Corner To Corner Or A Frame Tarp Set Up?

[jabbadahut]

Looking at a lot of your photos of your hammock set ups i noticed that they seem to be A frame set ups and was wondering which you prefer and why?

[woodstock]

Looking at a lot of your photos of your hammock set ups i noticed that they seem to be A frame set ups and was wondering which you prefer and why?

I have used other configurations but the A frame suites my purpose it shelters my hammock it allows me enough space to work under and is easy to setup do a poll

[drewdunnrespect]

niether unless your being pedantic then you could say the way i do it is an l shaped a frame with one side bigger than the other

[forestwalker]

With the 3x3 m tarp I do the one corner high (about 2+ m), the opposite one down on the ground, and of the remaining two most often at least one down setup about 80% of the time. Either a convenient tree, or two poles as shears.

With the smaller one if is either a lean-to (one side down, perhaps a slight downturn on the other side (1/3 or so) or free floating roof with the center point lifted slightly to prevent rain collection. The last time I did the A-frame style was over a snow trench, using the small basha.

[SimonM]

With a hammock, I do tend to use the A farme shape, but like Drew, with one side steeper and longer than the other...


But when ground dwelling i use whatever is best on the day.
Dry but windy..Flying V with poncho...


Windy & wet...rigged almost like a tent...



Simon

[jabbadahut]

because i'm a relative newbie to hammocking with a tarp i was after general ideas as i havnt really seen any other tarp/hammock set ups besidesmy own in the flesh as it were, thats why i started this paticular thread for ideas and the reasoning behind each set up, when i see pictures of them on differing threads there is usually no explanation as to the reason why the hammock and tarp have been set up in a paticular way, hence my question,
When the weather is dry i feel ok with a general A frame type but i was mainly after information on tarp and hammock set ups for when the weather is rainy/windy or as usual, both.
thanks simon for the pictures and uses.

cheers

[MartinK9]

Set up for day use - hammock still set up - can unclip and roll up for more space if required:





Set up for bad weather/ night-time:

[SimonM]

More set up photos for you...

Rigged to provide good rain protection and 2 hammocks...


Back packing on a DoE expedition, HH Asym tarp used to keep weight down..


Good rain protection and rigged to take 2 hammocks...(daughters 1st night in a hammock )


Simon

[jabbadahut]

What size tarp are you using in the first photo by the car? looks quite big..
I have a dd 3x3.
putting the corners down low like the hh tarps seems my preferred option for windy/wet nights but obviously not very user friendly for daytime activities so would need to rearrange.

thanks martin the second photo really shows how much room underneath.

[jabbadahut]

Examineing your pic of the double set up i can see an under blanket, when the weather is a little inclement does the under blanket suffer from getting wet?
I have read a few threads about using a karabiner to stop the water running down the hammock strings but if its windy then if the rain blows under it looks like the blanket is in a prone position.
also, the blanket looks quite loose, does it fill with the weight of a person in the hammock ?

one answer makes twice as many questions!

[SimonM]

It's a Tatonka 4.5m x 4.5m polycotton tarp. It only gets used for Meets and Scout camps as its too heavy to carry for any great distance.

I have never had an underblanket get wet from rain - If it looks like rain I lower the sides of the tarp.

When my over weight frame gets in the hammock it lowers to be touching the underblanket - which is secured with elastic cord so that it has some give. I now have a Snugpak underblanket, which is much better!

Simon

[Carbuncle]

I prefer the tarp on the diagonal generally, since it gives better protection from the rain and is less claustrophobic - and only needs one pole to lift a side up. Square on is useful if wind is the issue, or tree spacing forces it.

What I do is to thread my ridgeline through the centre loop on the tarp only (and leave it like that packed up). I have two prussiks on my ridgeline with attached mini carabiners, which I then hook to the appropriate end loops, either corners or halfway down a side. That way you can reconfigure it on the fly, so to speak.

You can see it here (DD tarp) - the central loop is directly above my lads head. I had a mini crab on it there, so I could pack the ridgeline separately, but it lets the middle of the tarp drop a bit.