Sleeping under a tarp & avoiding critters

[prain4u]

I started camping 40+ years ago--and have been a hiker for roughly 35 years. I'm an Eagle Scout, spent 13 years as an Army officer etc. So, I have been outdoors a great deal. In recent years, I have been primarily a hammock hanger.

HOWEVER, a hammock--with tarp, (& mosquito netting) and some type of insultation under me--is not always "ultralight". (My Hennessey Ultralight Backpacker is roughly 2 lbs). Therefore, there are times when I leave the hammock home (to reduce pack weight) or because a lack of suitable trees in the proposed hiking area makes hammock hanging not very practical.

My biggest problem with using just a tarp (which I have done many times in 40 years) is dealing with "critters"--especially of the mammal variety. Depending upon how you choose to pitch your tarp--you are basically fairly open on one (or all) sides to "invasion" by curious animals. Approximately 27 years ago, I had a skunk enter my tarp---it left without spraying. Six years ago, I woke up to a stray pitbull licking my face. Then, you have the occasional mouse, squirrel, chipmunk that explores your tarp area. This sort of thing doesn't happen frequently--but it happens enough to get one's attention.

Generally, I just "deal with it"--it goes with camping "on the ground". However, I am always open to learning other people's ideas regarding how to reduce the problem. (And, I am open to hearing other people's stories regarding their close encounters with critters and tarps).

NOTE: I don't keep food with me where I sleep. Except in really bad weather, I don't prepare or eat food where I sleep. I take steps to reduce the amount of sweat/salt stained items that are on me--or in my sleeping area

[jesse]

I have never had a problem with critters. Like you I don't keep, prepare, or eat food where I sleep.

[aaronthebugbuffet]

I've never had much issue with it. I do notice when it rains all the insects and slugs like to come in and hang out with me.

Just sleeping out in the open I once had to scare off a deer that I thought was going to step on my face.

My biggest concern has always been waking up to a porcupine standing on my chest.

[Bronk]

I saw a skunk walk right up under someone's tarp and crawl inside their pack to get at their food bag. They were completely helpless...what do you do? You can't try to scare it away because you don't want it to spray all your stuff, so they just had to watch until it decided to leave.

I've only ever used a tarp in the winter time or late fall or early spring because I just can't stand the bugs.

[daddytwosticks]

SMD Meteor Bivy. Ground sheet, bug proof, mammals licking-your-face protection.

[rocketsocks]

If a skunk licked my face while I was sleeping,I'd think it was funny......NOT

[rocketsocks]

And if a skunk sprayed on me and my sleeping bag I'd say,guess I'm doing laundry today...NOT I'd throw that b***ch away.

[Tinker]

http://www.bearpawwd.com/shelters_fl...ist1_bivy.html This might help.

[stranger]

There are a number of inserts for tarps that will deal with this issue, but obviously they will all add weight. Some good net-tents are made by:
- Mountain Laurel Designs
- Six Moon Designs
- Yama Mountain Gear
- Go Lite
- Zpacks

[Miner]

I normally cowboy camp most nights and only pull the tarp out when the weather is threatening. In general, at any campsite, I look for ants and if they are crawling around I move on. I don't camp near holes in the ground figuring something lives in it that I might now want to meet. I don't camp in meadows as there are too many field mice. I often cook dinner before reaching camp. If bears or animals are a know problem, I may hang my food or use a bear cannister if required. But as a general rule, other then policing my camp area and saying a prayer over it, I don't worry about critters. If I did, I wouldn't be able to continue camping this way. And that would be tragic since I'm very a lazy camper. I hate camp chores like setting up tents (now cowboy camp), cleaning pots (now freezer bag cook), etc.

Despite those precautions or maybe because I didn't follow them, here is what has happened to me over the past 6 years including a PCT thru-hike.

Encounters under the tarp:

• On my PCT hike, in Lassen Volcanic National Park during a thunderstorm, a frog about the size of my hand, heading to the creek 30ft away tried to cross under my tarp. My hand touched something squishy under my quilt when I moved and in my half asleep state thought it was a slimy wet rock that rolled under. Then I slowly remembered the only rocks near me was a pile I made to scare off any bears during the night. So I freaked out and pulled my body and quilt to the end of my tarp where I found my flashlight and had a 5 minute staring contest with this frog until he continued on towards the creek. My bad, I was probably camped too close to a water source, though this was just a freak incident in my mind.

Encounters while cowboy camping:

• A mouse chewed through my hipbelt pocket on my pack during the night because I forgot to dump the granola crumbs. Only realized the next day. The area had signs of burrowing so I knew better but camped there anyway.
• During the night a large dark shadow was making noise within 10ft of me. I thought it was a bear and freaked out. Turned out to be a buck deer foraging in the night.
• While on the PCT, camped in Oregon in the middle of a lava field. I couldn't find a campsite free from rocks for more then 30minutes of hiking so I finally camped on the trail as it was the only flat place. It was surrounded by rocks so I couldn't police the ground around me like I normally do. After cooking dinner, I found a millipede or a centipede (not sure which) on my sleeping pad when I went to go to bed. I threw it and my pad off into the distance. After reclaiming my pad, I went to sleep and was annoyed during the night by occasional ants crawling on me. The only time I've ever had issues with crawling insects. What I get for sleeping somewhere I couldn't police the area around me.

[Tenderheart]

Never had a problem with critters under a tarp, and I actually thru hiked with one.

[daddytwosticks]

Never had a problem with critters under a tarp, and I actually thru hiked with one.

With one what...critter or tarp?

[sjd0397]

i've never had any issues with critters under my tarp while camping. Although once while on a canoe trip down the Delaware we had a millipede invasion in our tarps while we were sleeping.

[Jim Adams]

used a tarp on my 1990 and my 2002 thrus...never had any critter problems.

geek

[Wise Old Owl]

My dad & I have had skunks come into the AT shelter and sleep on top of our freind Andy, in fact the baby crawled up on top of him and curled up in his beard - Andy had to sleep motionless the rest of the night and they left to everyones releif around 5 am. Didn't seem to bother Andy.

[tuswm]

its not just a tarp ting. I was in a solo tent and hung my boots to dry from the highest point IN my tent. I put hand warmers in my boots. I woke up to a rustling sound. I heard a zipper. I figured the sounds would stop but they didn't, it moved over me. When I turned on my head lamp it was a skunk that was trying to curl up in my drying boots. I am not sure how it got through the zipper but I was happy it had not destroyed the tent. I slid back to the foot of my tent. If I had been in a tap I would have been able to flee, but I was stuck in my tent. the door was at the head of the tent. it freaked out to see me and couldn't figure out how to get back out. It felt like forever being trapped in a tent with a scared skunk. Finally it found the small opening in the zipper.

[Rocket Jones]

Tuswm, I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time, but that story made me laugh out loud.

[dink]

you are right about it being not just a tarp thing...I have been rousted out of a sound sleep by a large racoon reaching its grubby paws under my pillow, inside my tent...the dog hid a snack under my pillow and the darn racoon unzipped the tent and came right on in. The poor dog was quivering all over because she wanted to chase the coon soooooo bad but I wouldn't let her move, I was afraid the 2 of them would do some serious damage to each other, me and the tent. Thank heavens the darn thing decided to get out while it could, and from then on I check every inch of the tent before going to bed when the dog goes with me!!

[gopher]

Shine your flashlight on the skunk since they are nocturnal it is enough to gently chase them away.

[Wags]

i'd suggest an open no-net hammock that supports your weight and getting a papa smurf bugnet for under 3 ozs. then elite top quilt and underquilt. my baseweight in 3 seasons is under 10 lbs. you can do it! screw all that nonesense about sleeping on the ground...