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thecyclops
04-05-2015, 21:10
***Preface-I have never slept sans a floor or without doors in my tent,and the creepy crawlies got me a bit worried***

How do you deal with no floors/doors in a ground tarp/tarp tent setup? Im transitioning into a ground tarp setup for multinights (10X10 Snugpak tarp) Im not scared of bugs in general,but def dont want a snake in sleeping bag,or black widow in me drawers (I suppose thats a worse case scenario) Anywho,is this usually a problem? What the best way to deal with a shelter with no floor to keep out things that move?
Thanks in advance.

Feral Bill
04-05-2015, 21:35
To quote Colin Fletcher "I lie down, close my eyes, and go to sleep". For bad mosquitoes, add a bug net to your setup.

Jedeye
04-05-2015, 21:36
I went with a tarp and a ultralite bivy sack. The bivy wasn't water proof on top, but only weighed around 6oz.

thecyclops
04-05-2015, 21:41
So sleep in a bivvy (I have an SOL Escape breathable bivvy,weighs 8.5 oz I believe) and a bug net for the creepy crawlies...I thought of the net,then think of the extra weight and I could almost just take a tent o.O
I must admit the more I play with a tarp setup,even though Ive only backyard camped under one so far,the more excited I get about the possibilities.I dont ever see myself as a hammock camper,but I think I can make it work for me.
Now what about rain?Any blow in/get wet issues?

jimyjam
04-05-2015, 21:45
I have a hammock I use with my tarp. My Warbonnet Superfly tarp makes a complete tent over my hammock with doors and all. Only a few instances you'd have to go completely to ground and could probably be avoided all together. Just a thought (I've never had creepy crawlers visit me in my hammock and a bug net helps insure that)!


Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!

jdc5294
04-05-2015, 22:23
Quite a few nights when I saw there was a 0% chance of rain I wouldn't use my tent. I dunno it just never bothered me. I usually sprayed some deet into my hair and on my arms. It's really no different then sleeping in the shelters.

Slo-go'en
04-05-2015, 23:18
It's really no different then sleeping in the shelters.

Actually there is. Being well off the ground keeps the majority of the bugs away, even the mosquitoes have a hard time finding their way in for some reason.

Over the years I've tried all manor of shelter schemes and I keep coming back to the basic tent.

scrabbler
04-06-2015, 00:19
You can treat your gear/clothes with permethrin too - Sawyer makes one version that is sold widely. Also, camping in a breezy area keeps a lot of the flying bugs away.

Toon
04-06-2015, 02:03
I use a "canoe" while sleeping on the ground without a tent. You take a ground tarp and tie up the corners so your bag and pad are wrapped inside. You can sleep in 2 inches of water and stay dry. The bugs... a net or sleeping pills.

Lyle
04-06-2015, 06:34
Been sleeping under a tarp as my primary shelter for quite a few years now, never had an unwanted visitor other than mosquitoes and slugs. Included hiking from Georgia to Vermont, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and the High Sierra. Just never been a problem. Could something wander in? I suppose it's possible, just not something I worry about.

Lynnette
04-06-2015, 08:49
HI - In the very early spring, I tested the tarp. Saw stars, loved it. Used polycro on ground, rest and then sleeping bag. First of April, same setup: however, I awoke to find out that I was not the only living thing in my sleeping bag. Caterpillar types and their friends, on my stomach and legs and armpits. I was undone at 3 am in the morning. Went back to tent. But a different one, because I liked the lighter load. O, this was in mid-Virginia.
L

Rain Man
04-06-2015, 09:00
I usually use a hammock. However, I love the free feeling of cowboy camping with only the stars overhead. I've never, ever had a problem with bugs nor the urban myth of snakes crawling inside my quilt with me.

If mosquitoes were out, I'd use a bug net or head net of some sort or just not do it, but I mostly do it in cold weather (no bugs).

I do treat my clothing and gear with Permethrin.

Bronk
04-06-2015, 09:02
If you're worried about snakes, don't unroll your sleeping bag until you're ready to get in it.

rhjanes
04-06-2015, 10:45
Hammock. Permethrin treat stuff also (keeps bugs away). If you tent, bivey, hammock, treat that stuff. I only lightly treated my hammock. I dunked the tree straps in Permethrin.

Jake2c
04-06-2015, 14:11
I tented for years then shifted to a hammock with integrated bug net which I intend to use on the AT thru hike. For me, a comfortable sleep at night is important. In my hammock I can sit up cross legged or use it as a chair with my legs hanging over the edge. If I want to lounge for a while and stay dry I like the option. There is a weight penalty but if I'm hiking for about 6 months, I want to use a dry, comfortable, repeatable system. For short outings I have at times just slept on the ground, but not my favorite or most comfortable evenings.

virginiagunny
05-05-2015, 14:16
Yep, I use a Hennessy hammock, can't beat a hammock no more looking for level ground and all the bugs stay out. the rig weights about 3lbs. that is with an undercover.