Not to derail the thread... but you were in the wrong hammock. I am a side sleeper and can't get to sleep laying in my back, curled up in a ball, or any other shape people assume a hammock might force them into. This is a feature of the hammock design....

And yes, the tarp makes a big difference - but - I've ridden out a storm and gusty wind in comfort, and would not have had warm food without the hammock setup I took. The wind was consistently blowing out our stoves (my friend had a jetboil and I had a stove with a windscreen) and we could only make dinner sitting inside, under my hammock on the ground, out of the wind.

The selling points of the hammock system are usually the things people assume aren't possible with them. However, as I have a serious "granite habit," I have some nice tent options as well so I can be alpine a lot. However, I do a lot of research online sometimes before I decide so I can take the hammock setup if it's possible...

It sounds like you tried a Clark... that style never looked comfortable to me, so I've never bothered with it. There are better ways.