I apologize in advance if this has been done previously; I haven't seen anything quite like this before.

So here is my idea. I want to get an lightweight shelter setup. The thing is, I would like to have a hammock for solo use and a more traditional shelter for couples/friends use. Instead of spending the money on two different options, I think putting together a shelter system based on a more modular approach would be a good idea. Here are the details.

The system starts with a tarp. A cuben or spinnaker tarp is ideal here because of the weight of silnylon at this size. For most hammocks, a 10-11 foot ridge line is desired for adequate 3 season coverage. For 2 person use, the tarp should have a width of around 8 feet. If we push it, the size will come out to be 9x11 since 9 is about the width of two lengths of cuben material side-by-side. Whether or not this tarp should have a catenary cut or beaks is TBD.

For the hammock, a typical Hennessy Hyperlight/Ultralight or a Warbonnet Blackbird would be a good fit here. One would have plenty of room for cooking and gear with the width of the tarp as well.

As for the 2 person shelter, I know that bugs and such can be an issue for some significant others and as such, a NetTent, a la Ray Jardine would be great in this capacity. To make things a bit less claustrophobic, a door could be put on each end of the NetTent so that each person could have an egress. In this case, each person would lie against the ridge line, given the width of the tarp, and have more than enough vestibule space for cooking/gear.

This modular setup could be adapted for solo use as well or as a cooking/break shelter for a respite from the rain for lunch.

One advantage, among others, I see in this setup is that one can setup the tarp first and then play with the setup of the hammock or tent afterward while staying a bit more dry than before. Another advantage of course is weight. A cuben tarp of this size would be very light and perhaps around a half pound. The other components are also quite light of course. The overall hammock shelter weight is lightened because of the lighter tarp material in this case over a traditional hammock tarp, and the advantages of a double wall tent are realized at total weight of less than two pounds when totaled with the NetTent.

To the BPL community, I ask what the thoughts are on such a setup and what each person would do in the way of specifics, i.e. tarp size and cut, NetTent dimensions, and hammock model. Thanks!

-jim

Edited by surnailz on 07/13/2009 11:11:32 MDT.

Jim, I have used the same tarp used over a hammock for two person camping. Another nice option for the hammock is homemade hammock that has a removeable bug netting top.
Visit hammockcamping.com
The problem with the tarp for two is indeed bug season, in New England that is late June and July. I do not like net tents because of their weight. It bugs me (pun intended)to add netting cover that outweighs the tarp. Therefore, I go with the A-16 option for sleeping and when standing, DEET is my solution. Another option I like adding to the tarp is a beak for one end. Tarps can be wind tunnels.

For variuos tarp-over-hammock options, there are several photos at jacksrbetter.com. or hammocksforum.net

Although hammocks have their advantages including sleeping comfort, when hiking alone, I now prefer the tarp. It is lighter than the hammock and gives me a luxurious amount of space for one. When solo in bug season, the SMD Wild Oasis works for me.

Edited by rambler on 07/13/2009 12:07:54 MDT.

Thanks for the input! What exactly is the 'A-16' option? At the very least I'm glad to know that someone else has tried this option and found it alright to use, though not perfect. How heavy was the NetTent that you used/considered? The finished product that I am hoping for is around 12oz or so and certainly under a pound.

Finally, and this is to the community as a whole, are there any makers of 9x11 (approx.) cuben or spinnaker tarps?