I purchased the Warbonnet Superfly tarp in olive brown to provide cover for me while sleeping in the Blackbird XLC hammock. Warbonnet makes four hammock tarps in various shapes and sizes with the Superfly being largest. The Superfly has fully integrated doors and is available in 3 colors. If the doors were removed, the tarp would resemble an elongated hexagon. How does a tarp have a door your ask? Basically, there are four triangular shaped sections of the tarp that fold toward the suspension of the hammock and cover the otherwise open ends.
The Superfly is very lightweight, at only 1 pound 3 ounces for the olive brown color. It is made of 1.1oz/30D 2000mm NeverMist™Silnylon. This is a light but tough fabric. The tarp is ten feet wide and eleven feet long at the ridgeline. The fabric is amazingly light for how strong it is. A metal ring is attached to both ends of the ridgeline. Eight plastic triangles are provided to secure the tarp. Four tie outs are on the edges and one at each door. Two webbing pull outs are placed in the center of each side of the tarp to aid in getting good tension and to provide a bit more space underneath.
I found the Superfly to be very versatile. Pitch the sides of the tarp close to the hammock and ground and then close the doors to keep warmth in while keeping wind and rain out. Pitch the sides high and leave the doors open for viewing out into nature. As big as the tarp is, use it as a rain shelter for a group in a pinch.
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Setup of the Warbonnet Superfly is easy. With practice and by leaving the guy lines attached to the tie out points, this tarp can be set up in a matter of minutes. By using specialty hardware such as DutchWare Tarp Flyz, or Nite Ize Figure 9‘s to replace knots the setup process can be sped up even more. Be sure and visit Warbonnet‘s website and watch the how-to videos for great tips on setting up all of their tarps and products.
Hammock campers are a versatile and creative bunch. There are many videos on the web that provide all sorts of options for pitching hammock tarps. Each has its own advantages pertaining to overall weight, ease of setup, and versatility. With a product like the Superfly, the options are almost limitless. DutchWare products has an especially useful method for providing storage for guy lines when leaving them permanently attached to the tarp. Several videos are out there detailing methods of attaching shock cords to the guy lines to provide constant line tension should anything sag from getting wet during the night.
The Superly comes with its own light weight stuff sack and packs down to the size of a small loaf of bread. I look forward to using mine for years to come.
The Warbonnet Superfly in olive brown sells for $130 dollars base price. The camo colors cost a bit more. Check out all of the quality made in the USA products at http://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com
– Mark