My wife and I are planning to hike the PCT NOBO in 2017, ideally starting in mid April. We're experienced tenters but have only just bought a tarp (Sea to Summit Escapist 10' x 10'). We've successfully pitched a taut A-frame in our local park, and will be adding a few more setups (flying diamond, lean-to) to our repertoire before we hit the trail.

Our plan is to tarp until we reach mosquito country (around Yosemite I believe?), then switch to our Copper Spur UL2. The reasoning is that we'll need every possible spare ounce for water in the desert, and while we could rig a bug net with the tarp, our mental health will probably thank us for having a totally enclosed tent when the bugs hit. Also, we know that Washington can be extremely rainy, so I'm guessing the UL2 will be better suited to this environment.

We're both experienced hikers in good shape, but this is the first hike above one week that we've done. So, my questions:

- Does the "tarp, then tent" plan sound reasonable to people who have already done the PCT? Have you managed to stay sane in a tarp during heavy bug periods?

- My next task is to get up to speed on the essential knots: bowline, taut-line hitch, reef knot. Any other recommendations for a novice tarp user?

- I am guessing we will encounter many environments where staking a tarp might not be easy. Were you always able to cowboy camp? If not, how did you go about securing your tarp?

Thanks for your help!