Superfly big enough for two?

[SilvrSurfr]

I tend to think 12x16 is the minimum sizeand that coverage won't be good (at least not four season). Let's assume two hammocks 4 ft wide and spreader bars 4 ft. long.

twopersontarp.jpg

The top image is a Superfly with one occupant. The bottom is a theoretical 12x16 Superfly with two hammocks.
Let's say for argument's sake that your average hammock occupant takes up 48" of horizontal space under the tarp. The hammock is a minimum of 18" off the ground. From the bottom of the hammock to the hammock ridgeline is 38" (I just measured one of my hammocks as an example), so you'll need a minimum 56" of clearance from ground to tarp to fit your hammock. I'm sure someone will say, "Maybe it could work if you hung the hammocks really low," but the geometry of this setup makes that nigh impossible.

1) With a 12x16 tarp you'll have barely any side protection.
2) Just to get two hammocks underneath the tarp, you'll have to hang it really high (forget my earlier comment of bringing a stepladder; you'll need a real ladder).
3) The doors will not (in fact, cannot) close because you need the clearance for two hammock suspensions.
4) Silnylon probably comes in 55-60" wide rolls, so you will have three seams on the tarp to join the pieces.

Sounds very kludgy, difficult to set up and achieve a tight pitch, and the single tarp will probably end up weighing more than two tarps with one seam each. I'm using an 11 ft. hammock, so if you are using something shorter your hammock ridgeline may not be 56" off the ground, but it gives you an idea of the geometric challenges of the 4-season two-person tarp setup.

In the end, you'll probably end up with one tarp that weighs more than two (and may cost more), and will redefine time-consuming rigging. Buy hey, you'll only need two trees!

Just my thoughts.

[SilvrSurfr]

As someone else mentioned, you could try spreader bars to increase room under the tarp so it clears both hammock ridgelines, but they're going to have to be really long spreader bars (possibly 8'), at which point I don't know how well they'll function. Most people use no more that 4 ft spreader bars, I would guess.

Before buying a custom 12 x 16 tarp, I'd suggest you go to Walmart and get a 12 x 16 cheapo blue tarp so you get an idea of how hard a tarp this size is going to be to hang, and whether it will provide sufficient coverage.

[Bobwhite215]

Might not be exactly what you are looking for, but there was a thread not too long ago about a day tarp somebody made for a three tree hang. Think standard tarp with two sides, but instead of sewing the two halves directly together along the ridge line, you would sew in a triangular panel between them, effectively making two ridgelines. I am thinking about trying to make one for when my wife and I hang together.

[CanadaDan]

Soooooo, you raise some very good points SilvrSurf, thank you very much for the input! For my setup i wasn't looking for a 4 season setup, having said that i do camp in torrential downpours regardless so good protection is needed. here is a picture of the setup i had in mind with the tarp. i was just wondering if some changes could be made to the tarp to give it better coverage. I'm not completely against not hanging this way, but if its possible it would be preferable.

[SilvrSurfr]

Looks like that guy made it work, at the expense of very little head clearance, tennis balls on the spreader bars (to protect tarp), non-functional doors, and little side or end protection from blowing precipitation.

My first night in a hammock was an HH Exped Asym Zip with the stock, postage-stamp-sized tarp. It rained five inches overnight, but there was no wind and the rain fell straight down. I was dry as a bone. Ah, if all precipitation fell straight down! I've since upgraded to a 4-season tarp with doors so I stay dry regardless.

In the setup pictured, you could mitigate the effects of blowing rain by using underquilt protectors, or even ponchos at the ridgeline to block rain.

[Chriss]

I tend to think 12x16 is the minimum sizeand that coverage won't be good (at least not four season). Let's assume two hammocks 4 ft wide and spreader bars 4 ft. long.

twopersontarp.jpg

The top image is a Superfly with one occupant. The bottom is a theoretical 12x16 Superfly with two hammocks.
Let's say for argument's sake that your average hammock occupant takes up 48" of horizontal space under the tarp. The hammock is a minimum of 18" off the ground. From the bottom of the hammock to the hammock ridgeline is 38" (I just measured one of my hammocks as an example), so you'll need a minimum 56" of clearance from ground to tarp to fit your hammock. I'm sure someone will say, "Maybe it could work if you hung the hammocks really low," but the geometry of this setup makes that nigh impossible.

1) With a 12x16 tarp you'll have barely any side protection.
2) Just to get two hammocks underneath the tarp, you'll have to hang it really high (forget my earlier comment of bringing a stepladder; you'll need a real ladder).
3) The doors will not (in fact, cannot) close because you need the clearance for two hammock suspensions.
4) Silnylon probably comes in 55-60" wide rolls, so you will have three seams on the tarp to join the pieces.

Sounds very kludgy, difficult to set up and achieve a tight pitch, and the single tarp will probably end up weighing more than two tarps with one seam each. I'm using an 11 ft. hammock, so if you are using something shorter your hammock ridgeline may not be 56" off the ground, but it gives you an idea of the geometric challenges of the 4-season two-person tarp setup.

In the end, you'll probably end up with one tarp that weighs more than two (and may cost more), and will redefine time-consuming rigging. Buy hey, you'll only need two trees!

Just my thoughts.

And this ^^^ is why I visit this forum daily. Thanks for helping this fellow hanger and for all that you contribute daily.

[hackaxle]

I just purchased a superfly and started dating someone who has gotten the hammock bug. I am very interested in this thread! My fear is I now have to double all my purchases $$$

[SilvrSurfr]

After looking at the picture and comparing to my diagram, I believe there needs to be an adjustment on the spreader bar measurement. The distance between hammocks should be 24", 'cause the hammocks are centered over the ends of the spreader bar. So the tarp has to cover 120 horizontal inches, rather than 144.

[FishingJunkie92]

I will let you know in 2 weeks when my custom close comes in and me and my friend try it out. And I'll post pictures

[SilvrSurfr]

Couple of weeks ago, we had a group paddle/hang on the Batsto River. The rain was brutal and the temp hovered around 50. When we got to camp, everyone was wet and cold - until we got the bright idea of hanging a tarp over the fire pit. It was a cheap tarp, a Guide Gear 12 x 12. Luckily, we had Pretbek to tie off the tarp so that we could stand around the fire without bending over to duck under the tarp. He's 6'4" and he stood on an 18" high cooler. With Pretbek's gorilla-length arms he probably tied off at 10 ft. high up the tree with the sides close to 6 or 7 ft. off the ground.

It was a tremendous amount of working rigging that tarp, a logistical nightmare involving lots of cord and tie-outs. However, there was instant warmth as the tarp reflected the heat of the fire back down on us. What a lifesaver! It kept 8 people warm and dry.

We had the tarp pretty taut, but there were still depressions where water pooled and we had to empty them on occasion. Big tarps are unwieldy challenges, but the reward can be great in certain situations.