Sea to Summit Hammock Tarp
Shelter
Rating
| Rating: | 8.8 / 10 |
| Value for Money | 1.7 / 2 |
| Durability | 1.6 / 2 |
| Ease of set up | 1.8 / 2 |
| Weight | 1.8 / 2 |
| Versatility | 1.9 / 2 |
Sea to Summit Hammock Tarp Review
Tarps are an essential component of hammock camping and are essentially the hammock equivalent of a rainfly on a tent. While you can get away without them when setting up for your hammock for a few hours of relaxation, if you plan on camping in inclement weather, areas with high dew/condensation, or in hot sunny conditions then really you have no choice. While you can get away without having a dedicated hammock tarp such as the generic Sea to Summit Escapist Tarp, life will be just that bit easier with a dedicated hammock tarp.
The Sea to Summit Hammock Tarp is a bit of an odd shape and rather than being a rectangle like most tarps this model is triangular on one side to allow easy access into and out of your hammock. The other side is more rectangular protecting you from the prevailing weather which means you need to pay attention to where you are setting up your hammock to ensure that your tarp provides the maximum protection. In fact if you are expecting bad weather you ideally want the rectangular side as low to the ground as you possibly can to stop rain and excessive wind blowing up into your hammock.
This tarp comes in one colour only which is a rich blue colour that stands out – both a good and a bad thing. If you want to blend in with the bush and not be visible to passers by then this tarp probably isn’t for you. Alternatively if you want your gear to stand out and be easy to find in a heavily wooded area then the colour makes sense. Sea to Summit does make a darker green hammock tarp that is aimed at their Jungle Hammock Tarp and is a traditional rectangular shape designed for wetter conditions.
This tarp comes with five guy lines, two at the highpoint to attach to trees (that come with plenty of cord) and three at the base of the tarp to attach to the ground and are slightly shorter in length. The guy lines also have a small locking mechanism on each cord so once you have attached it you can tension off as required. Please note that in periods of extended high wind conditions the tensioning will loosen slightly and I found myself have to tighten them throughout the night whenever I got up. Not a major problem but something to be aware of. On the first night we tested this tarp we had winds of around 20 km per hour for much of the night and while this didn’t impact on the performance of the tarp there was a vibration running through the tarp that was a bit annoying so on the couple of occasions when I got out of my hammock to answer the call of nature, I took a few seconds to tighten the tensioning cords.
Size wise this tarp is well proportioned at 3.6 m x 2.8 m at its widest and also relatively lightweight being made of an Ultra-Sil Nano 15 Denier Nylon fabric coming in at 350 grams in weight.
While sold as a hammock tarp you could very easily use it for tarp camping if you’re so inclined because the large eyelets at each tie-off point will cope with using tracking poles if you want to use it as a free standing tarp on an open grassy area.
We Like
- Purpose built for hammock camping so will keep you protected from the elements when you need it but also allows easy access into and out of the hammock
- Lightweight at 350 grams
- Comes with all the guy ropes you’ll need
We Don't Like
- Limited colour choice (Blue) – it’s a bit hard to hide away from the world as this tarp will stand out
- Tensioning cords may loosen slightly during extended high winds
- Guy ropes not reflective so you can be inclined to forget that they are there in the middle of the night
Best Uses
- Purpose built hammock tarp that can also be used for general hiking or other outdoor purposes
Buy One
You can purchase the Sea to Summit Hammock Tarp from Macpac or from Wild Earth
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Investment
AUD $269.99 RRP
Sea to Summit Hammock Tarp
Sea to Summit Hammock Tarp in its stuff sack. This is a tiny little package that doesn’t take up much space in your pack
Sea to Summit Hammock Tarp set up showing the triangular side
Sea to Summit Hammock Tarp set up showing the rectangular side. The slight dip in the middle is from the spreader pole on the bug net on the hammock
Sea to Summit Hammock Tarp set up showing the end view
Disclaimer
This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker