Question???

[Doug Wolfe]

ive been flipping through a bunch of YouTube videos looking at different tarps.. hence im in the market for a CF tarp with doors.

Now heres my question??? Whats up with guys adding extra junk to their tarps? Clips on this worms on that flees, flies& wasps?!?!?! What does the hammock world have against the good ole clove hitch??  It looks like some of these guys have an extra few ounces of sht added to a CF tarp they just paid 300+$ for to save weight.

I may be new to the hammock world but ive spent my fair share of night’s under a tarp.. anyone else use a clove hitch for guy lines and truckers hitch for ridge lines??

[Ken Thompson]

Some people just don’t like knots. I don’t get it either.   But those guys usually camp and not hike far with that load.

Hammock Forums LOVES Dutch.

HYOH and all that.

[Anonymous]

I have fleas or gnats or something on my tarps, I love them. Makes everything easy for me as a beginner hammock gal. Maybe some day I’ll advance to knots but it’s worth it for me. To eaxh her own, right?

[Doug Wolfe]

I guess… it just hurts my heart to see all that junk on CF gear. I pretty much cleaned out closet to get a zpacks  tarp with doors so i could cut my tarp weight by more then half. Id be damned if im gonna add extra junk to it.

When i was tenting it a 50L jam would cover me for 4-5 days in sub 30 temps. Now im in a ohm and really scratchin my head. Im a tight squeeze for 2 nights with a hammock..

Dutch has some cool stuff i actually went with his net less hammock for the winter instead of the warbonnet. He can keep all is other gizmos though.

[MJ H]

I keep debating about whether or not to try a hammock, but I’m not worried about the gizmos so much as the peanut butter jar.

[Doug Wolfe]

the peanut butter jar is the best part! All joking aside its the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had out in the woods!

[Anonymous]

I agree re: best sleep. Due to back issues I can’t deal with a tent/sleeping/crawling around on the ground. Hammocking is the only way I’d be able to backpack at all.

[Anonymous]

Oh btw I use a marlin spike for my tree straps instead of the carabiners I used to use, so I AM working on my knots :)

[EastCoastHiker]

I have some bling, including a wasp and hook on the CRL for my CF tarp, but nothing but knots for the guy outs.

A knot is a quick fix, easy, free, and zero grams. I’ve just learned the J-Bend knot, useful to affix a hammock to huggers. It thrills me to not need so much as a carabiner. A Marlin Spike knot is my first duty upon arriving to camp. I hang my pack and get to work.

Brandon @ Warbonnet Outdoors demos tarp knots on his website, using the Slipped Trucker’s Hitch and Slipped Bunt Line Hitch. He also shows how to easily guy out your stake guy lines. When I was brand spanking new to tarps, quite recently, this helped:

https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/videos/

[Doug Wolfe]

Embrace Hitches and knots  : )

My dutch bling consists of cheapo netless hammock and the half wit.

Happen to like his hammocks better then my WBBB.

Ive only got 12 night’s out hiking with the hammock so far but i bought a few different ones to try out. Loving it and my knots and hitches ; )

[Kristed S]

Tarpworm 1.68 grams x 4= 6.72

Pair of flyz =6.6 grams

13.32 grams or .46 oz.

I’m willing to add that weight to my tarp to make setup quick and easy.

 

 

[chris s]

The main issue all of the common/popular strings used for tarps (lightweight,strong,small diameter,won’t soak up water, etc) are really slick and won’t hold knots. Plus, they can be a pain in the winter.

I use two pieces of Dutchware, have for many years now and love it. On one end of the ridgeline I have a little hook (http://www.dutchwaregear.com/dutch-hooks.html) that weigh .4 of a gram. On the other side a fly (http://www.dutchwaregear.com/flyz.html) that weighs 3.3 grams. It makes for very simple and fast and very taunt pitching every time, even in the cold with gloves on. I use prusiks on the tie out lines.

So I’ve only added 3.7 grams, and made setup quick and very simple.

[Doug Wolfe]

Im only knocking it after trying it. Well the ridge line set up. I found it harder to work with having cold fingers. I find it much easier to choke ridge line on a tree and use a truckers hitch on the other backed by a double slip hitch. I suppose to each their own. I gave my set up to my brother and just bought one for a buddy when I ordered my half wit.

I have to say his stuff is intriguing for those who like gadgets. I just find most of it unnecessary. Though i did purchase that clip for the tree strap after seeing fatigue in my strap after using the choke method for my hammock straps. Shall see how that pans out.

[David Thomas]

When anyone mentions a clove hitch (which I use a lot), I always try to teach them the “constrictor knot” which is a clove-hitch variant that works better on synthetic ropes or any time you want a little more friction.  I tie a clove hitch first, then add the extra twist of the two loose ends.

[Kevin Babione]

I’m lucky enough to live near Dutch and his factory and he’s given me a tour.  He’s doing some amazing things (I too have a Half Wit and am eyeing his new Chameleon on Kickstarter) but, like everything else, do what works for you.

For example, I don’t have any of his hardware connected to my tarp (I have a setup that works perfectly for me) but I love his underquilt hangers and clips.

PS – MJ H – Don’t let the Peanut Butter Jar scare you…just my solution to a hammocking problem!

[Mark Ferwerda]

Clove hitch rules! On really windy nights, if your stake get pulled out, it’ll still be attached to the line.

[Anonymous]

I have small loops of shock cord at each of my tieouts to accomodate for windy nights :)

[Katherine .]

The hammock demographic and the lightweight demographic are not the same and only overlap a little. My eyes glaze over. I haven’t fully sorted out what could be useful vs. what I should just ignore. Sticking with the webbing suspension that came with my Warbonnet for now.

[William Kerber]

I set mine up just like in the video from warbonnet – no hardware. I use the slipped buntline hitch and truckers hitch on the ridgeline. I just use hitches on the guy lines. My lines are all zing-it.

I’ve got some Dutch bling, I just don’t use it much anymore.

 

[chris s]

“The hammock demographic and the lightweight demographic are not the same and only overlap a little”

Just like anything else, there’s a heavy and light way to do things. I’m new the the world of UL, but I just got my base weight down to 12lbs (from like 30lb), slowly starting to grasp the concepts.

You can get a hammock and cuben tarp for 1lb., and my 20* underquilt  (instead of a pad) weighs 15.4oz. May not be in the realm of the SUL guys who bring very little, but it fits right in the UL world. The number 1 reason people use them is comfort, and carrying a couple extra ounces is worth the great nights sleep every night.

 

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