>>2709951The shelter:
Not much to say here, your options are basically "a tarp". Most common setups are 3x4m parallel to the hammock (3x3 set this way is too short to cover a full sized hammock), a 3x3 tarp set up diagonally or a hex tarp. I've always used a 3x3 tarp so I don't have much to say about the others. It only requires 2 tieouts, is over 4.2 meters long diagonally, gives you a wide field of view and is easy to get in and out of. I don't need wind protection from my tarp as I'll explain later. PU covered tarps will be heavier and cheaper, they also tend to rustle more in the wind. Silnylon is the reasonably priced standard. A 3x3 silnylon tarp will be about 500 grams, you can't really get lighter without losing surface or going with dyneema (extremely expensive and light, but bulkier). I got mine from aliexpress several years ago and it performs flawlessly to this day, maybe the material stretched a bit as I can't seem to hang it tightly, but this never affected its function. I like the idea of a hex tarp but haven't found one long enough to give my 3.5m hammock enough coverage. Oh, and a proper tarp will have webbing tieouts reinforced with extra material. Ignore anything with metal grommets through the fabric.
