Rain is the best season a person can come across. But sometimes this rain can also make a person suffer from a huge loss. Excessive rain can damage crops can cause accidents while traveling in streets.
People often pay a visit to the mountains for trekking purpose and rain can be the vital reason which can act as an obstacle. While trekking or traveling or enjoying the beauty of any seaside people often uses a hammock that is a rope or netting which is suspended between two points. More than one or two cloth panels are there. This was developed mainly for sleeping purpose. Now the main question that comes to a mind of a person is how to do hammock in the rain?
For staying dry from rain hammocks can be used. With the right equipment, you don’t need to worry about how to hammock in the rain. Depending on the certain equipment you can easily keep yourself dry even during heavy rain.
Factors on Which Hammocks Are Made to Stay Dry Are
1) Hammock Tarps
For camping hammocks, there are many varieties of tarps. They can complete the weatherproof fortress by ranging a simple roof over the head. Just make sure they’re set up properly.
For providing with maximum coverage a tarp must be fitted tightly, hence it prevents the rainwater to pool in a single location. According to the weather and depending on the budget right tarps must be chosen, which will suit the best for you.
Read Also: Expert Hammock Camping Tips
2) Sizes of Tarps
Everyone wishes to have an adequate coverage for their hammock. The tarps must be extending around 8 to 12 inches from the end of the hammocks as it is important that the ends of the hammocks are kept dry.
For many backpacking, a 12 feet tarp is enough. In a nasty storm, a big and long tarp is required but this increases the weight. If the conditions are for light rain then a smaller tarp is the best as it allows more airflow than the large ones.
3) Tarp Styles
There are many types of tarps available in the market. Depending on the purpose the tarps are chosen. The varieties of tarps include rectangular tarps, catenary tarps, hexagonal tarps and diamond tarps. Different amount of anchor point is also there which can affect the ease of set up required by you. For the rectangular type of tarps 4 anchor points are there and these tarps are set parallel to the hammock. Above the hammock a ridgeline is setup.
Excellent coverage of the end, as well as the hammock, is provided by this kind of tarps. Hexagonal tarps are alike the rectangular tarps but the major difference is that the corners are angled towards the inner side. A less amount of material is required that means lighter tarp is there.
However, these tarps are more expensive than the rectangular tarps. Now for reducing the further weight of the hexagonal tarps, catenary tarps are used. The side of the hex tarp is cut in such a way that it reduces the material used. This cut is done in such a way that sagging and flapping during the time of rainstorm is also prevented. This is said to be one of the most versatile styles of the rain fly. For any type of hammock more than sufficient coverage is provided by this kind of tarps.
These are more effective without any kind of ridgeline. The ropes that are attached can be tightened to produce the sufficient tension by forming a pseudo ridgeline, no need of tying a rope for support purpose. Diamond tarps provide the least amount of coverage. These tarps are very much easy to set up as they are having two anchor points.
So, the process of pitching becomes quicker when compared to other tarps. So, you must know the condition of campaigning and depend on that only you will be choosing the type of tarps.
4) Various materials of Tarps Depending on the Weather Condition
Various materials of tarps are used but depending on the weather condition you must know the use of tarps of different materials. A polyethylene tarp is very much durable and is cheap enough to buy from the hardware store but these are heavy and take a lot of space. Silnylon is the most popular which is very much light in weight but expensive and can protect you in adverse rainy condition.
Conclusion
Now the different types of tarps that are suitable for hammocks are mentioned above along with the materials that are available. So, it’s you who will choose the tarp that is best for you. Now by reading this, you are clear from the doubt of how to hammock in the rain and nasty thunderstorm condition. So, pack your bags and get ready for traveling.