I'm considering hammock camping and wonder about the fabrics. Tarps are made of nylon, polyester, or even Dyneema. Hammocks look like they are nylon. Do you like polyester or nylon for the tarp? Pros and cons?

Nylon will absorb water and sag. Polyester will absorb some water but not nearly as much and will not sag. Dyneema absorbs NO water and is much lighter but is less forgiving to hang(must be "squared up"... does not "stretch to fit" like nylon and poly). Also, it must be folded, you cannot just stuff it in a bag. Finally, it is BEAUCOUP EXPENSIVE in comparison to nylon/poly. I went with silpoly for my tarp.

Thanks for the input. I know I'm not getting Dyneema, just thought I'd include it because it's an option for some people.

Warbonnet's Superfly has some awesome coverage w/built-in end doors that encapsulate when bidirectional winds move in. I got the nylon. Nylon is stretchy and sags a bit when wet (so tighten after downpours) but it's a stronger, more durable fabric. Both the polyester and nylon fabrics have 2000mm hydrostatic head waterproof rating.

mjmkjun: "Warbonnet's Superfly has some awesome coverage w/built-in end doors that encapsulate when bidirectional winds move in. I got the nylon. Nylon is stretchy and sags a bit when wet (so tighten after downpours) but it's a stronger, more durable fabric. Both the polyester and nylon fabrics have 2000mm hydrostatic head waterproof rating."

I'm also an advocate of the Superfly. I started off with sil-nylon but switched over this summer to sil-poly to avoid the stretching of the sil-nylon, and I love the way the water just beads off of the sil-poly. The difference in strength between the two is negligible.

BobTheRaven: "Nylon will absorb water and sag. Polyester will absorb some water but not nearly as much and will not sag. Dyneema absorbs NO water and is much lighter but is less forgiving to hang(must be "squared up"... does not "stretch to fit" like nylon and poly). Also, it must be folded, you cannot just stuff it in a bag. Finally, it is BEAUCOUP EXPENSIVE in comparison to nylon/poly. I went with silpoly for my tarp."

I use a dyneema tarp and have never folded it, or struggled to get it to hang properly. I do use a ridgeline with prussik knots for adjustability. They are really expensive, but it makes for a nice, lightweight tarp.

Whoa! Lots of light coming thru that Dyneema tarp. Just an observation; not a negative.

Thank you all for the help, I think silpoly will be my choice.

mjmkjun: "Whoa! Lots of light coming thru that Dyneema tarp. Just an observation; not a negative. "

Absolutely. It is very translucent, and probably not the fabric for someone requiring a lot of privacy for whatever reason. I have seen them in darker hues that let a little less light through.

I guess the other observation I hear about Dyneema tarps is that they are loud in the wind or rain. Personally, I wouldn't call it quiet, but I don't think I would have noticed it compared to my other tarps if I hadn't read about it first.