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View Full Version : using a tarp on the PCT



RITBlake
03-25-2006, 03:31
Ive never really been out west so I have a few questions regarding the PCT and using a tarp. What is the bug situation like out there? One of the major reasons for not using a tarp on the AT is all the bugs and the rain. I know the PCT is much dryer, but I'm not sure about the bugs. What kind of setup would you guys suggest.

wren
03-25-2006, 13:00
Tarps are perfect for the PCT. I brought a headnet and used small stuff sacks for 'bug gloves' on buggy occasions. In hindsight, I may have brought a small piece of bug netting to sit under while eating and sleeping in certain sections..
From the mexican border to the sierra, ants and ticks were the only insects that were (very) occasionally an issue. The flooded meadows in the sierras created Alaska mosquito conditions at times. Some spots in Oregon were brutal too. Dont really remember having any insect problems in washington. I suppose some of the low, wet areas might have been a little buggy.. The cooler weather also seemed to keep them down, especially at night.
So to sum up.. If youre tarping, a headnet, windbreaker/rain gear top and bottom, and some kind of hand protection should be plenty of protection. I never used chemical repellents of any kind. The only thing I didnt have that would have been helpful was a piece of netting.

neo
03-25-2006, 13:08
i have tarp camped and used this net with excellent results:cool: neo


http://trailquest.net/dlgcsleepnet.html

docllamacoy
03-25-2006, 14:09
We had a Sil Shelter without a bug net and had no problems with mosquitos at night. Some nights we slept out but needed head nets.
Hiking during the day is different story. :)

docllamacoy
03-25-2006, 14:11
Forgot to add that I would highly recommend one of Henry Shires' Tarp Tents. Great guy, great product.
http://www.tarptent.com/

RITBlake
03-25-2006, 16:08
with the heny shires tarptent, is there full bug netting all the way around? in some of the pictures on his website it looks like the area by the feet has none? and did you use an attached floor or a groundsheet? what are the pro's cons of both systems?

RITBlake
03-25-2006, 16:14
i have tarp camped and used this net with excellent results:cool: neo
http://trailquest.net/dlgcsleepnet.html

that's what I had in mind, but the idea of a tarptent with full bug coverage is also appealing. time for more research yay!

Sly
03-25-2006, 17:37
Gossamer Gear sells a light, inexpensive mosquito netting for tarps. As already noted, the Sierras can be brutal, along with parts of OR, but most of the time you don't even need a tarp and sleeping under the stars is common.

RITBlake
03-25-2006, 17:56
most of the time you don't even need a tarp and sleeping under the stars is common.

Sly, thats what I figured. So many of the trail journals Ive looked show pictures of people sleeping out under the stars w/ no protection. I just wouldn't want to bring a tarp into a heavy bug section and have no protection. I was looking for a lightweight system, thanks for the suggestion. I've never tarped before (obviously) but it looks like its ideal for the PCT

Mags
03-26-2006, 16:36
Add to the chorus of "just get some light weight bug netting".

Dancing Light Gear makes a light bug netting setup for sleeping.
http://www.trailquest.net/dlgcsleepnet.html


As with others, slept under the stars every chance I had. Set up my tarp 7x total on the PCT! Also used this setup on the Colorado Trail and other times in Utah, Wyoming and other places in Colorado.

Basically...I can't picture using a tent anymore for solo three-season backpacking. Esp. west of the Mississippi.

Spirit Walker
03-26-2006, 22:03
We were the opposite. We used a tent almost all the time. Every time we lay out under the stars, the dew ended up soaking us. Some years the bugs are worse than others. We had mosquitos in the Sierras, but not too bad in Oregon. Other years, Oregon can be a nightmare - or so I've heard. We had falling snow in the Sierras and in Washington - so were glad we had a tent. Henry Shires or Six Moons Design both give you a lightweight alternative. YMMV

The Solemates
03-27-2006, 11:19
For the most part, CA will be free of bugs. This has been our experience with both visiting the state and hiking throughout the state (although we have not hiked the PCT). From everything I have read, however, Oregon and Washington are a different story...prepare for bugs there.

Ender
03-27-2006, 15:23
The worst bugs I've ever encountered were in the High Sierras. Unbelievable bugs. Huge, mean, and in numbers I had only imagined up till that point. I had switched to a hammock by that point so I had bug netting for at night, but during the day was brutal. Always wore long sleaves and pants, and 100% deet in regular applications. Even that was barely enough. Beware the bugs.

Sly
03-27-2006, 15:29
The High Sierras, Lassen Volcanic NP, the Sisters area in OR among others during thru-hiker season can be brutal with mosquitoes. Worse than anything on the AT. Bring Deet. The spray can (26%) worked well for me as I could apply it to hard to reach areas.

RITBlake
03-27-2006, 20:27
The High Sierras, Lassen Volcanic NP, the Sisters area in OR among others during thru-hiker season can be brutal with mosquitoes. Worse than anything on the AT.

Worse then the black flies in Maine? in June? I've never quite experienced anything like it. If a piece of skin was exposed it was getting bitten. It was a nightmare for the first couple weeks. I'll take your word for it though.

The Solemates
03-28-2006, 11:27
Worse then the black flies in Maine? in June? I've never quite experienced anything like it. If a piece of skin was exposed it was getting bitten. It was a nightmare for the first couple weeks. I'll take your word for it though.

this is so strange. i always here this, but we were in ME in june on our thru and the blackflies werent that bad at all.

The Solemates
03-28-2006, 11:28
"hear" ...