Tarps, what else

[CarolinaJP]

I am thinking of switching to the tarp setup. If we say that overall protection of a tent is a 10 then where would a tarp protection level be from 1 - 10. My only real concern is water drainage under the tarp. I would never camp in an obvious spot for a puddel. I am bright in many subjects, just not tarp control. I have read up alot about tarps but as most say its different folks different strokes.

I like protection but I want to go lighter and I like the feel of the tarps openness. If you can give me advice about how to get the most amount of shelter from a tarp I would appreciate it.

[Lyle]

I have used tarps for several years, no real problems with getting wet. You must learn different pitching techniques for different situations and weather expectations, so there is a learning curve.

One GREAT alternative, that is more forgiving of improper consideration of drainage patterns is to combine a tarp with a hammock. Still need to be aware of wind tho.

I have also recently been experimenting with various tarp tents, some with floors, some without. These have the same constraints as tarps, but are easier to set up (less versatile too regarding optional configurations).

My first experience with tarps were plastic tube tents in the 70's and plastic "blue tarps" in the 80's - used when car camping. I would recommend that anyone new to tarping do some similar experimenting prior to purchasing a good silnylon tarp or tarp tent.

To answer your question, based on my experience, and taking into account wind, condensation, rain, cold, and bugs, a tarp can provide a level 8-9 protection. Some of these will take extra care, experience and possiby some extra equipment from time to time (bug netting, ground cloths, possibly a bivy in extreme conditions). A tarp, in experienced hands is a very secure, snug shelter. As with everything else, and every other gear choice, it's personal preference, practice, and what skills you choose to learn.

Tents are probably most forgiving of "no brainer" set-up, aside from shelters that is.

[Time To Fly 97]

I tarped the whole AT and loved it. Tarps are not difficult to setup and have so many options. In bad weather I can stake the weather side right on the ground and shorten my Leki hiking poles which I use for supports. In good weather I can have the poles higher and allow more breeze in. With tarps, you can fall asleep every night watching the beauty around you like a rainstorm or a sunset. Tents are more like a bubble and you miss a lot (unless the weather is perfect and you go without a rain fly).

Tarps are much lighter too. I was comfortable in monsoonal downpours (although with the tarp so low and wide, it was a challenge to put my boots on in the morning. It is a very cool experience actually to be in a tarp in a rainstorm. It allowed more breeze in the summer and by the time I got to Maine, I was impervious to temperature : )

I'll toss this out to you. I felt blessed to know about tarps after dumping my heavy tent at the Walasi Yi in Neels Gap. But now, I feel that my Hennessey Hammock is that much more of an evolution over tarps. Have fun deciding.

Happy hiking!

TTF

[Seeker]

i'm a hammocker, but i'll not go into that... there are plenty of posts here and on hammock forums.

my advice is to practice-practice-practice.... if you have a backyard, nearby woods/fields, or a park, go there on a nice day and learn to set up a few different configurations. then go back when it's raining, when the wind blows from different directions, and when it's dark, so you can learn to set up using just your headlamp.

[Alligator]

Bigger tarps are more forgiving. I would suggest sizes of 8x8 up to 8x10. Some folks do get by with smaller tarps though, such as 6X8.

I suggest learning several of the different setups for tarps.

Some differences between tents and tarps are bug protection, wind protection, and rain protection. Each of these detracts from the tarp as opposed to a tent. A good tent will handle these very well in all three seasons. A tarp will handle these moderately well in three seasons. You just need a little confidence and you will be fine. You will need some kind of bug netting. I'd give a tarp a 7.5-8. Even then, I tarp in three seasons (but do use a hammock on occasion in the summer). The somewhat lessened coverage be far is offset by the weight savings IMO.

One place I would consider not bringing my tarp would be New England bug season, particularly Maine.

[Time To Fly 97]

Just a follow up on Alligator's thoughts which are right on. Bugs are a challenge with tarps. I ended up getting a hanging bug net for a single cot (like you see on a safari). Campmor had these, but maybe not now? I just tied the top corners to my hiking pole supports with a little peice of string and draped the netting over my sleeping bag. This wasn't a pretty solution, but it had almost no weight and worked perfectly against the bugs.

Happy hiking!

TTF

[taildragger]

I own a tarp and a tarptent (floored).

The tarp is far more versatile. On my last trip to AZ I would have had a bear of a time finding a place to pitch my tarptent. The tarp also held up in the wind, this was my first trip with it, and the soil made it hard to pitch with stakes. One windy night on a ridge in the rain, both my friend and I woke up dry.

[Jim Adams]

I have been using tarps for 26 years and would never do a long hike w/o one. The only real downfall with a tarp compared to a tent is bug protection. On both of my thrus I relied on deet and surprisingly only required using it a handful of times on either thru.

I use a 10'x10' sil nylon tarp that weighs 15 oz. I have no problems with wind or rain and in fact in 1989 withstood the tail end of hurricane Hugo under a tarp for 4 days as it came up the Ohio valley. Weather wise a tarp is not a handicap compared to a tent, it is only different.

As stated earlier practice is key to the whole use of a tarp. For the first month of uses it will be a steep learning curve if you don't want it shredded and you want to remain dry. Definitely go to Wal-Mart and buy a $5 blue tarp and set it up everyday in your back yard. The trail is not the place to learn. Stick with a square tarp to start as they are easier to work with simply due to being symetrical. I would use a 10'x10' and learn every set-up that you can think of. The 2 main problems to over come with a tarp are:
1. set it up with the low side into the weather WITHOUT it draining back under itself. Pay attention to the lay of the land on the drainage side of the tarp.
2. tie off EVERY grommet or tie-off point that you can. If it is windy a loose tarp will flap loudly and keep you awake at best or will shred itself to pieces at worst. It should be a taut as a tent. Tie off to trees, rocks, roots, logs, branches etc....use pegs as a last resort. If you must use pegs, make your own from dead branches in the area. Sharpen 1 end and make them at least 1/2" or larger in diameter and 12" long....anything smaller is a waste of time as the wind force on a tarp will either break them or pull them out. Use a rock to pound them into the ground.

Put 25' of very light nylon cord on each corner and leave it there. As you tie off to say a tree maybe only 2' away from the tarp, you can take the long end of the cord and go back to the next grommet or tie-off point with the same cord. Don't over tighten the cords but make them tight enough that the tarp wont sag or flap.

One of the easier and most weather proof set-ups is to tie a corner to a tree at ground level then take the opposite corner and tie it to a tree as high as you can reach. Pull the two sides out at ground level and tie them off. It should look sort of like an arrowhead. You can store your gear in the rear of the structure and yet stand up in the front. A 10'x10' set up this way will easily and comfortably camp 3 people without being cramped. MAKE SURE THAT THE LOW POINTED END IS INTO THE WIND/STORM AND THAT THE WATER RUNNING OFF WILL DRAIN AWAY FROM THE TARP.

Cut a piece of tyvek 7'x4' and put your mat and sleeping bag on it. The extra width lets you also sit your pack beside you w/o it being in the dirt and also a clean dry area to stand on to get dressed.

Good luck and have fun but remember.....you will have neither w/o practicing set-up!

geek

[Appalachian Tater]

You might also consider a tarptent with a bathtub floor and bug mesh. For two pounds including stakes (Henry Shires Tarptent Rainbow) you get protection from weather and bugs.

[dloome]

I've carried a tarp for every mile I've ever hiked, closing in on 8,000 of them, including the AT and PCT. Here's my $0.02 on tarps: For the vast majority of the time in 3-season conditions, tarps are perfectly adequate shelters. However, if you use a tarp enough, you're bound to encounter a situation where a tarp just plain sucks. Whether it's high wind, thick mosquitos, or the ground is too soft/hard to pitch it easily, etc. you WILL curse your tarp at some point. Like any piece of gear, a tarp has certain limitations you have to be mindful of. These situations can mostly be avoided by knowing how to pitch your tarp, choosing your sites more carefully and occasionally planning your mileage so you don't end up on some windswept alpine ridgeline as it's getting dark.

But even so, sometimes you'll wish you had a tent. Regardless, a tarp weighs less than a tent 100% of the time and for me, it's worth carrying a lightweight shelter and sucking it up for the very occasional situation when a tarp doesn't work well.

As far as specific tarps go: Get a tarp that is just big enough to accomodate you and your gear. In high wind, a tarp is just a big sail and the less surface area you have on the tarp the better. Additionally, a smaller tarp will have a smaller footprint, which will make it easier to find a naturally sheltered location which you can fit a tarp onto. When exposed to continuous hard rain, silnylon will stretch/sag a bit, causing you to have to retension it. The bigger your tarp, the more this effect is amplified, and the harder time you'll have in getting/maintaining a fully taught pitch.

Lastly, don't try to save weight by using little pin-sized stakes. A tarp has no framed structure and it's strength relies on the tension you're able to create with the pitch. If your stakes are constantly loosening and pulling up, plan on being pissed off a lot of the time.

I use the Golite Lair 1 with the closed end cut out, and 7" aluminum y-stakes. Extremely happy with this shelter. I cut the end out to increase airflow through the shelter (which in turn makes it more aerodynamic) to decrease condensation in the footbox area, and it also saves a small amount of weight. Couldn't be happier with this setup.

And one more thing- I would have to disagree with the person who reccomended getting something with a floor. I've found that in long-term wet weather, NO floor is superior. If you have a floor, it will inevitably get wet and muddy, and you'll be packing up that mess with the rest of your shelter every day which is no bueno!- Unless you like crawling into a muddy mess every night. With a traditional tarp and ground sheet, you can keep the ground sheet on the outside of your pack, keeping the mud away from the rest of your stuff. It's then easy to rinse your ground sheet clean with rain or water, and give it a wipe with a bandana before putting your pad and sleeping bag back onto it again each night.

Giddyup.

[Doctari]

Also a hammocker, also will not go into that.

As to a scale of 1 - 10, in comparison with a tent: it all depends on what tent you are talking about. :p

With a tent it's just like in real estate: "Location location location!" This is somewhat more important with a tarp. While IMHO a tent floor offers minimal protection, in a tarp you don't have any at all. So: look for an area that will not collect water.

I always liked my tarp better than any tent, & I have had a number of great tents. Why: More open, so less condensation. More options for set up / configuration. Depending on the size of your tarp; more room / floor area. With my 9' x 9' tarp, rigged in an "Flying Wedge" I could stand at the opening & pee without getting wet during even the most agressive T storm. The flying wedge was my favorite set up, tie one corner to tree, stake an oposite corner to ground, stake remaning corners. TaDa you have 1/2 a pyramid, with tons of room.

As stated by Seeker: practice practice practice. Practice till you are sick of setting up your tarp, then practice some more. Try various set ups, even some you think will not work, ever. Try set ups without using any trees. With 2, 3, 4 trees.

Now that I hang, I am back to using a tarp & I love it. Even if I ever went back to ground, I'm staying with the tarp.

[winger]

Large Hennessy tarp + Hennessy hammock= Bliss.
As mentioned above be prepared to do some practicing with tarp pitch placement and definitely use longer stakes. I'm now using a 'double' guy line setup with JRB elastomer lines.

[Blissful]

Boy I saw a thru hiker make it through a tarp set up in a thunderstorm lasy year on the trail and said he did fine. I'm sure it's all in the set-up skill.

[tina.anderson]

It can be difficult to learn how to set them up, but I have been using tarps for a while now and they are better than tents in my opinion. I like that idea of combining the tarp with a hammock.

[Time To Fly 97]

Boy I saw a thru hiker make it through a tarp set up in a thunderstorm lasy year on the trail and said he did fine. I'm sure it's all in the set-up skill.

This actually is MUCH easier than with a tent/rainfly. You can setup the tarp in pouring rain without getting your stuff wet. Once the tarp is setup, you can take out a dry groundsheet, kick off your muddy boots and enjoy the plethora of space underneath to stow your pack and get comfortable. You can put the wet stuff off in a corner, maybe not even on the groundsheet, instead of having water get on your sleeping bag, etc. You can even cook inside. Tarps are so comfortable. Can you tell I'm a fan? : )

Happy hiking!

TTF

[JAK]

I use a full length full width blue foam pad, like 72"x28". It's bulky but only 10oz.
I think it makes tarping and bivying and general all around crashing just about anywhere a whole lot easier.

[JAK]

My JAM2 pack is about 30" high when full extended, so it fits my blue foam pad very nicely as a vertical coil. However, 72"x28"x0.375" takes up about 25% of the volume. I've considered using the JAM2 as a pad and bivy for my legs, so that I could shorten my pad down to 48" maybe. This works, but the JAM2 is a bit tight around the thighs with a sleeping bag. It might work OK in summer with just a blanket, or quilt. The JAM2 is pretty waterproof so I'm thinking if I did this my legs wouldn't need to be under the tarp, which means I could pitch the tarp more for sitting up. Anyhow, that's as far as I've gotten.

Brings up a question?
Back in the 1960s was there not an old style poncho that was more closed in on the sides, like more of a rain cape, but that could still be used as a shelter somehow. This is from memory back in 1966/1967 when I was 4 or 5. This guy that lived across the street was a scout or something. I remember a pup tent. Might have been what gave me the bug.

Is there such a thing as a rain cape / teepee, as opposed to a rain poncho / tarp ?