New Hammock Tarp

For the more than a couple trips I've hammock-camped, I have needed a little bit of rain cover at night. There are several options for a nylon tarp set-up or ENO's actual hammock tarp, but I wanted something on the cheaper side. I've got a nice enough tent that I would just pack if I anticipated heavy rain. But a tarp option that packed down small and didn't add much weight would be perfect.

Tyvek Home Wrap to the rescue. Tyvek is that stuff they wrap around your house somewhere in the middle of the building process when they need to keep foul weather out. Tyvek is super light and thin and it's water repellant. It makes for a great tarp or ground cover. I have a buddy in the building biz, so I gave him a call and had a 12'x12' piece on my desk the next morning.

I cut it down to 9'x9' and bordered all the edges with Tyvek tape to keep it from unraveling. If you do your own Tyvek project, be sure to invest in a roll of the tape. The cut edges do eventually fray. But the tape will prevent this and keep a nice edge around the whole piece. I debated on whether or not to install grommets. But I opted to just purchase tarp clamps from Dick's that will allow me to attach my lines to any spot on the tarp I'd like. That'll come in handy when I find my hammock perched in a precarious spot and cant' figure out where to tie it all down.

The nine foot tarp rolls down pretty small.

The new tarp and clamps are in the left bag and the hammock and straps are in the right. There's very little additional weight and just a tad more space with the tarp in tow.

If you're looking for a cheap, light and minimal tarp or ground cover. I'd go for a homemade solution like this. It seems to be simple enough.

Get out there.