Always. Not much to see when my eyes are closed.
Always. Not much to see when my eyes are closed.
Another vote for always. I just don't trust weather forecasts that much. A small chance of getting soaked and freezing out weighs the benefit of star gazing for 2 minutes until I fall asleep but hey, HYOH!
If you're in the middle of a high pressure system and the air feels warm and dry, you're probably good without a fly. In those conditions, having the extra ventilation is worth the very slight risk of a stray shower, IMO.
However, those conditions don't happen very often in the Appalachians - occasionally during the spring/fall and almost never during the summer. I've only slept without a fly a handful of times in over a hundred nights camped out in the Southeast. Only gotten burned once, back when I was a novice backpacker.
It's all good in the woods.
Yes, in the mountains overnight storms and showers can pop up. And its def harder in the dark while getting dumped on, than just put it up when you hang your hammock initially. If I want extra ventilation I'll do porch mode.
I put mine up not just for protection from rain but also bird and squirrel poop and other stuff that can rain down on me.
I’m usually too tired to look at stars anyway.