DD hammocks and rain

[SaintBen]

Firstly I want to thank the members of this site for providing so much information on the the various hammock and set-up options. I've learned a lot in the last few days. I have some questions that I haven't been able to find any answers to, though.

I see that rain can wick down the webbing that's provided with DD hammocks and I've come across various solutions for that. But can someone tell me whether the elastic cords for the mozzie net are prone to the same problem? When I buy my first hammock and take it out for the first time, I want to be prepared and not have to learn the answer to this the hard way.

Is there a good way to attach these cords below the tarp so that they stay dry? I imagine that running the ridge line below the tarp would allow this, but then you risk the ridge line directing water below the tarp.

[Native Nathan]

I attach 2 mini Kribs to the central ridge pints on my DD 3x3 Tarp I attach prussics to these and on to an external ridgeline I also use an internal ridgeline attached to the mini Kribs, I've never had an issue with rain or condensation traveling down the lines Yet!!!!!!!!

I keep the internal ridgeline a little slack instead of really taught so it keeps off the inside of the tarp rather than touching it.

Hope this helps

[SaintBen]

Thanks for your reply, Nathan. So you attach the mozzie net lines to these mini kribs, which are themselves attached to the tarp? I'm also having trouble understanding why the kribs are attached to the tarp as well as the external ridgeline via prussics. Can you clarify?

[Hammock_man]

I have used two types of DD Tarp's. The older heavy one and newer lighter one. The old one would sit on the ridge line, the new one "hangs" from the fitted loops. The "mozzie net elastic line" went directly up to the ridge line on the old style and so rain was not an issue at all. On the new one, the fitted loops at each end are made tight with a prussic to the ridge line. This in turn means the very end of the tarp is held againest the ridgeline and the rest hangs on the middle 3 loops. I THINK this means that as water runs down the ridgeline, it will either gather at the point where the prussic "bites" and drip there or at the point where the tarp touches the ridgeline, it the tracks down the edge of the tarp heading towards the guy lines.

The bottom line is I have not had a problem with it tracking down the elastic and in through the netting.

I use carabiners at each end of the hammock along with the supplied webbing and that stops the rain getting in that way. Seen water running off them during the day in wales but never really gave the net lines much thought!

[SaintBen]

Thanks Hammock_man. Seems like water running down these lines just isn't an issue like it is for the hammock suspension. I guess more people would've made a fuss about it if it was and I would've come across some complaints by now. Glad I asked, though, because I'm more confident that I'm making the right purchase. Thanks again.

[Native Nathan]

My Prussics are loops, I loop it on the external ridgeline to form the prussic, then I simply clip the mini Crib to the end loops on the tarp and the prussic loop.

as Hammock_man said, if the prussic attaches directly to the tarp and the ridge the tarp touches the ridge and water could wick down it, i suppose the mini crib acts as a drip stop as well but my main use is them is for simplicity and quickness.

I'll set it up today and post a few pictures for you, they say a picture paints a thousand words......

[SaintBen]

I appreciate that, Nathan, but I understand now -- there's no need to go to all that trouble. Reckon I'll pick up a couple of mini carabiners. Thanks again.

[Hammock_man]

Thinking on it, for the price of 2 mini carb's, piece of mind

[mountainm]

The tenth wonder Sargasso tarps have loops underneath the tarp to attach your elastic tie outs for your mozzie net.

[santaman2000]

I suppose rain running down the lines (wicking could be a problem (I'm not a hammocker YET) but as you say the good people of this forum and BCUSA have shown how to counter that. What worrys me though is how do you keep the rain from blowing under the ends of the tarp? I mean the pix I've seen show the tarp ends no more than a foot or so past the ends of the hammocks; that would hardly stand up to a true rainstorm (especially as the same wind blowing the rain wounld be flapping the tarp about as well) At least not the rainstorms I'm used to This weekend Okaloosa and Eacambia Counties each got over 14 inches of rain in a few hours with 25 knot winds gusting to 50. That amount of rainfall is unusual but the intensity of the storm isn't.

[Hammock_man]

Having been in rain in Wales I have first hand experience of some fun rain storms. First thing that did strike me was that the rain still comes down mainly vertical. OK not 90 degrees maybe, but rarely more than 45. (In a wooded area more so) So the tarp gives a lot more protection that I first thought it would. Next thing is the size of the tarp. I only have 3x3 tarps but in very bad weather, hang it very close to the hammock, just clearing the mossie net, and again it gives a surprising amount of protection. Finally hang the tarp across the diagonal, so the hanging sides are triangles not rectangles and it changes the cover offered.

If I had the money then I would go for a 4x3 tarp and maybe tell another story but I can not so thats that.

As for closing the end of the tarp....

I have mod'ed my tarp the have doors / flaps. I had a piece of material a few metres long and 1.5 metres wide. I cut it to make 4 equilateral triangles about 1.5 metres on each side. ( I say approx as the edges are turned over twice and “wonder web”'ed down to make “hems”. I then put large brass eyes in the 3 corners and about 15 smaller ones down one side.

One large eye goes to the apex of the tarp, one goes to the bottom guying point. I then marked the tarp to match the small eyes in the triangle material and put in matching eyes along the edge of the tarp. The DD tarp has a nice hem already ( Because I can not measure or mark well, I have got 4 doors which are not interchageable but they work!!!)

Next take a some small O rings/ tap washers of rubber which I got from the pound shop, and put one though the hole in the tarp. This means that you have the O ring in the shape of a figure 8 with the tarp in the centre.

Pass a 1.5 metre bit of para cord through the O ring bit beneath the tarp and repeat all down the side. Put the material over the edge of the tarp and line up the eyes and O ring. Now insert a bit of para cord through the part of the O ring above the tarp and again repeat all the way down. The O ring holds the para cord quite well.

I have a simple knot at the top the cord and when I cut and heated the other end of the cord, gave it a bit of a point to make threading easy!

The end result is a hole in the tarp lines up with a hole in the door panel. An O ring holds the two eyes together and two bits of para cord, one on top one underneath hold the O ring in place. Any rain will track down the para cord on the top and any which gets through the holes will track down the cord underneath. With two panels at each end they can be guyed to be closed up allowing the hammock ties still to pass through or guyed more open to extend the sides of the tarp.

It is a small mod to the DD tarp which can be done with very little harm to the tarp and cheap tools from Wilco's. If you change your mind the Tarp is almost unaffected.

If any one is interested I will try to get some photos this weekend.

[Teepee]

The loops on the DD tarps have arent sewn right onto the edges underneath. If you hook in between the tie out webbing with mitten hooks or mini Krabs, water wont make its way down.