Tent Vs. Tarp on Pct

[cboyer1212]

My original plan backfired as gossamer gear isnt releasing "the one" tent again until sometime after i leave this year for my thru-hike. I used a tarp shelter on the At on nights i didnt make it to a shelter. As i know there arent any (very few) shelters on the Pct so i need a reliable shelter. I just read the wind can be an issue on the trail but im starting until the third week of May. Really dont want anything over 2 pounds for a shelter so does anyone have any suggestions for a tent that i might not have noticed in my seraching or a good reliable tarp shelter?

[Ender]

First 1000 miles or so you'll hardly use your shelter. Maybe 5-10 nights max. Once you hit the High Sierras the bugs alone will drive you into a tent almost every single night.

I'd suggest a tarp for the first half of the trail, and a tarp tent for the second half. My suggestions for the tarptent would be:

Lightheart Gear Solo
Tarptent Notch
Zpacks Heximid tent

[garlic08]

You see a lot of Tarptents on the PCT.

[bamboo bob]

I used a Rainbow but never "needed" it until it got buggy. I only had what passes for rain four days in five months. So a shower curtain would be fine but bug wise, you'll need something. It is very very windy in the early going. So you need to be a real pro at staking out a tarp.

[BrianLe]

Tarptents indeed are good choices; per Ender's comment I didn't have a tent for the first 700 miles, just a poncho as both shelter and raingear and that was fine. Picked up my Tarptent contrail just before the Sierras and happily carried that the rest of the way.

That said, what I like better now is a Lightheart Solo. Either would be fine for the PCT; the Solo might be slightly better for the last bits in WA state. But I do agree it's a good idea to have a bug-proof shelter, though there are folks out there tougher than I who seem to get by with just a headnet.

Another option you could consider for a light choice would be an SMD wild oasis. Or even a Gatewood Cape plus bugtent inner, also by SMD (Six Moon Designs).

[Miner]

I used a small tarp and a lightweight bivy sack for the entire trail; both made by Mountain Laurel Designs. I'd do the same thing again if I rehike the trail. Combined with stakes and everything, they weighed less then a pound. As most hikers cowboy camp most of the time due to a lack of rain most nights, the bivy sack got far more use then the tarp. And as such, I want the lightest shelter I can for something I won't use most of the time. I think I only set the tarp up about about 9 times total (3 for the last few nights on the trail when I had off and on snow). Even in the Pacific Northwest, I had no trouble staying dry and I had far less condensation then some of my TarpTent friends. I mentioned how I finished in snow. My down quilt was still pretty dry and warm when I finished. In comparison, my hiker friends with Tarptents were complaining their last night how their sleeping bags were damp and cold. However, using a tarp in bad weather requires more skill then a tent so you should practice ahead of time in bad weather before leaving on a long trip. A tarptent (other then figuring out how to set it taunt in wind) is more forgiving overall for a novice.

The main reason many people say change to a tarptent or tent for the Sierra Neveda is due to the legendary hoards of mosquitos. But as a person who has backpacked there for years before my PCT hike, I think those concerns are overblown. If you avoid camping by meadows and favor higher elevation and more exposed ridge lines where you get some wind, the bugs aren't bad. And they often leave after dark since the temps drop fast and won't return until dawn. So most nights I would wear a head net over my baseball cap for a short time until they left and then took it off to sleep. Since I got up early anyway, the first one buzzing in my ear in the morning was my alarm clock and incentive to get up and pack quickly before its friends joined it. Only in Northern Yosemite (which has the worst bugs) did I feel the need to hide in my bivy sack, but that was only for 2 nights. If its a high snow year up north, the front of the hiker herd may have bad bugs in parts of Oregon, but if you are a week or two further back, you'll find that they have mostly died off when you arrive. Overall, with the exception of a few nights here and there, I never felt the need to hide from mosquitos at night and mostly slept out in the open after dark with no protection. But I think campsite selection has something to do with it. Some places like meadows or next to water sources tend to be far buggier then others.

[handlebar]

I describe my Six Moon Designs Wild Oasis as a shaped tarp with bug protection. The mosquitos in the Wind River and Yellowstone were voracious this past summer and the no-see-um net fringe on the Wild Oasis was effective in providing a haven from them. It's as light as a tarp and stands up well to the wind. The only drawback is that it accommodates only those 6 feet tall or less. I use mine with a tyvek ground sheet that serves as the tent floor. On the PCT, the tyvek is great for the many days you'll be cowboy camping.

[cboyer1212]

Awesome post everyone...its so easy to figure out conditons and what you need when theres folks like yourselves that have lived it an done it that know whats good and works....thanks again!

[frisbeefreek]

This is why I'd always carry an enclosed tent (in my case, Tarptent Rainbow). I'm a light sleeper, so I liked having a full shelter to protect me from the elements.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108241234654640523618/PacificCrestTrail2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCOmrn9H8jIX2rg E#5382284503024049250

[Mountain Mike]

I hiked the PCT in high snow year. I can't imagine doing OR without some sort of bug shelter. I had to skip the Sierras that year & went back in august a few years after & just used a bivy. For AT cheap campmoor tent tarp was more than sufficent in my mind, but wanted more for PCT. Glad I went that way now.

[Camping Dave]

Warmlite 2x.

2 lbs, 5oz.

[leaftye]

I'd be more concerned about ants later in the season. That's why I like hiking earlier in the year. Either way, I prefer a fully enclosed shelter. I personally use a Hexamid, and sleep in it about a third of the nights I'm out hiking.

[Amanita]

I don't know anything about the PCT, but if you have your heart set on a piece of gear that's out of production, you may be able to find it used. Put a WTB thread here or on backpackinglight.com. It seems a lot of light, ultralight, and superultralight hikers have gently used gear that could use a loving home, for the right price.

[SassyWindsor]

I prefer to use the lightest solo tent possible for non-winter travel. Absolutely nothing wrong with tarps, tarp-tent, or bivy sack, this is just my preference. Trying to balance comfort with weight issues seem to be a continuing problem for me.