View Full Version : Hanging the hammock
Well, I was in OCD mode today and had some time to kill so I loaded up the hammock, tarp, line and stakes and went to the state park to get a little practice.
To make a long story hort, the hammock is no problem. The tarp on the other hand gives me fits. One time I had everything up, looking good and a big gust of wind caught the tarp and pulled every stake out of the ground, resultinig in a tangled mess of stakes and line.
That 10x12 tarp is a giant kite......
This is definitely going to take a bit of practice.
Just use the right stakes. I like MSR Groundhogs in everything but extremely rocky soil. Don't go ultralight on stakes if it doesn't work (I gave up on those ti shepherd's hook stakes a couple of years ago. I carry one only when I use my Heineken/Esbit stove setup.
JustaTouron
01-31-2010, 17:24
After you put the stakes in the ground, find really big rocks and place them on top of the stakes.
Also tying your guidelines to a fallen heavy log or the base of a nearby tree can be more effective than stakes.
SGT Rock
01-31-2010, 17:25
In wind it helps to get the tarp into a sheltered cove and put the side into the wind so that the wind doesn't get up under it. In gusty weather I also stake it low to the ground and hang the hammock so that it is only inches from the earth when I am in it.
Along with the proper site selection and stakes is the guyline angle to the stakes. Anything more than 90deg is asking for trouble.
JustaTouron
01-31-2010, 18:12
Along with the proper site selection and stakes is the guyline angle to the stakes. Anything more than 90deg is asking for trouble.
Anything more than 90 degrees would be impossible.....That's straight down.
<double post... I put this same comment in another thread by mistake - you're not seeing double>
I just had an ah-ha moment.... ... It would have worked better had I used the 10' section for the ridgeline and the 12' section of the tarp for the sides.
I guess the thing about tarps is that you have to be creative and be able to think outside the box a bit - a bit more challenging than pitching a tent. I *will* figure it out and get reasonably good at it before it's all said and done.
Along with the proper site selection and stakes is the guyline angle to the stakes. Anything more than 90deg is asking for trouble.
Anything more than 90 degrees would be impossible.....That's straight down.
guyline to stake angle, not stake to ground. Yes I know it depends from which direction one measures the angle.
what is the tarp?
Equinox 10x12...
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___20070
sasquatch2014
01-31-2010, 22:50
I have the same one never really gave me any problems just pitch it with the low end into the wind and your off and running. Was in mine most of this last week and we had some major winds. One night it sounded like I was lying on the beach listing to waves. Was a great experience. Had a bit of an issue getting one stake out of the ground the last day of the Pa Ruck as it had frozen into a mass of mud and ice.