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View Full Version : What % of AT hikers use tarps and/or bivies?



Dirtygaiters
02-24-2008, 15:05
Just wondering. From your experience, how many of the hikers you've seen sleep in tarps and/or bivies rather than tents, shelters, bear dens, etc.

warraghiyagey
02-24-2008, 15:06
neither.

Bearpaw
02-24-2008, 15:11
Just wondering. From your experience, how many of the hikers you've seen sleep in tarps and/or bivies rather than tents, shelters, bear dens, etc.

On section hikes I often use a tarp or my Gatewood Cape. Shelters make it easier to get away with tarping, though it would be foolish to rely on shelters as the only rain protection available.

On a thru-hike, I would go with a tarptent simply because in many towns, tenting is the only inexpensive option which provides reasonable privacy.

As for others, most AT hikers I've seen use tents or hammocks, not tarps. I would guess that less than 10% of thru-hikers use tarps as their regular shelter.

A-Train
02-24-2008, 15:15
Bivies seem like a fad that have come and gone mostly. Still see a few guys on trail using them, but they're not very practical for the AT or other long trails. Too much condensation, not enough breathability.

Tarptents seem to be the most popular now, for balance between weight, privacy, performance and price.

Phreak
02-24-2008, 15:21
I use a tarp 99% of the time.

Dirtygaiters
02-24-2008, 15:48
Bivies seem like a fad that have come and gone mostly. Still see a few guys on trail using them, but they're not very practical for the AT or other long trails. Too much condensation, not enough breathability.



I meant to ask about a tarp/bivy combo. I can certainly see why most hikers wouldn't be using a stand alone bivy.

Alligator
02-24-2008, 17:04
I use a tarp about 50% of the time, having switched to a hammock in the summer months.

I use a tent in the winter.

I very rarely see anyone using a tarp, but I tend to avoid the thruhiker wave. I do recommend their use though, I've been very happy with using mine.

hopefulhiker
02-24-2008, 17:07
I would say a lot use some version of the tarp tent.. More people use tarps, tarp tents than regular tarptnets.. Hammocks are becoming more popular. Only saw a couple of bivys my whole thru hike in 05...

Tinker
02-24-2008, 17:18
Alligator must be my clone.

What HE said (but I've been using my winter hammock more lately).

Enclosed tarp-type shelters offer the best combination of weight, privacy, weather protection, and bug protection.

Tinker
02-24-2008, 17:19
Hammocks offer better sleep.

maxNcathy
02-24-2008, 17:41
What do you tarp guys/gals think about the new MSR Twing tarp?
Would it be roomy enough and give weather coverage for two hikers and their gear?

http://www.trailspace.com/gear/msr/twing/

Dirtygaiters
02-24-2008, 17:56
maxNcathy, that's off topic. You're free to start a new topic in the Gear Forums for a more thorough answer from more people, but my answer is that it does look large enough for two people, but there are lighter options.

Let's stay on topic. It's a pretty simple thread, but it's also only a few hours old. No need to venture off into gear reviews just yet.

Creek Dancer
02-24-2008, 18:08
Dirtygaiters, this thread is categorized "general". Not straight forward.

MaxNcathy - that tarp appears to be large enough for two, but I understand why you would wonder about the weather coverage. For not much more weight, I would personally go with a two person tarp tent.

hootyhoo
02-24-2008, 18:32
I use a hammock in the warmer months, but use a tarp in the other months. I take a dog and the tarp just works better than a tent for that. I like a tarp for the weight savings and other reasons. I switched from a Golite poncho tarp to a Sierra Designs Oragami 2 UL and am very happy with it. I will continue to use the poncho tarp at times, but the added space and extra rain protection.

Dirtygaiters
02-24-2008, 19:01
Creek Dancer,
Your response about preferring a tarptent illustrates exactly why the Twing conversation needs its own thread. It's just so complicated of a topic compared to a simple question about how many people on the AT use tarps and bivies.

True, it's not posted in the Straight Forward forum, but that doesn't mean it's automatically a freeforall thread. Notice that I didn't ask the people talking about hammocks to stay on topic. Because they're answering the question about what people are using for shelter on the AT. Asking opinions about a specific tarp is not addressing the question "what are people using for shelter?" at all. It's a topic that simply needs its own thread.

Creek Dancer
02-24-2008, 20:17
Are you a moderator?

Dirtygaiters
02-24-2008, 20:45
Creek Dancer, take that attitude somewhere else please. As you clearly already know, I'm not a moderator, but that doesn't mean I can't kindly ask people to stay *relatively* on topic, does it? I think it doesn't. Some deviation from direct answers is fine, even preferred, which is why I didn't post it in the Straight Forward forum, but like I said, we're talking about a completely different topic with the Twing. In no way does an opinion poll on a certain tarp relate to how many people on the AT are using tarps and bivies rather than tents.

Creek Dancer
02-24-2008, 20:55
Dirtygaiters, kindly stop telling me what I should do and what I should post. Your condescending attitude is not appreciated. Take your attitude elsewhere please. I did not clearly know if you were a moderator or not. That is why I asked. Is there some way to find out who are the moderators are on WB? In a general thread, you have to expect thread deviation. If you didn't want that to happen, you should keep it "straight forward".

Dirtygaiters
02-24-2008, 20:57
I'll keep that in mind.

shelterbuilder
02-24-2008, 21:07
If I need privacy (campgrounds or sites where I can reasonably expect large crowds), or if it's wintertime and the weather's going to be nasty, I'll use my tent. Otherwise, I'm just as likely to use my tarp. A tarp of almost ANY design lends itself to more versatility. True, you can't keep out snakes, skunks, or bugs very well, but that's a minor price to pay for lighter weight and "use-anywhere-ability".

Max and Cathy - the rendering in your link makes the Twing look like it's designed to be very airy (similar to a tipi with the sides raised up from the ground) - I wonder if it can achieve a tight-to-the-ground pitch?

Barbarosa
02-24-2008, 21:13
I have an Ootdoor Research gortex bivey I really like, it weighs a lb and a half, is water tight, and is easy to set up and take down. It also adds about 10 degrees of warmth to a sleeping bag, so you can go light on that as well. An added bonus is that you can set it up in a shelter and take up no more space than a sleeping bag. Moisture is only and issue if its raining, and you can't open a little hole to let your breath out.

rafe
02-24-2008, 23:31
Do I use a tarp? No. Have I seen them being used on the AT? Yes, every now and then.

Jim Adams
02-24-2008, 23:47
What do you tarp guys/gals think about the new MSR Twing tarp?
Would it be roomy enough and give weather coverage for two hikes and their gear?

http://www.trailspace.com/gear/msr/twing/


I used a tarp on both of my thru hikes. I would try to stay in a shelter in really nasty rain storms but not because the tarp wasn't weather tight...a wet tarp is heavier than a dry tarp.
I was in Hurricane Hugo for 3 days under tarps and was perfectly fine.
I won't consider a tent unless in very cold, very deep snow and never a hammock...too much fiddling around for such a restricted shelter.
That said, I wouldn't go with the Twing either. Looks to complicated to keep the pitch constantly tight and weather proof, too cramped and you can't stand under it....then there is the price...2 1/2 to 6 times more than a decent 10x10 tarp.:-?

geek

Tinker
02-25-2008, 00:51
I took a look at that Twing tarp. Seems as if there's too much fabric cut from the sides to button it down tight to the ground in blowing rain.
I can see having a catenary ridgeline (especially on a larger tarp to keep flapping down), but cutting the sides diminishes rain protection in the interest of cutting weight.
Something like Oware's Catbird tarp looks good, but it's out of stock now.
If you use a solo tarp and want bug protection, look at Mountain Laurel Designs bug bivy design.
End of gear specific comments in this thread from my end. :)

Doctari
02-25-2008, 06:58
I use a tarp 100% of the time, well, 100% of the time I use a shelter. & I suppose with my hammock sock up, I'm practically using a bivy. I do sometimes set up the hammock witout putting the tarp up, & many times without pulling up the sock.

bigcranky
02-25-2008, 08:34
What % use tarps and bivvies? I don't know, but I haven't seen all that many on the A.T. I use a 6x10 foot silnylon tarp and a homemade breathable bivy most of the year, switching to a hammock if I do any solo summer hikes. I like the versatility of the tarp/bivy combination. (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15993&catid=searchresults&searchid=13411)The bivy adds better wind resistance (and thus a little warmth), bug protection, and takes the place of a ground sheet. (And at less than 8 oz, my homemade bivy isn't much heavier than the average plastic ground sheet.)

take-a-knee
02-25-2008, 09:23
maxNcathy, that's off topic. You're free to start a new topic in the Gear Forums for a more thorough answer from more people, but my answer is that it does look large enough for two people, but there are lighter options.

Let's stay on topic. It's a pretty simple thread, but it's also only a few hours old. No need to venture off into gear reviews just yet.

Go wash your gaiters and chill out.

Two Speed
02-25-2008, 10:48
t-a-k, they already got that worked out. What say all four of us take a chill?

taildragger
02-25-2008, 10:56
well, in the quest to get the right gear, I ended up with a tent, tarp, and tarptent.

I'm trying to switch to the tarp except for bug season, then use the tarptent. The tent is a 3 season convertible, so its for car camping and winter.

On the AT I only say double walled tents and hammocks. But I didn't meet many thru hikers, and most people that I say stayed at shelters. When I hiked out East I got lucky and never needed shelter, cowboy camped the whole time.