My Top 3 Hammock & Tarp Setups: Best Setups for Hammock Camping 

THANK YOU for your time and interest! Please SUBSCRIBE and click the BELL BUTTON to stay notified of all upcoming videos. Please see links below for the GEAR and CLOTHING I use in the field. Take care and God bless!

Hey Matt, some friendly long time hammocker tips: 1. good tree stewardship recommends straps of at least 1” wide to protect smaller trees tree bark. Mule tape will damage trees. 2. If you just larkshead your Whoopie slings to you continuous loops, you can eliminate the caribineers altogether. 3. If you fold the edge of your hammock toward the middle, you will have a flat seat to sit on, instead of the bucket effect. The hammock ridge line is the only way to hang. Perfect sag every time! Tarp tip: I often modify my A frame fly. I like to come in one tie out on the bottom edges to make each side a trapezoid shape, and stake it out. I then just fold under and tie the corners together under the tarp using a bowline on one end and a trucker’s hitch to tie the 2 corners “together”. Great for warm nights when you want a little more breeze, and gives a bit more view, too. Plenty of privacy as the bottom is just as low as the A frame. Sort of a diamond Configuration with the bottom corners missing. Plus, I think it looks cool. Then again, Hang your own hang. 😃. Hey, I want to send you something I think you would like. How should I do that?

Likes/dislikes: I love a flying diamond in this heat....if I have the room. Don't always have the room down in the river swamps. But like an A frame configuration in stormy weather. I used an A frame with a stick in the middle loop last month in rainy weather on the river as to get better rain protection but also allow for more air flow. Enjoyed the show...!!

Thank you for being a family friendly channel.

I came up with my own way to attach my whoopies to the strap. I borrowed from Rock Climbing/Slacklineing techniques. It's called a Line-Locker, and is used to connect 2 pieces of webbing without knots. If interested I do feature it on my channel.

Thank You. It means so much too me that you really take your time to Fully explain things. I will spread the word too. ❤

I really enjoy this video. Thanks.

I really enjoyed this video. Learned a lot too. Thank you.

Well made video. Thanks for imparting your knowledge. 🍻

Great video. 100% correct to the point and field tested. 👍👍👍

I really appreciate your videos. Having a lot of knowledge and being humble about makes your content very nice.

Great video. Thank you for sharing. New to the tarp and hammock camping setup and this was very helpful.

Excellent explanation and hammock education! Thanks

These were some nice configurations. Thank you for all your help.

Awesome just what was looking for thanks! Happy Hammocking

very well done... have just received all the gear used herein...very informational vid

Excellent video. Thank you. Concise, no macho nonsense, and practical. If you’re new to hammock camping then you can’t go wrong with this.

Thanks for the detailed explanation! I'm new to hammock camping and this video helped me out a lot! All in all great video.

Great video. Really informative and very well presented. Thanks for sharing 👍

Hi Matt, I really enjoyed these two most recent videos, very informative and inspiring. Thanks for your work and for sharing both your knowledge and wisdom. Rich Blessings from South Texas.

Awesome job brother

Great Video and very informative. Thank you for sharing!

EXCELLENT VIDEO! If I had to take one video to explain hammock setups to a newbie...THIS would be it. You are well-spoken, clear and concise. I also agree with almost everything you do as a default setup. I learned something. I use webbing with Beetle Clips for hanging. The adjustment is great. But, the atraps are relatively heavy. This is thr best explanation of whoopie slings I have seen and I am sold. I sleep outside in a hammock all year long here in Vermont. I will be keeping my stationary home setup with webbing but i will be getting whoopie slings for trips. I do EXACTLY what you do with the ridgeline. Only difference is i use tiny carabiners from Nite Ize for clipping the tarp to the Prussik loops. I totally agree with the square A-frame tarp setup. You can easily rig in "porch mode" if you have a great view, if you need sunshade if if you want to capture the breeze for ventilation in summer . When the rain starts or the wind picks up, it's easy to re-rig with the exact same guy lines and just pull either or one tarp edge much closer to the ground for a better protection. I have been using a 10 ft x 13 ft tarp.... And the 13 ft dimension runs perpendicular to the Ridgeline. So if I have the Ridgeline up at 6 or 7 ft, I can get the bottom edges pretty close to the ground when the dimension is 6'-6* from the ridge. I also use thr MSR stakes with the loops. Perfect solution. That leaves me with a bit of an issue though, because my 11 ft hammock runs about 10''-6" ft from point to point when suspended. So I end up with part of my hammock exposed at one end. I have used a tiny tarp to cover the ends as a separate rig out. I've also used plastic garbage bags at the end to get the protection that I need from rain. What I really need is a 13x13 tarp but they are pretty hard to find because the normal dimension of a fabric roll is 5 ft so that lends itself to almost all of the tarps being 10 ft wide. Also with the A-frame configuration, you can change the guy out points and allow the ends to come together as doors to basically completely seal up the tarp into a tent mode. As a final note, while I usually use the taut line hitch for guying out, I find the figure-9 clips by Nite Ize to be really good for the guy outs to ground. When you pull the bottom edge of the tarp pretty close to the ground, the taut line hitch is less than ideal because there is so little linear room to make adjustments. The figure 9 clips allow the edge of the tarp to be pulled down almost exactly to the ground if needed, they're extremely fast to utilize and don't require the double or triple loop-arounds that the taut line hitch requires. It makes it very easy in the middle of the night to re-rig the tarp for changing weather conditions. Again, excellent video Thank you.

Thank you Matt for the time and effort you take in making these videos. I am learning every week and really appreciate it!

Thank you Sir. Very informative as always.

Really useful info, thanks 🏕

Great video!! A very well thought out setup

New to this, but now I wish I had watched this video earlier. Matt, your experience is showing... thank you for sharing so clearly! Adjusting my setup to include some of your great ideas.

Great video ! Very detailed - excellent. Thank you

Great setups, going to have a go next time. Thanks BHB 👍

Good tips and video thanks

What a great video. Thank you for teaching me how to set all of this up for the first time.

Matt, awesome info and demo as usual. I love your cinematography and clear instruction. God bless you and your family Sir!

Solid video. Great content for the community. Excellent period of instruction

The third one is great. And the structural rope for the tent it will change my life

Really liked the cord system because it's simple and it's kind of ready to use it, so you don't have to waste time doing all the knots, especially if you're tired from a long hike or don't have much daylight and have to set up camp quickly. Also, really like the simplicity of the how to explanations. Subscribing. Thanks

Thank you for showing us your different set-ups, Matt. Stay safe and stay cool.

Aww man this is amazing. I'm thinking about getting into hammock and tarp camping rather than use my tent. My mate already has a hammock and tarp and he loves it. This video has been brilliant and has provided an abundance of great tips. Thanks so much man. Subscribed. Peace and love from Bonnie Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⛺️

If you can't find a Y stick for your porch mode, a clove hitch to a straight post is a great connection option.

Great review. You kept it simple!

Thanks, nice configurations, nice video.

Great video covering some alternative hammock/tarp hanging setups. I particularly liked the third version, the wind shed wedge, giving both great visibility, along with good rain protection. Well done, causing me to subscribe to your channel. Will now ck your other videos out. Thx.

Love your videos, Matt. Always very descriptive and simple to follow. Excellent presentation, every time. Thanks again so much for sharing your knowledge!! PEACE!

Great video. I love the fact that you dont BS around and present everything at a good pace. Thanks for the tips. Keep up the good work.

Excellent work. Thank you.

Great video thanks

3 tarp configurations out of one setup. Pretty awesome, thank you.

Great tips! I really like the Mule Tape and Whoopie Sling to hammock ridge line configuration.Quick and simple setup. Great video as always!

Excellent vid. It’s always great to see different configurations but even better when it is explained what they are used for. I really like the simple things that turn out to be super useful. Like that figure 8 toggle wrap-up and unwind. Cool 😎.

This is great! Thanks for sharing your experience!

That last tarp layout was very nice. I've never seen that one before. Thank you so much!!

Thank you. Very helpful. Well done video

Matt Really enjoyed the video great content as usual. Congratulations on 200 uploads really love how Humble you are and just a Genuinely nice person. wish i could find more time too get outdoors and enjoy Nature seems lifes always just soooo busy at least i get to enjoy a little through your videos between excursions,wish you much success brother looking forward to the next 200 videos.

excellent video

fantastic info, thanks for providing it in a straight forward to the point way. this is helpful for a guy like me who sets up plenty of tents and some tarps but just starting with the Hammock.

Let's pump up his subscription numbers! People need to watch him!

love the videos brother im new to hammock camping and these videos are awesome and informative. I went with a whole warbonnet system which hasn't come in yet but im excited to give it a try.

Such great information thanks so much

Ordered through your link. Thank you for the post!

Great video Master Matt! I run the exact hammock/tarp setup. Like you said tried and true. Love that porch mode. 👊

Thanks for the tips. Very timely as I'll be doing an overnighter and trying out my new hammock next weekend.

Thanks for content. Enjoyed. Caroline UK 👍

God bless you Matt, and thanks again for the great information!

Hi Matt, you give some of the best presentations on how to set up camp & tying knots & etc. I really appreciate your videos, I’ve learned a lot from you, especially how to tie different knots like the Bowling Loop - the Truckers Hitch - & the Marlin Spike Hitch

Thanks. Always informative

Hi Matt, you give the best presentations on how to set up camp & tying knots & etc, you make it so simple, thank you for your videos. I have learned a lot from you Matt, how to tie the Bowling Loop - the Truckers Hitch - & the Marlin Spike Hitch. I also appreciate how you always give thanks to God before you eat your meal. 🙏👌

Thanks for sharing. Really enjoyed it !

Outstanding!

Mule tape/whoopie sling combo is my new hanging method. Just tried it out yesterday and it’s an extremely easy setup. Thanks for sharing!

Yepp thanks for your presentation, good informations as always by you...👍

Loved your video. Lots of good info for folks new to hammock camping with tarps or who started with lots of hardware (me 🤫) I use knots, soft shackles and toggles for everything. Beckett hitch for hammock to strap connection (no whoopee slings), truckers hitch for tarp ridge line. Soft shackles on the hammock tree straps allow quick attachment to trees and allows repositioning even if there is a branch preventing sliding the straps up or down which is the case when you run the free end of the straps through a fixed loop. Toggles for the ridge line connection to the trees and tarp to ridge line. Toggles are so handy but I don’t carry premade toggles, sticks are everywhere. Also prussics on the hammock ridge line allow you to keep ridge line organizers in one place so they don’t slide to the lowest point (usually in your face).

Great information 👍

Hanking your mule tape around the toggle ... brilliant ,don’t know why I didn’t think of it . Thankyou

Another great video,like the third set up,will try that on my next camp,keep up the good work and look forward to your next one.god bless.

Excellent tutorial, thanks! 👍🏼

Nice presentation A+

Another good video and presentation Matt! I have followed your channel for awhile and can see that you are a good instructor (I have been a Fed LEO instructor/train-the-trainer since 1995). I too really enjoy hangin' in my (Blackbird XLC) hammock!!

Thank you for great video. Looks like very good quality all over!

Great demo of different options for the hammock tarps. Thanks and take care.

Super cool! Thanks a lot!👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏🔥🔥🔥

I never give it thought on so many ways to use a tarp good job.

I came across your channel just flicking around on comparison camping and the hammock sparked my interest. I purchased the cheaper Scout DD hammock as I didn't want to waste money if I didn't take to it. Well I put it up and once I laid in it, I was hooked. Looking at getting the DD setup with the mossie net soon as buying it as an accessory is a little too pricey . Great channel, keep up the good work. You helped me into hammock camping and you weren't even aware of it eh 😁

Matt I enjoy your videos, great job as always.

Wow this is a good place for an add

Thanks for showing in detail the way you do the hang with the mule tape and the whoopie slings. I've watched a lot of videos where people were using those but they never showed how it went together. All I was familiar with was the kind of hammock straps that have the adjustable loops sewn in.

Hey man I'm. New tonyour channel but loved this video thank you so much. I'll be browsing your other content soon and of course I've subscribed 🎉

Good tips and configurations. Your 3rd option works well for me and I find it helps funnel any breezes to keep you cool. Thanks for sharing Matt as beginners will benefit from these tips of yours. Bushyboy Oz.

Great video. One other tip: if you are dealing with driving rain, tie the tarp ridgeline BELOW the hammock suspension. You lose headroom but eliminate much of the rain access.

Brilliant idea’s thank you 💪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👍🔥🥩

Thank you for the options for the hammock/tarp setup. I like the last option the best. I always have rainwater pool on the tarp for your second option. Of course the A frame is very good. When you use a light weight tarp, how do you manage any falling branches so they do not come through and bayonet you while you are sleeping? When there is wind or rain, things always fall from the trees. Great videos, please keep them coming.

Thank You, Matt, for such an excellent video on this subject of great interest to me. I'm aboard with Notifications on and wil be checking out your links. warm regards from Oregon. .. Mike.

Great video Matt!! God bless

great video...!!

My two favorites are either the Becket Hitch ( No need for a piece of wood ) attached directly to the continuous loop on the hammock. 2 ND by using a Marlin Spike Hitch and a whoopee sling. Hammock camping sure has gotten better and lighter from the old WW 2 Jungle Hammock days.

I started out using whoopie slings too but I have now moved to a becket hitch system less working parts less hardware for a lighter weight set up, super good knot holds well and easy to adjust also,

Very helpful. Another good reason to use a hammock in the south: fireants. And in Central Texas we have a lot of scorpions.

Great video. Referred from corporals corner and I subscribed. Keep the content coming!

Always great content and info. RU-vid saw fit to litter it with a TON of ads though. Ad at minute 1 right in the middle of your intro. Bit of trivia: You mentioned the Chinese finger trap on the whoopie slings. Parachute riggers actually do call that a finger trap and they use it to put loops on the ends of lines without a knot so the line is smooth. Sometimes knots cause snags when other lines pass over them. They will sew over them with a zigzag stitch or bar tack to keep them secure.

I am with you on #3, use it quite often.

Thank you for for sharing. I heard about you channel from Corporal Kelly & just subscribed