Advice on tarp & hammock

kgd

kgd

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Feb 28, 2007
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I'm trying to save a bit of money to purchase a hammock and tarp.

The hammock will very likely be the Hennesey Expedition. I've seen a bunch of reviews on it, it is at the right price and it is available at a supplier that I like to deal with.

Another thing I'd like to get is a sil-nylon tarp. I'd like to have that extra tarp available to either supplement the Henessey fly cover for additional rain protection; to rainproof a dining area or to bring along independent of the hammock as an emergency shelter.

My question is for people who use the Hennesey - is the included fly with the hammock generous enough to offer full protection during rain - e.g. when rain is falling at an angle due to wind. Would it be useful to forgoe the included fly for a larger tarp?

For the tarp folks, my supplier provides a 2.1 x 2.9 m tarp (440 g) and a 2.9 x 3.9 m tarp (770 g). The bigger tarp seems like it is getting into the realm of adding a lot of weight - too much weight especially when paired with the hammock (getting into the 2-man tent weight range). I know the tarp folks will tell me to forgoe the hammock...But I'm not ready to take that step yet. Is the 2.1 x 2.9 m sufficient size for the stated intended purposes.

Thanks for you help....I was really inspired by Kestela's post on poncho's. I'd probably go for a poncho if I didn't have several hundreds of dollars in rain gear already!
 
Hey kgd,

How soon are you looking to purchase one? The reason I ask is because I have a Hennessy with the stock fly, and the larger hex fly. If you are not in a rush, I can do some setup and comparison pics if it will help.

B
 
HI Brian,

Just putting my pennies together so I'm not in a rush. Pictures of the two set-ups would be really helpful!
 
All right. I will be out and about this weekend, so I will give it a shot.

To give you a quick summary though, the stock tarp is on the smallish side. I have not used it in bad weather with the hammock, but it seems like it can be sloped down enough, even with wind to keep you dry in the hammock. However, I find it a tad small for other stuff.

By other stuff, I mean, the hex fly is plenty big enough to hammock under, sit under, have a fire, etc. In fact, while camping in my tipi, I use the hex fly to keep stuff dry that I want dry, but not necessarily in the tent.

B
 
If you get a Clark you get a much better hammock that you don't crawl through the bottom of, plud you can remove the mosquito netting. The Clark's also come with a sil-nylon tarp. My first clark was their tropical model and now I have one of their camo North American models. check them out at junglehammock.com or run a search for clark jungle hammock. The Hennesy's are cheaper but not near the hammock.
 
I'll throw the Claytor jungle hammock in the mix too. It's what I have and I love it. I didn't dig the bottom entry on the Hennesy

As far as tarps. A lot of people skip the supplied tarp in leu of an after-market. The maccat tarps are awesome
 
I like the Clark, but it is a wee bit on the pricey side. I was able to get a Hennessy Ultralight Backpacker model for $60, and love it. The bottom entry doesn't really bother me, and I have several friends that have the same model that like it as well. The tarp is definitely large enough to fully cover you in foul weather, and it has done it for me before. You can angle it into the wind or rain if you want more protection.
 
As far as a silicon impregnated nylon tarp, I find that my Intergal Designs works well.

Pros: Packs Small, Nylon is ripstop
Cons: Expensive

I chose the Intergal Designs because of the fit and finish. And I am somewhat of an "ultralightest" camper and hiker.

I sure would like to have a Hennessy Hammock though!
 
another consideration is the Hammock size and weight rating. I looked into the Hennessey and it wouldn't have been comfortable for someone my height 6'4'' or weight around 220.
 
I've got the Hennessey Expedition and as noted above, the fly is small, but the sides can be pitched steeply enough to provide complete cover. I've ridden out horrible storms in the hammock and stayed as dry as can be.

There is enough room underneath to keep your gear dry as well.

It is *not* big enough to replace a full on tarp pitch if you want to spread out with gear, etc. And don't even think about starting a small fire near the hammock <grin>

I *love* the HH and use it a lot. If you intend to use it in temps lower than 55, plan on putting a pad underneath you so you don't sleep cold. In temps below 40 you'll want an underblanket -- and with that setup you'll be super cozy even in a blizzard.

There is a good page for building your own underblanket somewhere on the net -- google it. (I use a thickish poncho liner for an underblanket, but it's not as light or as lofty as it could be...)
 
Good info guys, much appreciated. So I'm hearing that in a pinch the included tarp with the Hennessey will do, but it is tight and requires some attention to set up.

I wasn't aware of the larger hex. tarp option that Brian mentioned, but this can make it a bit more comfy. If I could get some dimensions (longest and widest) points of the regular tarp and hex tarp that would be helpful.

Brian kind of answered my question, but I'll but it out there...For the larger Hex option, could this serve as a stand-alone tarp on trips where the Hammock isn't coming for the ride?
 
The HH tarp is really easy to set up -- no problems there.

Even with a bigger tarp over the HH, you still have the issue of the hammock hanging inside and taking up a lot of room. If I want a little more room or a communal space when I'm with my son or friends, I take along a small/medium sized silnylon tarp with the HH and set up a secondary pitch with it. A poncho could do the same.

Best of both worlds and only a small cost in weight. (Check Wally World sometimes you can get smoking deals on raw silnylon -- that's what I do..)

Bob

kgd said:
Good info guys, much appreciated. So I'm hearing that in a pinch the included tarp with the Hennessey will do, but it is tight and requires some attention to set up.
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