Sil tarp 8x10: pros and cons for hammocking?

[PineMartyn]

Hi. A newbie/hammock virgin question here:

Judging from the photos I see here and on vendor sites, I notice that most of the tarps used by hammockers are not rectangular.

I already own an 8' x 10' sil nylon tarp by Integral Designs which I use for canoe tripping and backpacking. Since I'd like to use this tarp with my future hammock for 3-season camping, I'd like to know what the pros and cons are of using a straight-sided, rectangular tarp are.
Are there any hammocks styles I should not use in conjunction with it?
Are there ways in which such a tarp is not as well-suited to hammock camping?
In what ways, if any, is it superior or inferior to other tarp shapes?
Does an 8' x 10' rectangular tarp provided sufficient coverage in blowing rain?
What are the recommended ways of stringing such a tarp for use with a hammock?

Any input is appreciated. If you have photos, that'd be welcome too.

I should mention that I also own a 16' diamond shaped, catenary cut tarp made of ripstop, but it's a lot bulkier and heavier to carry, in case anyone has input on using that type/shape of tarp.

Thanks,
- Martin

[dragon360]

Hey Martin, I have the same ID tarp and its what I used when I started. I find it still works great with my smaller hammocks (GT UL, older DIY and HH Exped). It doesn't have the same coverage as a slightly larger tarp (which is nice in the rain) but in nice or mild/moderate rain I found it did the job well.

[Fish<><]

I think dragon gave some great advice. I personally own a 10x12 rectangle tarp from Campmor. I love the versatility for configuration that rectangle tarps offer. If you look mine up it uses grommets instead of tie out, but as soon as I get grosgrain I will be upgrading that for more permanent use. The grommets around the edges allow me to have doors in cold weather, or just one big honkin' tarp when in regular mode.

The only downside to rectangle tarps is weight. Someone had the great idea of caternary cutting a tarp to shave a few precious ounces off the tarp. An upside to this is also summer time is a little more tolerable under one of these guys. Losing fabric on the bottom side allows more wind to come underneath allowing for better ventilation.

It's an individuals choice on which tarp they want to use, and you will be perfectly fine with you ID tarp. Although, you could end up like most and spring for a cuben tarp from HG or another cottage industry on here. Good luck and happy hanging!

Oh and welcome to the forums from Guam!

[Bubba]

I also have the same tarp and it is fine for 3 season use. 8x10 is the smallest you can go IMO. The cat cut tarps allow a taut pitch with fewer tie outs.

For coverage overhead, just think about the length for your hammock. If you have an 11 foot hammock, the distance from end to end would be around 110 inches give or take so that would only leave 5 inches of coverage from the ends with a 10 foot tarp ridgeline. As dragon said, smaller hammocks would be fine.

In terms of side coverage, the 8 feet is adequate but you'd need to pitch it lower to the ground for good coverage which cuts down on your head room a little, It'll still works but for colder, windy weather, a bigger tarp is better, a tarp with doors would be ideal. Bigger tarps also have side pull outs which increase the interior space. Side pull outs can be added if you can sew or you can use hardware like tarp clips to pull the sides out.

For set up, some people like self tensioning guylines which help retain a taut pitch due to the stretch of silnylon upon first set up. I don't mind tightening my lines after the tarp has stretched so I don't use them.

Don't know where you are in Ontario but if you are in driving distance to Hamilton, there is a group hang planned for late November. It's a good chance to meet people and see gear.

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=61472

[PineMartyn]

Thanks for your replies Dragon360, Fish<><, and Bubba.

Don't know where you are in Ontario but if you are in driving distance to Hamilton, there is a group hang planned for late November. It's a good chance to meet people and see gear.

Bubba, I live in the near north of Ontario, in Huntsville, and Hamilton's a bit too long a drive for me. I only get as far south as Toronto about once a year, or less. I'm hoping some local folks will plan a hang in or near Algonquin Park at some point, but I'm not aware that any have ever been held there.

Looking forward to any more feedback from anyone else about this sort of tarp.

Cheers,
- Martin

[KP]

Here's a link to a thread I posted not too long ago. Bottom-line, yes a 8x10 rectangular tarp will work. However, I added a panel pull on each side to give me more interior room. In the pictures, it's is covering my WBBB.

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...519#post842519

[PineMartyn]

Here's a link to a thread I posted not too long ago. Bottom-line, yes a 8x10 rectangular tarp will work. However, I added a panel pull on each side to give me more interior room. In the pictures, it's is covering my WBBB.

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...519#post842519

Thanks for that thread link KP. One of my concerns was how shelter-like one could make a tarp like mine around a hammock. Your photos were just what I needed to help me see it's potential.

Any downsides to this setup? And have you ever used it in winter?

Thanks,
-Martin

[UncleMJM]

I have the ID 8x10 Sil and love it.

Although it's not cuben, it's light weight for the coverage. There are plenty of ties for various hanging and pitching options. With the non-cat edges, it provides more pitching options in the event one needed to go to the ground.

As noted above, a negative is that it does have more "flap" than one would have with a cat cut tarp.

I've stayed dry in several multi-day rain storms and really love it.

It's true that if you hang it as a rectangular tarp you only have a 10' length, however, if you hang it on the diagonal, your ridgeline becomes 12' 9" and that will cover any gathered end hammock I've used or seen.

[KP]

Any downsides to this setup? And have you ever used it in winter?

Since it's a recent mod I can't speak for winter use such as snow or extreme cold weather. However, I suspect that it will work ok for the sort of winters that we have down here in Georgia. With the doors closed it does exceptionally well at keeping out the wind but because the bottom edge sits fairly high off of the ground you will need a good uq or other supplemental insulation or wind barrier to keep your backside warm. So far I've slept under it for 3 nights with low temps around the 50's and I was as comfortable as I've been under my Superfly.

Downside: Less room under the tarp than some folks need.

[Hobbit]

I don’t require allot of room under a tarp for winter or any other time of year. So an 8X10 works fine for me. The 8X10 with tie outs on the long edge will give you door options of closing off the ends. I have used this in very hard rain to excessive cold wind in the dead of winter.

I do own a winter tarp but hardly use it all. When the kids come along camping I might take it so we can all gather under a single tarp for dinner in the rain etc.

Some hammocks are longer than others in fabric length but the actual length to take into account for is the ridge line if used.

Added some photos. Hope this helps.