Hex vs. Diamond Tarp

[Knotty]

Used a drawing program (TouchDraw for iPad) to analyze the differences in tarp coverage. The hammock in the pics has an 8' structural ridge line. The tarps are 10' and 12' long hexes and diamonds.

With both types you have to hang the longer tarps higher to clear the hammock suspension. With the hex you still get a good bit more coverage from the 12' long version despite it being higher. Interestingly even the 12' diamond still leaves you fairly exposed.

Of course real world experience is better than drawings but hopefully the comparison is still useful.

[nothermark]

looks about right to me. Everything is fine with the diamond until the wind gets involved. ;-)

[Bradley]

Cool Ron

I'm a visual person so love visuals.
This helps a lot


thanks, Eh!

[Hammonkey]

looks about right to me. Everything is fine with the diamond until the wind gets involved. ;-)

The wind isnt so awesome with a hex tarp either, you're only getting marginally better wind blockage for the weight. A bit better rain coverage with the hex imho. If you're going for an all around tarp, I'd go with a rectangular tarp. You'll have more configurations you can hang it in and it'll give better coverage than either hex or diamond/asym.

That said, I like having a superfly style tarp with doors for inclimate and cold weather and an asym for warm weather when I know I wont have to worry about wind rain or gawkers.

I find an 11' ridgelength is just about perfect.

[Cranky Bear]

Ron,

You got it right, the other thing that could be noted is something with a 11ft ridge, as the Speer winter tarp is 11ft, the OES Deluxe is 130" so that equates to what something like 10'8" or so, and the Warbonnet Mambajamba and Superfly are both a 11ft ridge! If you were to plug this in it might change the view on the amount of coverage? Also there are some Diamond/Asym tarps now with a 11' ridge or so, so this might change the amount of side coverage as the tarp can be closer to the suspension!?

[Knotty]

Good point CB. I went with 10' and 12' to better emphasize the differences. May add the 11' tarps to the graphic to represent the tarps you list.

[Knotty]

OK. To better represent available tarps, here are 10, 11 and 12 foot hex tarps overlaid.

[NewtonGT]

wonderful man

[fisherman23]

That is very cool Ron. Thanks for the illustration, I'm glad I went with the 12' tarp.

[jtstoner]

Excellent work!