View Full Version : tarp - yes or no?
Is a tarp essential? I'm just thinking that it adds weight. The bottom of my tent is made of tarp-like material ("Tub style rip-stop poluethylene floor": http://www2.rangersurplus.com/details.asp?tgs=9855344:9194001&cart_id=&item_id=1463).
Would a tarp still be necessary in addition to this? THANKS!
fiddlehead
09-06-2008, 15:29
No! .
FamilyGuy
09-06-2008, 17:40
Only if you want to create a vestibule on that tent.
Curious, is that tent actually waterproof?
Slo-go'en
09-06-2008, 18:19
If you mean just as a ground cloth, maybe not. But having a small trap can be handy as an impervised shelter during a heavy down pour or to sit under while eating lunch during an all day rain.
Only if you want to create a vestibule on that tent.
Curious, is that tent actually waterproof?
ha, i never actually thought of that. there are supposed to be scattered showers this weekend so maybe i'll find out! :eek:
FamilyGuy
09-06-2008, 19:09
Can't complain about a $35 tent so I am very curious - maybe I can avoid paying way too much for my next shelter:mad:
I just asked my dad about it and he says that it is water resistant - meaning that water will mostly drain off it but if it rains a lot and you touch the inside of the tent some water may drip through. I don't think this would be much of a problem unless you are seriously stuck in a large down poor.
I just asked my dad about it and he says that it is water resistant - meaning that water will mostly drain off it but if it rains a lot and you touch the inside of the tent some water may drip through. I don't think this would be much of a problem unless you are seriously stuck in a large down poor.Ask dear ol' dad to give you a real tent for Christmas! :D That one is by no means a 'serious' tent. Check REI-Outlet and other online outfitters for sales. You can find a pretty decent tent in the low $100s if you keep looking. I picked up a Sierra Designs Lightning (a $270 tent) for $132. With a good tent you don't need a tarp. With that one you probably would be wise to pitch one over it, but the combination of tent and tarp will likely weigh more than a good one.
bigcranky
09-07-2008, 09:06
I just asked my dad about it and he says that it is water resistant - meaning that water will mostly drain off it but if it rains a lot and you touch the inside of the tent some water may drip through. I don't think this would be much of a problem unless you are seriously stuck in a large down poor.
For a weekend backpacking trip, it might not be much of a problem. Emphasis on "might." For a longer hike -- like a thru -- you can count on getting seriously stuck in a large downpour on a regular basis.
I carry a tarp when hiking with my brother. If it rains, we have a place to cook and hang out. If you tent near a shelter, you don't need a tarp.
Ask dear ol' dad to give you a real tent for Christmas! :D That one is by no means a 'serious' tent. Check REI-Outlet and other online outfitters for sales. You can find a pretty decent tent in the low $100s if you keep looking. I picked up a Sierra Designs Lightning (a $270 tent) for $132. With a good tent you don't need a tarp. With that one you probably would be wise to pitch one over it, but the combination of tent and tarp will likely weigh more than a good one.
Hey,give the kid a chance. A tent is a tent for someone just getting into it. The main thing is hitting the trail. He can surely upgrade as he goes.
That being said...enjoy yourself. Its not all about the gear...as much as people try to make it that way.
BTW,Tyvek is a great product...above and below you.
Good to see a youngster getting involved.
That's exactly what my advice is designed to do . . . give him a chance to actually enjoy the experience. Odds are high that he could have a miserable one if hit with nasty weather in the tent in question, resulting in him giving up on backpacking. I can remember camping in cheap gear in Boy Scouts and having a few very unenjoyable rainy nights. It might turn out OK for a trial hike or two, and then again, it might not.
Tried a similar tent a couple of years ago on a bike trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Tent leaked badly in a heavy downpour. I was soaked.
workboot
09-07-2008, 22:44
You dont have to spend big bucks on a tent. moontrail.com has a Kelty crestone for $69 and about 4 pounds if i recall correctly. As far as the tent you posted above is concerned, i cant comment on that exact one one but in the late 80`s i had a similar one from wal-mart and it wasnt waterproof in a heavy rain but it was servicable for the $18 i paid for it.Hiking is mostly mental, good gear helps a lot but its not everything.Just hike and have fun no matter what your gonna get wet one way or the other.
That's exactly what my advice is designed to do . . . give him a chance to actually enjoy the experience. Odds are high that he could have a miserable one if hit with nasty weather in the tent in question, resulting in him giving up on backpacking. I can remember camping in cheap gear in Boy Scouts and having a few very unenjoyable rainy nights. It might turn out OK for a trial hike or two, and then again, it might not.
If you are so concerned,buy him the tent of YOUR dreams. He is just starting out,why make him feel small just so you can feel big ???? Maybe money is a factor? Many have slept on the ground(me)...and have survived... and still hike.
BTW,I have slept under the stars thousands of times. Many times miserable,its just nature. If it was always comfy,nobody would sleep in there indoor beds!
adventurousmtnlvr
09-07-2008, 23:14
I agree that not everyone has money (I'd be one of those) and I'm selling things in my house right off the walls for gear myself) .. but I also don't believe anyone was trying to make this person feel "bad" I think the point wasn't really to buy a "$100" tent ... it was more observing that perhaps the aforementioned link "may" not be waterproof ... I think Summit meant "well" as think you also having experienced lack money or enjoying sleeping among the stars mean well too :) .... I often mistake what someone says as 'rude' or I just take it wrong when really they do mean well. If I was buying a tent as a new person myself and it wasn't going to work ... then to me I wasted the $35 I didn't have to begin with so would "appreciate" the "future" knowledge of knowing I need to make sure it's waterproof ... even if I couldn't buy something better then (as I can't now either). Frankly I think you all mean well, just have a different way of explaining it. And I also interested in tents or tarps love the various opinions as it is how I 'learn.' To help is the point and that person can make their own decision (even if it's ... hey I can't afford it now but thanks for the advice :)
If you are so concerned,buy him the tent of YOUR dreams. He is just starting out,why make him feel small just so you can feel big ????Maybe you're just having a bad day. :) Seems the only one I've offended and made to feel small so far is you. I started out by joking to get "dear ol' dad to buy him" a better one. Humor + joke . . . get it? Had no idea someone such as yourself would come along and try to spin what I said into bad rather than the good intended. Take a chill pill. :) :p
Wise Old Owl
09-08-2008, 00:12
Thru - set it up in the back yard before the next hurricane. Put bunched paper towels in each corner 1 in the middle. Visit it after the storm, & seam seal again. Please PM me after you get it and send me the weight and the results of the water test. You should get a season or two from it.
Then follow Summit's idea ask for a good one for Christmas.
adventurousmtnlvr
09-08-2008, 01:02
hey wise old owl :) Did I miss something too (trying to learn everything I can) ... so may I 'assume" the paper towels are leak tests? I think I like that idea (without me in it the first time, lol) with whatever tent I may end up with ... thanks :) ... see this is what I mean ... I learn from all the opinions because each person does have something that works for them so I try to put all the ideas together or remember them anyway :)
Homer&Marje
09-08-2008, 08:11
Heres a good way to test it. Spray a patch of grass with the hose for about 4 minutes, not a puddle but nice and wet. Then put your tent on it. Then get in it. And if you get wet within a few minutes, get a footprint, very light weight and can use as an extra vestibule in dry weather. Misery i'm sure can be described as soaking wet down sleeping bag whilst stuck inside having 0 options. Then again, if the tent is nice and waterproof then more power to it... i've just never found one that was really waterproof.
Thanks guys I really appreciate all the advice. No need to worry about offending me or anything. It's not my first backpacking trip though - I'm in the Civil Air Patrol and been to Winter Hawk which was like 17 degrees and no tent... so yeah but this is my first trip that may rain. We usually plan trips around the whether but this was the only free weekend before winter rolls around. My dad and I are thinking about doing the entire Shenandoah portion of the AT in about 9 days next summer so I will definitely be getting a new shelter for that (I'm thinking expedition - HennesseyHammocks?). Once again, thanks everyone for the advice!
adventurousmtnlvr
09-08-2008, 12:27
oh great, lol so I really need a raincoat for my sleeping bag it sounds like, lol. Thanks for the suggestions :)
ah, you've got the same one as me?
Thru-
Good luck on your hike. I hope it doen't rain on you...but if it does, I hope the tent keeps you dry. I tried to get the pic of it from the website you posted, but it wouldn't get me there so I can't give any opinion on it. BUT, unless someone has used THAT tent in the rain, neither can they. So, that being said.....we're all awaiting your review when you return :D
It was an amazing hike, in total we did 26 miles in 2 full days - pretty fun. Unfortunately, we did get poured on. We found a good campsite about 3 minutes before the downpour - amazing timing. I did get wet though. The tent worked I guess, but water did drip from the ceiling. Not too bad though, I was able to get some sleep. Going to be buying a hammock soon so I won't have to worry about this anymore =] THANKS!
The tent worked I guess, but water did drip from the ceiling. Not too bad though, I was able to get some sleep. Going to be buying a hammock soon so I won't have to worry about this anymore =] THANKS!
Hammocks can leak too..
Panzer
thru-, I'm not anti-hammock, but I don't and won't use one because I find them uncomfortable. My only suggestion is that if possible, try sleeping in one before you buy. Some find them comfortable while others do not.
I use lightweight construction plastic. I save tarps for car camping.
I use lightweight construction plastic. I save tarps for car camping.
sil-nylon tarps are very light, although more costly than construction plastic