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  1. #1
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    Default Versatile tarp for Long Trail?

    I'm doing the Long Trail SOBO during the month of September, and I'm thinking of hammocking with my sleeping bag and semi-inflated air pad on nights when I can't get into a shelter. I'm completely new to hammocking and just got an ENO Doublenest, but I'm kinda stuck when it comes to choosing a tarp. I've been eyeing up the Warbonnet Superfly and Mamajamba, as well as a Jacks R Better rectangle, thinking these would give me some good coverage and a porch when it inevitably rains. Would any of these (or others at comparable price points) translate especially well to functioning as ground tarps if needed? I'm leaning Superfly since it seems to be a favorite on the hammock forums, but is the extra weight of the doors worth it if I'm under the treeline in the Northeast in three seasons?

    And if I go with Warbonnet, is there any reason to choose the silnylon over the lighter silpoly?

  2. #2

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    My experience is the air mattress in the hammock w/sleeping bag combo doesn't work out very well. Give it shot, but in your backyard before committing to this. And remember you may very well have to set up the hammock system in the rain and or in the dark, so practice is important. Get the biggest tarp you can afford. When it gets stormy in the fall, it's often very windy too.
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  3. #3
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    I use a flat 8x10 both hanging and on the ground. Works fine. As Slo-go'en says, practice.
    "It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss

  4. #4

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    In September, it will be rare that you won't be able to find shelter space. If it were me, I'd just bring a tarp just in case or if you need to camp in between them. I'd bet there will only be a couple of nights you have to use a tarp if you are someone that likes to sleep in shelters.

  5. #5
    Some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints.
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    12-13-2004
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    Default

    I have a Speer tarp, similar to the Superfly in design, with doors. Works great over the hammock or on the ground. 90%+ of the time I tie the doors back, but they're great to have when it's nasty outside. I've had no trouble using a pad in my hammock, and it gives you the option of sleeping on the ground or in a shelter - can't do that with an underquilt.

  6. #6
    Registered User ggreaves's Avatar
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    07-13-2013
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    Ontario, Canada
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    Default

    A couple things...

    1. The ENO is a pretty short hammock (just over 9 feet long). I'm not comfortable in a hammock that short and I'm only 5'8". You could buy a cheap 11' Dutchwaregear hammock for $85 with a ridgeline and strap suspension.
    2. Superfly is a great 4 season tarp and it really doesn't weigh very much. It's also a good deal and probably has the best resale value of any tarp out there. I wouldn't buy any tarp without doors.
    3. You didn't mention what you're doing about bottom insulation. You'll definitely need an underquilt or insulated sleeping pad. Your sleeping bag won't cut it.
    4. Silpoly is a great option. Less stretch and lighter.

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