Great Method to Manage Hammock Tarp Doors
This is an excellent Method to Manage Hammock Tarp Doors. It’s fast and simple to use. It keeps the tarp doors neatly and securely out of the way in dry weather or when you are getting in and out of the hammock. But it quickly secures the tarp doors if needed—like when a rain storm quickly moves in. This is a great do-it-yourself DIY project—instructions are below.
I learned about this Method to Manage Hammock Tarp Doors from David Meck of Hammeck at a fall hammock hang along the Appalachian Trail in PA. After the hammock hang, David kindly sent me some photos of his setup. (BTW my wife, Alison currently uses an Envy-S Hammeck.)
If this post interests you you might also like these two gear lists that feature hammock camping:
Practical Light Gear List Appalachian Trail (5-6 lb) and 8 Pound – Appalachian Trail Gear List and this three part intro to hammock camping: Hammock Camping Part I: Advantages & disadvantages versus ground systems
This is a Great DIY Project
Materials
- These Safety Side Release Buckle clips
- 15 to 25 feet of 3/32″ shock cord or the more available 1/8″ shock cord works too
- And a bit of 3/32″ (2.4mm) cord like: Nite Ize Reflective Cord, Lawson Reflective Cord or other reflective 3/32 (2.4mm) cord in a bright color. The Lawson is also my favorite for tarp tie-out line. [REI carries this slightly heavier 1/8″ (3mm) Reflective Utility Cord which will also do.]
Notes
- You need to appropriately alternate male and female clips ends. Clips need to correctly mate in both open-and-stowed position (Picture 1), & in the closed position (Picture 3 & Picture 5) .
- Use about 3 ft. of shock cord attached to each clip. This is a starting point as tarps are different.
Instructions – Method to Manage Hammock Tarp Doors
The instructions on how to setup this “Method to Manage Hammock Tarp Doors” are in the photo captions below. The tarp pictured is a Hammock Gear Standard Cuben Fiber Tarp with doors
Photo 1: This shows the attachment points for the door cordage and hardware. On the top, each door corner’s D-ring has about 3 feet of shock cord tied to it with a clip at the other end. The two door clips fasten to each other in the middle, “Detail,” to secure the doors in the open-and-stowed position. The bottom two arrows indicate where clips are attached to lower D-rings (these are used to secure the doors in the closed position). [Photo D. Meck]
Photo 2: Detail of Photo 1 showing the Safety Side Release Buckle clips securing the doors in the open-and-stowed position. Note that you need to make sure you have the right female-male connections to work in both open-and-stowed position (Picture 1), & in the closed position (Picture 3 & Picture 5). [Photo D. Meck]
This shows the left door closed and attached to the mating clip on the opposite side of the tarp (yellow arrow on lower right). On the lower left arrow you can see the hanging clip for the opposite (right) door that is currently in the open-and-stowed position. In the upper right you can see the two right-hand-side doors clipped in the open-and-stowed position. [Photo D. Meck]
Photo 4: Detail of Photo 3 showing the shock cord and clip from the left (left arrow) door secured to the clip in the lower right. [Photo D. Meck]
Photo 5: Shows both doors closed and secured to clips on the opposite tarp side (yellow arrows). [Photo D. Meck]
