Backpacking Hammock Rainfly Recommendations?

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Jan 15, 2013
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Hey, does anybody have any recommendations for a backpacking hammock rainfly? I'm looking for something that can be compacted easily, affordable, lightweight, and still durable. If anybody has any good recommendations could you please tell me. I dont go backpacking to often so i dont want to buy a really nice, but im also looking for a durable one.
Thanks to anyone that can help!
 
Warbonnet Superfly - about 20oz, 10'x11', with "doors", silnylon, $130

Somebody will definitely suggest something else, but this thing has been great for me with and without a hammock.
 
It depends on the length of your hammock, but I have a Blackbird Warbonnet and I use an MSR E-Wing as the rain fly. It has the advantage of being useable as a tarp shelter and is nice and lightweight. If that is too pricey for you, pretty much any silnylon tarp system you can buy will work, provided it is long enough for your hammock.
 
Check out O.E.S. tarps. I use one with my Warbonnet blackbird. Warbonnet has great tarps too!
 
Warbonnet is good. Lots of people will have lots of favorite brands and models and all of them are basically similar. Hennessy Hammocks have a lot of great products, including both the asymmetrical/diamond shaped tarps and a standard semi-rectangular 'hex' shape tarp. They also have both brown, green and camo options.
 
Hammock Forums is a great website with a great used/sale exchange. Lots of affordable tarps for sale and lots of free experience.
 
I have been 3 season hammocking for a few years with my Hennessy and JRB quilts. Great gear. But a bug bit me this year and I did a bit of research and scraped together as much funds as possible and decided to winter hammock this year at the hunt. Hammock gear 0* top and under quilts, WB superfly (the first poster had it right, this thing is HUGE and still light weight), then bought a WBBB XLC. I did not ask to be bumped in line for lack of my preparation. The XLC arrived the day I left... so I guess another outing soon is in the future. First night I stopped looking at the thermometer at 12*. It got COLD, yet I was nice and warm. I had to get out once since my feet got cold, upon investigating I found the foot end of the underquilt was not tight! I'm a dope sometime, fixed that up, and went to bed, slept till the watch went off. Each night the temps increased till day 5 it was 40 as the low. Needless to say 0* insulation and 40* does not work, ended up finishing the night with the 0* under quilt and the HPG serape as the top quilt. Still fine.

Here you can see the standard tarp that comes with the hennessy, it works, use it alot, but now that I am going a little extreme, I will be buying a cuben tarp that will weight about 5 oz. Talk about light weight!
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Here are some from this last week out. Superfly weights about 19oz, add some for cordage, I used some reflective dynemma cord, lightweight and shows up well to lights as evident from the flash. The superfly is 11' long, 10' wide, and is 7'7" between the end tieouts/ doors. I also highly recommend it! Mine is the new camo pattern, I am a multicam junkie, but the MC superfly weights 3x as much due to material.

Storm mode
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Pulled out area for more interior room
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Porch mode
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reflective cord a light drizzle, but no wind, so porch mode worked great to hang out under, sit in the hammock like a lounger and wait it out.
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Figured I should add these, just took the first 2 for size representation. I have a 36' CRL (continuous ridge line), that gives approx 12' on each end to get to and around any tree. The tarp is attached via prussik knots to the CRL. I have a pair of small figure 9s also on prussik's to tie the thing off. The figure 9s weigh 3 grams a piece and allow for quick tie off even with gloves, but hold tight. The side tie outs are 8' each (qty 4), the 8' length was chosen due to being the perfect length to use with sticks or trekking poles clove hitched just near the attachment points so you can easily setup porch mode. Also have 4' shock cord ends on the doors. very versatile setup and have multiple pitching configurations.

The tarp is stored in a JRB (Jacks R Better) speed sleeve, size small, 0.7oz weight. These allow for a smaller pack compared to snake skins, and once technique is down, you gear will still never touch the ground. I really like them.

First is the tarp just in the speed sleeve.
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Next is the tarp with speed sleeve compressed. it is about the size of a small cantaloupe. Its amazing how small it gets.
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This is a photo from seam sealing it showing how big the interior is when everything is pulled out tight. There are also no sew, or sew in pocket, mods for poles to give more interior area. I did the short pole using 2, three 18" nanolite pole, with #1 grommets to keep it held open. The pole mod adds about 4 oz, but makes it about the size as the pulled out tight photo below. Again versatile. The doors can also be tied to each other so you can get a breeze thru your living area. The shock cord is just a perfect addition to the doors. Please be aware, that seam sealing and cordage is not included. You are required to seal it yourself as well as provide the cordage for tying it out.
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Thanks to everyone for the great recommendations! I am currently using the Grand Trunk ultra light hammock. It probably about 8' long.
 
Here is my grand trunk under a sportsman's guide tarp.
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I used it in Colorado for a few nights. It never rained on me but it did hold up to the wind good.
 
There are a couple of outstanding hammock flies available for less than a hundred bucks. Skip on over to Hammockforums.com and take a lood around for info. You might find a great deal on a used tarp there, too.

I use an Outdoor Equipment Supply MacCat Deluxe and a Warbonnet Superfly. Both highly recommended.







Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
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