All you tarp guys!

[Mike7]

I use a bivy/sleeping bag cover for the exact reasons Aron mentions. But I still use Tyvek under my sleeping pad and to put my gear on under the tarp tent to keep it off of the wet ground. The Tyvek is very light and also compact, but has its faults. It is noisy (which I don't mind) and it is very slick, which I do mind sometimes and can be a problem if there is any slope to the ground.

So this year I may try the polycryo ground sheets like those sold by Gossamer Gear (I've heard they're not so slippery as the Tyvek). The ground sheets protect your inflatable pad, are dirt cheap, and can double as an impromptu rain shelter/pack cover during a quick storm, or a place to lay meat on while butchering.

 

[Mckinnon]

Sounds like I need to pick up a bivy!

 

[larryschwartz]

I read on a backpacking forum that some folks add small dots or lines of silicone caulking/sealant to their ground pads/sheets to add some traction and keep their sleeping bags from sliding off during the night. This might work for the tyvek.

 

[Mckinnon]

I picked up a bivy last night. Ordered a TiGoat. Should be great from everything I have heard about them. Now time to invest in a tarp. Kifaru looks great and I am sure they are, pretty pricey though, any others I should be looking at?

 

[Backpack Hunter]

You can soften up the tyvek by running it thru the washing machine a couple of times, it will take the crinkle out. As mentioned above the silicone makes it a bit grippier.
As for tarps, I would take a look at some of the cuben tarps out there. They sound great....I don't have experience with them though.

 

[Eagle]

I picked up a bivy last night. Ordered a TiGoat. Should be great from everything I have heard about them. Now time to invest in a tarp. Kifaru looks great and I am sure they are, pretty pricey though, any others I should be looking at?

Oware. Check them out, great cs.

 

[Gman]

I know nothing about these guys but if I were tarp shopping I would take a look http://www.zpacks.com/

 

[justin davis]

I use a piece of Tyvek under my mat. super light and does the trick. I camp exclusively in floor less shelters and never use a bivy. Sometimes no Tyvek just my mat.

 

[muleman]

I use a piece of Tyvek under my mat. super light and does the trick. I camp exclusively in floor less shelters and never use a bivy. Sometimes no Tyvek just my mat.

What do you do about bugs? My main reasons for wanting a bivy sack under a floorless shelter is to keep bugs away and to keep my bag and pad clean.

I have been toying with the idea of sewing a big bug net hood that I can tighten around the top of my bag.

I went floorless because of:
1) I came from a wall tent background and I love the ability to enter the tent and clean off, and hang wet clothes to dry, without getting everything wet and dirty.
2) weight

 

[Lawnboi]

For bugs I will use a 5oz bug net I picked up for 14 bucks.

i just got my paratarp and annex. And Dang its light!

 

[justin davis]

I have never had an issue with bugs. I have camped in a floor less shelter in a number of different states and never had a bug issue. I have found there to be less bugs in my floor less shelters than a floored tent. I reason that the bugs can escape if they do in fact come in where as a floored tent they are trapped in there. But I am also not bothered by insects if there were any. For those afraid of bugs there are some bug bivys that are handy. A bivy is just one more thing that I don't need to carry. As my Kifaru shelter whether that be my super tarp or tipi protects me very well. Floor less is the only way to go

 

[cmeier117]

I will be ordering my ST in a few weeks. I can't wait!!

 

[muleman]

Justin, for the most part I'm not afraid of bugs, other than some big narly dudes that take chunks out when they bite My real concern is bitting flies and being pestered all night with mosquitoes.

I think you are on to something with the idea that the bugs can get away so they aren't hanging out inside.

 

[dotman]

Yeah i'm not worried about bugs, they can come and go Cmeir your going to like the st.

 

[Lawnboi]

Not bugs that bother me. Its when skeeters are eating your face off while you sleep that forces me to use a bug net

 

[Aron Snyder]

When I'm scouting in mid summer the mosquitoes can be pretty bad, it doesn't bother me to much, but my wife hates it. We started packing bug coils and they work miracles. They weigh next to nothing and definitely do the job.

I haven't had any issue during season with mosquitoes, so I don't bring them at that time.

 

[justin davis]

Yea well if your worried and skeeters. Coils work great like Aron said. Just carry a couple chunks in some tinfoil. Easy and works like a charm. If using an annex with a supertarp then it no issue

 

[Mike7]

I might have to try a little silicone for the Tyvek, but my wife has already told me that she won't sleep on Tyvek any more because of the noise it makes, especially when the dogs move during the night on it. The silicone dots have worked great on my bino harness in the past to keep the backpack straps from noisily rubbing on the bino staps.

I read somewhere that washing the Tyvek very much causes more rapid failure of water repellancy, even though softening it?

I've never have a problem in the tarp tent with bugs while hunting either, but in July and August mosquitos and hornets can get to be a little problem for my wife and I while backpacking without our homemade partial mosquito net nest for two. So this is another option. It is pretty easy to make a very light mosquito net nest which covers your head and upper sleeping bag portions. One can just sew on some little ties out of ribbon in order to hang it over your heads inside of the tarp...and then just wrap the edges under the upper sleeping pads. This makes for a comfortable bug free area to read, etc. And these people are great place to order lightweight no-seeum netting from => http://www.owfinc.com/fabrics.html

 

[luke moffat]

A floored shelter or a nest is a MUST at times. When the hatch first happens in some places a floorless stand alone would NOT cut it up here at times. I don't care how tough you think you are, and yes it can get this bad up here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqmButrXUqQ

 

[Matt Cashell]

That video is scary, Luke.