WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM A ONE-LEGGED GUY ABOUT HIKING, BACKPACKING AND GEAR?
Camping Gear: Top Five Rainflys
I'm a hammock camper, which means one of the most important pieces of camping gear is a good rainfly. Over the years I've used several different rainflys and have made a few out of plastic ground tarps, Tyvek and the classic blue tarp from the hardware store. I've taken perfectly good rainflys and modified them to the point where they failed. You can look through some of my older videos (please excuse the amateurish quality) and see many of them.
​
I've found that a rainfly comes down to three things:
-
Quality of Materials and Construction
-
Versatility
-
Price
​
With that in mind, here are my top five rainfly recommendations.
Note: Amazon Associates Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Onewind 12ft Rainfly
Top of my list for three reasons, price, versatility and quality. This rainfly is made of 1.1oz 20D ripstop silnylon and is treated with silicon/PU 4000mm. It's big too, 12 by 10 foot giving you lots of room for your hammock, a chair, and stove. The many tie-outs enable you to be really creative when setting it up and yes, that includes folding those flaps over to make doors for full privacy. For $90 it's a great deal compared to many other more expensive rainflys with similar features. It does weigh a bit more, 2.2lbs and like many of the others, the colour selection is limited to green and grey. I've got a video review of it under the Gear dropdown if you want more details. This is piece of camping gear goes with me on all overnight backpacking trips.
Link: https://amzn.to/3bz1aAV
Wise Owl Outfitter Standard Rainfly
Well-loved by many and at a reasonable price. Made of 210T ripstop polyester with a 2500 PU waterproof rating. The standard size is 11 by 9 foot and weighs in at 26 oz. No extra tie-outs, just those on the corners and in the middle to attach it to the tree. At $50 this won't break the bank. While it comes in grey you can get it in blue which is a refreshing option compared to most other rainflys. A rainfly this size will let the ends of longer hammocks get a little damp in the rain so that's something to keep in mind.
Link: https://amzn.to/3OKsKcW
Unigear Rainfly (large)
I do mean large, 10 by 16.5 foot puts this $52 rainfly at the top end of rainfly sizes. It's made of 210D rip-stop Oxford fabric, PU 3000mm and weighs in at 2.18lbs. You can get creative with this rainfly thanks to the many tie-outs along the edges and two running down the middle, (doesn't have the side tie-outs like the Onewind though). Grey, brown and green are your colour choices, I personally like the green. This would make a good rainfly for those that hang two hammocks next to each other and then use the extra length to setup their stove and chairs. As camping gear goes, this is more of a car camping piece of kit.
Link: https://amzn.to/3NzlO16
Aqua Quest Silnylon Rainfly
Taking the top of the price chart at $120 for the 13 by 10-foot size, this rainfly actually delivers. It's not light, 3.2 pounds, but that's what you should expect for the size and the fact that it's made of 40D RipStop Nylon fabric with dual Silicone & PU coating. This makes it one of the most durable rainflys you can find. The rainfly comes with plenty of tie-outs and while there are no side tie-outs, you could probably spend a day just messing around with all the different ways you can set this up. Colour choices are olive drab, forester green and stealth grey.
Link: https://amzn.to/3OQlhtr
OneTigris Bastion Rainfly
OneTigris has developed a good reputation for it's backpacking gear and this rainfly is a part of that reputation. The price is reasonable at $70. This is the only square shaped rainfly on the list (9.4 by 9.4 foot) but with all it's tie-outs you'll have no problems setting up a good cover for your hammock. It's made of 20D silicon-coated nylon and weighs 2.2 pounds. Unlike the other rainflys, you get just one colour, green.
Link: https://amzn.to/3nufaid