A centre line is the best idea when using any tarp rather than just trying to tension the tarp back towards the tree against its own weight which is all too likely to damage it or tear out the grommet or tie-out. You will also want to secure the line to the tree/s quickly and […]
You can hang two hammocks side by side from the one pair of trees using just one tarp with this simple expedient. You need one (or two) spacer bars (3/4″ thick branches or parts of your hiking poles will do) and some of these 25 mm (1 inch) poly plumbing fittings from eg Bunnings at
Silnylon Hammock Tarp That\’s what I called it when I made it back in 2020 anyway. It can be set up in several different ways, and you will no doubt discover others. You can use it as a fully enclosed (fire) tent for two but you will have to add some material to the floor area ( a piece of polycro etc) or you can use it as a hammock tarp for one or two people.
I managed to source this (approx 43 gsm) silnylon from a Chinese supplier for US$2.50 per metre. There are 6 metres here (or US$15 worth) plus some gross-grain ribbon for the tie-outs and reinforcing, some glow in the dark guyline and some similar clam cleats. Less than US$20 worth anyway – and a few hours sewing. Good practice as a beginner project. I used heavier ribbon for the tie-outs and reinforcing than I usually do as it was what I had (and I don’t want to go on any unnecessary shopping trips because of the quarantine just now). It will make it stronger anyway (if maybe 50 grams heavier).
The 8′ x 5′ spinnaker fabric floor weighs 101 grams. The 18 (approx 8 grams ea) pegs (so I can double up on all windward anchor points) weigh 153 grams including their stuff sack. The stuff sack/s weigh approx 7 grams.
The tent alone weighs 527 grams (with guys and luminous line locks). Obviously it could weigh less out of 1 oz fabric or even .77 oz fabric probably 375 grams. Anyway I would save 152 grams on the fabric alone. I could also carry many fewer pegs – or none at all (and make them out of bush sticks (as with the pole).
I could also use a lighter (and smaller) groundsheet, eg Polycro at perhaps 25 grams (so down another 76 grams) – so it could be 375 + 25 grams = 400 grams. Pretty good for a tent for two you can stand up in which can also be used as a hammock tarp. I guess the guys could also be lighter, or shorter…but sometimes I like something which is no trouble and which I know is bullet-proof.
Even in this weight fabric, if I left the floor and pegs at home it could weigh about 550 grams in my pack. Its total length is 10′ (3 metres) and at its widest point it is 7′ 6″ (2.3 metres). Lots of room for two people, two small dogs and lots of gear. If I carry one hammock my shelter will still be under 750 grams.
10 x 10 Shelter + Hammock Tarp Pattern & Instructions Coming Soon Read More »
The best hunting strategy is to be about where the deer are in the dawn and dusk. The easiest way to achieve this is to hammock camp so that you stop hunting when it gets dark, sling your hammock and tarp between two trees and start again at first light. If you have to knock
You can now make a hammock which weighs (well) under 150 grams including its suspension system! Given that you can also make a hammock tarp which weighs less than this including tie-outs and pegs, (so a total carry weight of sub 300 grams!) you should seriously consider hammocking as an option, or at least as
A tent for two that is also a (two-person) hammock tarp which weighs 150 grams in cuben. How good is that? During this coronavirus lock down we are very busy here on the farm building several kilometres of new vermin-proof fences just for example. I also need to spend hours each day on share market
I have completed sewing a silnylon version of my 10 x 10 tent (actually 3 x 3 metres) out of some 1.25 0oz/yd2 (43 gsm) silnylon I sourced from China for US$2.50/metre. The key to understanding how it works is where to put the tie-outs. The photos below show it erected as a tent (for
The Hangtime Hook: This is a neat little gadget for watching a movie when you are lying back in the wilderness somewhere in your hammock. I can’t say I am so addicted to TV that I do this often, but I have done so a couple of times. It requires a ridgeline, which is a
I like the spreader bar on this new hammock from Rei. This would stop that annoying thing where the hammock fabric compresses the insulation of your sleeping bag at shoulder-to-elbow and creates a cold spot. There are several other ways around this eg a wider mat, a pad extender, etc, but I feel that this
