A hammock's tarp or rainfly is the piece doing the actual weatherproofing work, and the shape and pitch you choose affects coverage against wind-driven rain far more than the hammock body itself.
- 1
Included asymmetric flies
Some complete kits (Hennessy Expedition) include a shaped asymmetric fly specifically sized and cut to match that hammock's dimensions, simplifying setup since there's no separate sizing or configuration decision to make.
- 2
Diamond and hex tarp shapes
Standalone tarps sold separately from the hammock come in shapes like diamond or hexagon, generally offering more coverage and configurability (including doors-down pitches in storms) at the cost of more setup complexity than an integrated fly.
- 3
Pitch height and coverage tradeoff
Pitching a tarp low to the ground maximizes wind and rain protection but reduces ventilation and can feel claustrophobic; pitching higher improves airflow and views but sacrifices weather protection in sideways rain.
- 4
Doors and structural ridgelines
A tarp with an adjustable ridgeline and optional door panels that can be staked down in a storm configuration provides meaningfully more protection in genuinely bad weather than a simple flat tarp pitch.
- 5
Matching tarp size to conditions
A compact tarp saves weight for calm 3-season trips; a larger tarp with more overhang and door options is worth the extra ounces for exposed sites or unpredictable mountain weather.