I noticed that the size of these tarps are similar (130"×104" McCat and 132"x100" for Warbonnet), but there's a big weight and price difference. The Asym Diamond is 5 oz ligher and $25 cheaper. Anybody have experience with the Asym Diamond compared to the OES Deluxe?
Out of curiosity, is this size range for a tarp overkill for an AT thru?
Not at all overkill. It might make more sense to carry a smaller and lighter tarp, but if you plan to camp 'wherever' instead of at shelters, a larger tarp is often a wonderful thing to sit under riding out a storm.
The difference in coverage between those two tarps is fairly dramatic. The Deluxe will offer a much larger footprint, which will be nice for cooking meals in the rain, packing, etc. OTH, the Diamond Asym will save you weight and still offer some room for said activities, just with a smaller cushion of dry space. As far as covering your hammock in a storm, both will do beyond fine.
Like almost everything else about a Thru, it's just gonna boil down to the argument of weight vs comfort. I carried big in the cold months, small in the warm months.
It's AT season again. I can't believe I forgot it's that time of year. Makes me want to go be wet, cold, and tired for a few weeks.
Trust nobody!
The asym diamond is my most minimal (coverage) tarp. The shape, (diamond) tells you it tapers very dramatically moving toward the end of the hammock, the oes deluxe, oes standard, wb edge, and wb mamajamba, are all hex-ish so they have WAY more coverage toward the ends of the hammock, hence the higher weight.
For something comparable to the deluxe, look at the edge (half way between standard and deluxe in width) or the MJ (wider:120"), rather than the asym diamond (which would be more comparable to the oes micro in coverage.
I think you would be fine with an OES sized Standard, or the WB equivalent. I used a small HH diamond tarp on my AT thru and it was fine, but I didn't get rained on all that much in it.
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