View Full Version : HH ultralight asym backpacker model question
I have had some problems staying dry in this hammock and it seems that the rain fly just isn't big enough.
One nite I tied it up thinking it wasn't going to rain. When the clouds came in I put the rain fly on, only to realize that the hammock wasn't stretched tight enough and the fly wouldn't cover the very tips of my feet and head. I quickly ran through a downpour to the nearby shelter and let my hammock collect rain water.
Other times, I don't get gushing amounts of rain in the hammock, but the sides do get wet from splatter or sideways rain.
Anyone have any tips on keeping dry? This is the MAIN reason why I bought a hammock after setting up wet tents from days of rain.
trippclark
11-18-2005, 16:42
You can stay dry with the standard fly with this model, but there is little room for error. I have stayed dry with it . . . but I have also gotten a little wet on two occasions. I have chosen, as have many folks, to replace the standard fly with a larger one. It offers greater protection when in the hammock, plus a larger protected area for gear, cooking, etc. There are many options offered for larger tarps which supports the idea that lots of folks want a tarp larger than what ships with the HH. Some options to consider . . .
Hennessy Hammocks has a larger tarp available
http://www.hennessyhammocks.com/new-products.htm
Jacks R Better
http://www.jacksrbetter.com
Speer Hammocks
http://www.speerhammocks.com/
OES / MacCat
http://www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com/
I have both the 8x10 Speer canopy and the MacCat deluxe. The Speer is a nice, versatile square-cut tarp. The MacCat features catenary edges that make it pitch tight as a drum and reduces wind flap significantly. I have lots of nights using the Speer and it is proven. The MacCat is new (just 2 nights) but it is really sweet so far! I am anxious to give it a real test in stormy weather.
SGT Rock
11-18-2005, 16:48
Sounds like you have't got your pitch and set up right. To get the fly on there right, it should be touching the net when you are not in it, then when you get in, your body weight will pull the hammock down under the fly and make the right air gap between the fly and the hammock. I've never had an end stick out from under it. Even with the original Ultralight (non-Asym) I was able to get through some bad blows without getting wet.
Brock, I as well as many others had the same trouble you described. Not only are there larger tarps available but the cut of them is superior in terms of wind noise, aesthetics, and functionality for cooking in the rain etc...
I bought the MacCat Deluxe and love it! Looks great (got mine in brown to match my HH), has multiple pitching options for the hammock as well as using as a tarp-tent if needed. Highly recommend the MacCat but I can't speak about the others.
This does lead me to another question though. The tarp I replace was for the HH Expedition UL. Now I have a perfectly good tarp which is cut to the same shape of my hammock. What could I use this for? Since I only have a summer set-up and have started to seriously look into winter solutions I wondered if I could use my old tarp as an undercover. I could put all the usual suspects in it for insulation, is cut to fit the HH, waterproof, matching color, etc. I do see I may have problems since there is no cord running around its perimeter to snug it up nicely to the hammock but overall it seems like a nice piece of material to start with since it just sits in my camping closet. Any thoughts? Anyone try this?
JoeHiker
11-18-2005, 18:34
I also have a MacCat Deluxe from OES and I love it. I bought it out of fear of facing the situation you actually DID face. It just seemed that the stock fly was not nearly big enough. I wanted something big, strong, and light. Especially for those times when the wind is howling and a small fly won't do it.
I would buy something larger than what you have, if you can.
Youngblood
11-18-2005, 18:44
...One nite I tied it up thinking it wasn't going to rain. When the clouds came in I put the rain fly on, only to realize that the hammock wasn't stretched tight enough and the fly wouldn't cover the very tips of my feet and head. I quickly ran through a downpour to the nearby shelter and let my hammock collect rain water...
That sounds like you didn't orient the tarp correctly. The asym diamond shape of the tarp is longer than it is wide... you have to orient it such that its longest axis is along the length of the hammock and its asym matches the asym shape of the hammock on the sides as well. If you don't do that, you don't have a chance.
jackiebolen
11-18-2005, 23:21
Ditto with it being set up the right way. It is more of a diamond shape vs. a square shape, so it definitely makes a difference if it's lined up right.
MedicineMan
11-18-2005, 23:25
i too have weathered some big storms in the OEM HH tarp but have graduated to the McCat tarps, first an original and now the Deluxe....not that i ever want to go to ground again, but having a tarp is always nice to have on hand.
Jacks R Better tarps with the seam on the diagonal only need two stakes and if you are not using a hammock it can be set up like a conventional tarp with the center line in the middle. You have the option of sleeping on the ground or in the hammock using the same tarp. The Speer tarp is another example of this.
I understand that one of my problems was that I set the hammock up too loose. I wasn't planning on rain and the best spot left me with trees very far apart. As it turned out they were too far apart and left me hanging too low below my tarp. But, I did have the tarp in the correct asym position.
It is frustrating to hear that I should by a larger tarp. I changed from a Tarp Tent to the hammock because it was slightly lighter and cheaper ($150 vs $200). But now that I may have to buy a $100+ tarp, I'm not happy.
no one's mentioned those little hooks on the side of the tarp, if it's aligned properly... when it rains hard, you hook the elastic tie outs through them, and it holds the sides of the hammock up so the rain can't blow in... have you tried that yet? you don't HAVE to get a bigger tarp... maybe you just need to practice with it until you're confident you can weather a storm in it...
SGT Rock
11-19-2005, 13:26
Yes, pertsonally I don't think you need a bigger tarp. I own one, but always end up back with my stock HH A-Sym fly because it does everything I need it to.
I don't want to make you think you should completely abandon the original tarp straight away. To be fair, I should say it can and does work. Worked for several years before all these custom tarps came out anyway. It just doesn't give much margin for error is all. It was adequate in the beginning but with several choices on the market now, including one from Hennessey himself, a lot of hammockers opt for a larger tarp which gives a lot more options IMHO. I'm sure with a little practice you can get it working great. I'm no pro at it but thru trial and error I have learned that slight adjustments make huge differences.
Speaking of Hennessey, I would think you'd have a good chance of swapping your stock tarp with his larger one for a difference in price. From what I know that company has amazing customer service.
MedicineMan
11-19-2005, 22:55
for weather protection...i went to a larger one originally for more real estate under the hammock to cook under,,,,,but found with the GoLite Cave2 it was too much real estate.....
You could always order some sil-nyl from OWF and make your own I guess.
And if you did a poll of how many switchers stayed i bet you'd see that most didnt stay with the hammock to save weight anyway.
peter_pan
11-20-2005, 20:58
All tarps will stay where you pitch them and remain taut once the hammock is weighted if you tie to the trees... tie about 6-8 inches below the pint of the hammock suspension for storm protection, when the hammock is weighted it should then be 6-10 inches below the tarp.
Pan
Goalkeeper31
11-21-2005, 00:08
But if you had previously used a tarp tent, could that tarp not also be used with the hammock?
I understand that some of those (or perhaps I'm misinformed and it is in fact all TarpTents) come with bug netting sewn-in, which would make it awkward unless one were to remove the bug netting from the TarpTent.
I am only asking from curiousity as I don't know very much about TarpTents.
Goalkeeper,
Take a look at the Tarptent website (www.Tarptent.com, suprise!), and you will see that the Tarptent really is not appropriate as a standalone tarp, especially for the hammock. While nice shelters, they would not be compatible with a Hennessy.
Brian
OES
MedicineMan
11-21-2005, 00:37
yes Brian speaks the truth on the tarptents....they are excellent shelters but a wee bit predisposed toward the drier climate of the West Coast, thus their creation and use there.....not that they havent been used on the AT and in even rainier settings.
Guinness1759
11-21-2005, 23:50
Great post. I just had the same problem two weeks ago. I used the HH for two nights with no problems. Then on the third night I just could not get the HH to stay taut. It looked good until I got in it. Then it would sag so much that I was literally on top of my boots that were under the hammock. It didn't really seem as if the trees were too far apart as I had plenty of rope but maybe that was my problem. I also had wet ends from the ends not being covered. I am pretty sure that the tarp was aligned with the hammock correctly.
This does lead me to another question though. The tarp I replace was for the HH Expedition UL. Now I have a perfectly good tarp which is cut to the same shape of my hammock. What could I use this for? Since I only have a summer set-up and have started to seriously look into winter solutions I wondered if I could use my old tarp as an undercover. [...] Any thoughts? Anyone try this?
Yep... Gear Collector's Undercover page:
http://www.paysheet.com/underfly/underfly.htm
Doug Frost
I'm planning on selling my TarpTent to some future AT hiker. Lots of TarpTents on the AT. I would say they are probably the most popular out there.
I'll keep trying with my original hammock tarp. At least on the AT, you have a shelter most of the time. Plus, most of my camping this next year will be done in summer and getting wet then isn't too bad.
Yep... Gear Collector's Undercover page:
http://www.paysheet.com/underfly/underfly.htm
Doug Frost
Word. :cool: Thanks Doug. Just what I needed to see. I like the way the material pulls up over the netting for that extra bit of protection.