Tarp - Diagonal?

[Zodiak]

I am going to be sleeping in my new hammock this weekend (Thanks Magickelly!) but have noticed that it seems to be longer than my tarp is wide

I have seen pictures of tarps set up diagonally but have never tried this. Are they just normal tarps or something special? Is it just a case of hang it sideways and keep it down close to the hammock?

Do I need to visit B&Q and buy a large bit of blue tarp

Still at least I know we will have a good suply of dry wood, its in the van right now

 

[Rod]

Hi Mate,

A big blue buiders tarp will do the job. You can set it on the diagonal if it helps - but if it's big enough there should be no need. Peg one side down to the ground to give you a windbreak - have the other side up to allow a good living space and allow a small fire. Remmber if you use the blue builders that sparks will melt holes in it, so select your firewood carefully. sit in your hammock and enjoy

hope this helps

 

[John Fenna]

I like to use a big Kathmandu Trekking Basha/tent tarp or two snap together bashas in various positions - inc diag - depending on conditions. A standard tarp is way too small for me in my Hammy! I also have a huge tarp that I had custom made from double silicon proofed ripstop, which I use when the canoe or van take the weight! I find builers tarps too bulky and noisy and heavy to be of much use - tho they are cheap!
John

 

[tristan j thomas]

i attend to agree with john here the Kathmandu Trekking Basha/tent tarp is good and les noisy than those builders traps ect ive never tried it but ive been told these traps are exelent i recal reading somewere on the net about them


Tristan J thomas

 

[Zodiak]

I still have my original tarp, which was a builder blue one but at 5*8 Meteres it is a bit big

Trees far enough apart to support it are too far apart for the hammock however I did managed to tie two adjacent sides together last year and made a make a temporary teepee for teh night under a large tree although I am glad it wasn't even vaguley windy

Even more glad when somebody pointed out that it was a beech and its not a good idea to sleep under them as big bits tend to fall off in teh night

Next year, once the expense of christmas is just another digit on teh visa bill, I will have to treat myself to a second tarp so I can pop them together on occasions like this

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Set mine up like this all the time, just four guylines, two between the trees, two pegged down

Oh yeah, and i dropped it lower for night time

 

[Ogri the trog]

I'm not a fan of diagonal pitched tarps.
Here in Wales its just as likely to rain upwards as any other direction, so end protection for a long hammock is paramount. I'd say buy a bigger tarp - and if that means getting a blue B&Q job in the short term, do it! I've seen 3x3 and 3x4 meter Tatonka tarps recently that are only £10 more than the army basha type and well worth the extra outlay.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Squidders]

Having both the 3m x 3m and 3m x 4m tatonka tarps, I can vouch that they're spot on... maybe a call to outdoorcode could get one to you before the weekend?

The blue tarps are noisey and if its at all windy, they are prone to splitting.

 

[Zodiak]

Having both the 3m x 3m and 3m x 4m tatonka tarps, I can vouch that they're spot on... maybe a call to outdoorcode could get one to you before the weekend?

Thanks, thats very temping, but having bought 2 lots of paracord, the hammock, a Petzl Myo and a DC4 stone from Group Buys here in the past 2 months I would have to buy a big tarp to cover me and all my possesions in the garden after my wife finnished with me

 

[Spacemonkey]

I use the 3x3 tatonka over my hammock and it's perfect diagonally. See both pages of my gallery for pics/comments:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=1713