Staying dry

[Dances With Sloths]

I have a HH but have never been in it in a serious downpour. I did get wet in it one night but that was because the clip came off the line and my butt got wet.:mad: Luckily the next day I hit N. Adams and went into town and threw all my stuff into a dryer ( and then tore up the chinese buffet nearby :D)
I am planning on doing Monson to Katahdin with some section hikers I met last year. We had a pretty dry year last year. This year seems to be different. In one 28 day stretch they had 23 days of rain. So, I am wondering if the stock rain fly really will keep you dry. I still have time to order a larger one before I go. I saw one called McCat or something like that that. It looks like it would definitely keep the rain out. Just thought I'd ask the "experts"

[Shadowmoss]

General census is that a bigger tarp is better. Personally, I like a 10'X12', but you can get by with smaller. The bigger the tarp the more dry space to cook, dress, etc.

[jaiden]

bigger is better, however I stayed dry in the stock tarp under the mother of all downpours. Be sure you pitch the sides DOWN and don't get clever if you're on a hill. Water will roll off under a normal storm, but if the sides aren't steeply pitched the tarp will fill up with water. I would have been more comfortable under my jacksrbetter.com 10x11 tarp.

[HikerRanky]

Hello DWS,

I have a HH, and I found that the stock fly is not large enough either.... The 70D fly (132"x120", 26oz.)is much better than the stock one. There is the 30D fly that is a bit lighter, but it's rather large (144"x132", 19oz)

The MacCat is a great product as well....

Long story short, get a larger fly before your trip...

Randy

[hammock engineer]

Yeah bigger tarp tied directly to the tree. The small tarp tied to the hammock sags with you get in the hammock. The McCat is a great tarp. I used one for about 30 nights before parting with it. I only parted with it b/c I made a hammock that was too long for it, and ended up making a bigger version of the tarp.

A lot of people are swapping out their stock suspension on the hh for either straps or ring buckles. On the straps a twist in them will keep the water from running down, on the rings the ring will.

Check out www.hammockforums.net (http://www.hammockforums.net) for threads dealing with the suspension mods and McCat tarp. Brian who makes the McCat tarps posts there under the user name Brian. Great guy to talk to really helpful.

[highway]

Look at their winter tarp option with their hammock if you want lots of coverage

[FanaticFringer]

The MacCat or Speer winter tarp(any season tarp) are great options.

[gold bond]

I have a HH Expo Deluxe.....after a cold wet night nite on Sassafrass ridge I got a MacCat Deluxe Tarp! Best money I have ever spent to keep dry.

[Dances With Sloths]

Ok, Sold. I'm ordering the MacCat. Haven't seen any of the buckles Hammock Engineer mentioned. Will have to check that out. Thanks for the replys
Sloth

[FanaticFringer]

Ok, Sold. I'm ordering the MacCat. Haven't seen any of the buckles Hammock Engineer mentioned. Will have to check that out. Thanks for the replys
Sloth

The cinch buckles work great. There is a 5 buckle min. order. So I'd get 6.
That would give you a couple extra pairs for future hammocks.:D
Well worth the price.
www.onrope1.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=118&parent=4
I'm helping a couple of other folks over at www.hammockforums.net
get their suspension system changed.

[kayak karl]

Ok, Sold. I'm ordering the MacCat. Haven't seen any of the buckles Hammock Engineer mentioned. Will have to check that out. Thanks for the replys
Sloth
http://www.strapworks.com/Strapworks_Simple_Sling_p/hss1p.htm (http://www.strapworks.com/Strapworks_Simple_Sling_p/hss1p.htmhttp://www.onrope1.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=118&parent=4)

http://www.onrope1.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=118&paren (http://www.strapworks.com/Strapworks_Simple_Sling_p/hss1p.htmhttp://www.onrope1.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=118&parent=4)

http://www.onrope1.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=33&parent=4t=4
(http://www.strapworks.com/Strapworks_Simple_Sling_p/hss1p.htmhttp://www.onrope1.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=118&parent=4)

[Seeker]

you CAN stay dry with the stock tarp. it's just about bombproof, but site selection is critical.

most importantly, pick a site that is sheltered on the side most likely to bring rain. this can be a hillside or thick vegetation. if nothing else, if you're a few dozen yards into a treeline, that will help. the rain will tend to come straight down then, and you don't have to worry so much about rain blowing in.

orient the hammock so that any weather-bearing wind will hit it broadside, not end-on. for me, this usually means i hang on a north/south orientation.

when it pours, the sides have to be buttoned down... move your tarp tieout and hammock elastic stakes in a little closer, and hook the tarp corners down onto the elastic tieouts.

all of this is easier with a larger tarp. but the stock one will work fine too.

[Bulldawg]

Nice thread here with some awesome info. I'd like to maybe try the buckle thing!

[hammock engineer]

you CAN stay dry with the stock tarp. it's just about bombproof, but site selection is critical.

most importantly, pick a site that is sheltered on the side most likely to bring rain. this can be a hillside or thick vegetation. if nothing else, if you're a few dozen yards into a treeline, that will help. the rain will tend to come straight down then, and you don't have to worry so much about rain blowing in.

orient the hammock so that any weather-bearing wind will hit it broadside, not end-on. for me, this usually means i hang on a north/south orientation.

when it pours, the sides have to be buttoned down... move your tarp tieout and hammock elastic stakes in a little closer, and hook the tarp corners down onto the elastic tieouts.

all of this is easier with a larger tarp. but the stock one will work fine too.


Good point. For me I like the bigger tarp b/c it opens up more spots in the weather.

btw, I just moved to your part of the country. Let me know if you are up for an overnighter one of these days. Interested to see what the LA trails have to offer.

[FanaticFringer]

Nice thread here with some awesome info. I'd like to maybe try the buckle thing!

Great idea.:rolleyes:

[FanaticFringer]

Whoops I meant to say :cool::D

[BillyBob58]

Great Idea.:rolleyes:


Whoops I Meant To Say :cool::d

Lol! :d