking wet! Some of them were outside the tarp, but some were also closer to hammock (under the tarp).

Originally Posted by KBr00ks

I have also hung my rain jacket over the hammock ridgeline at the head end to provide a bit more protection from wind-blown rain (and to make it handy to grab in case I need to exit the hammock).

And I did that before also, yeah. Hang my rain jacket to cover the gap between the door and tarp ridgeline. I used a trash bag as an end “beak” and it did work, mostly.

**Snow Leopard** · 09-07-2022, 20:59

Originally Posted by FLTurtle

How much water was coming down your foot end hammock suspension? I use DW Beetle Buckles, so they act as a water break...but I can imagine if it's raining really hard that water could conceivably travel down the straps and have enough momentum to splash past the buckle onto the hammock CL. With your straps becket hitched to the hammock CL and a steady rain, it's entirely possible they were just absolutely soaked through.

Yes, they were completely soaked through. It rain so consistently that it must have saturated the straps AND the drip lines.

At that point, perhaps I should use a barrier or something. Like that trash bag that I used as a “beak”, but even that was very wet. Better than nothing, I suppose.

**Snow Leopard** · 09-07-2022, 21:05

Originally Posted by cougarmeat

Snow Leopard, I was a little puzzled when I did the math. If you have an 11 ft hammock (the most common size), and you hang it at about 83% of the physical length (the usual sag amount), then the length to cover is about 8 ft. an 11 ft tarp, that would give you about 18 inches overlap at both ends. Even if you had a shallower sag (longer hammock hang length) You'd still mostly have a little over a foot at each end. But now I see you had that - about 24 inches of overhang - it just wasn't distributed evenly at both ends of the tarp.

Another aspect of the tarp hang is the angle. It doesn't have to be level. If you angle it down and low, facing the wind, you might get a better blockage.

You are correct. The overhang was not distributed evenly, but I didn’t think that it mattered too much since 6-8” is usually OK. But in heavy rain, more is probably better. The hammock that I was using is an 11ft Dutchware Chameleon.

And that’s very interesting, I should try angling the tarp next time, instead of having it level with the ground.
It’s just hard to do because it’s so wide…the sides touch the ground when I try to pitch it close to hammock.

**FLTurtle** · 09-07-2022, 21:08

Maybe try a couple of carabiners for your strap and CL on rainy nights?

**Snow Leopard** · 09-07-2022, 21:08

Originally Posted by joe_guilbeau

4x4 meter tarps help to alleviate the dribbles. I camp for a a few weeks at a time, so for my use these are very reasonable, and I really do not like to walk. Still, a larger tarp will compensate for most leakages. My smallest tarp is 12-feet, however I only use that with the Amok Draumr hangs.

I will probably end up with a 13ft tarp at some point. It must feel like a fortress!

Since the ridgeline is longer, you can hang it higher (more more standing room) and still have plenty of overhang coverage over the hammock ends?