Anyone camp under a tarp?

[AK Troutbum]

What shelter is that?
Mandatory with a hiking pole?

Mountain Laurel Design’s DCF SoloMid at the top, and it does require a pole of some sort. I always use trekking poles while hiking, so I prefer to pitch it with them, in an A-frame configuration so not to have a pole in the center. The one in the bottom pic is a MLD’s DCF Patrol Tarp and it also requires two poles.



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[seww]

I have used a Seek outside DST tarp for 3 years with no issue is pitched in a good area and proper adjustment to keep the weather out also never once had a snake be an issue in the Colorado high country, Bugs can suck but i use permethrin on my clothes and percardin lotion on skin to keep mosquitos and ticks at bay. I also love to cowboy camp when chances of rain are low to zero.

Nice!
It must make it easy to pack up and move camp light and smooth!

 

[seww]

SO DST tarp pictured. A tarp is a great lightweight shelter and can be pitched a number of different ways

That looks like a good time!

 

[seww]

Yup. This. Cowboy camped a lot in NM and AZ. At the end of a long day hiking and hunting, it’s so much easier to just unroll the sleeping pad and plop the sleeping bag on top, and go to sleep. Waking up and going in the morning is much easier too.

Little to no chance of rain, it works great. (Had it go sideways once when an unexpected rainstorm came through the middle of the night once in CO. That was….memorable!)

I can imagine if you're on horses that you get so freakin far away from everybody and everything, it sure must be pretty cool.
Back in Sweden we always have some sort of cabin fairly nearby so never any point in camping.

 

[seww]

View attachment 424554

The kids
and the dog and I slept under our 12x12 REI tarp ( ~2 lbs) during archery season at 10,000 feet and 6 miles off trail in the Weminuche last September. We each bring a bivy sack (1lb each) as insurance against wind-driven rain and snow. This tarp saved our butts during 2nd rifle in 2020 when we got 18" of heavy snow dumped on us that collapsed our tent at 1 in the morning. With a spruce ridge pole, the tarp took all the wind and snow without complaining.

That's awesome! Bringing the kids too!
We tried camping in a tent with my son at 5,5 yrs a few weeks ago, but he got a bit scared and we headed home. That'll happen.

 

[seww]

Mountain Laurel Design’s DCF SoloMid at the top, and it does require a pole of some sort. I always use trekking poles while hiking, so I prefer to pitch it with them, in an A-frame configuration so not to have a pole in the center. The one in the bottom pic is a MLD’s DCF Patrol Tarp and it also requires two poles.



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Thanks!

 

[EdP]

I have a DST tarp that I use over top of my KUIU Summit Star. It would be perfect by itself here as an overnight shelter in cold weather for a night at a time in one place. I would not be as comfortable leaving my down bag for mice to tear up while I was out hunting. Sleeping under a tarp doesn't bother me but I don't want my gear torn up.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I started to think about tarp camping. Since a tarp can be quite large and really light, it makes sense to use on a hunt.

So does anyone do this? And I don't mean a floorless teepee, I mean a proper tarp as a lean-to .... or whatever way you pitch it.

Nothing but a tarp, pad and sleeping bag.

I started to think about tarp camping. Since a tarp can be quite large and really light, it makes sense to use on a hunt.

So does anyone do this? And I don't mean a floorless teepee, I mean a proper tarp as a lean-to .... or whatever way you pitch it.
Nothing but a tarp, pad and sleeping bag.

Yes.

 

[Wilderness Spirit]

During warmer weather I like to go with a tarp and hammock set up.

 

[thegrouse]

I have done it several times. The last time I was in Flagstaff during monsoon season and I was not able to keep everything dry under the tarp. If there is not a chance of rain I would do it again.

 

[seww]

I have a DST tarp that I use over top of my KUIU Summit Star. It would be perfect by itself here as an overnight shelter in cold weather for a night at a time in one place. I would not be as comfortable leaving my down bag for mice to tear up while I was out hunting. Sleeping under a tarp doesn't bother me but I don't want my gear torn up.

That's a good point! Maybe you could hang the sleeping bag in a tree during the day?
But yeah, haven't thought about this issue.

 

[seww]

During warmer weather I like to go with a tarp and hammock set up.

What if you have no trees?
That might be an issue with just the tarp too..

 

[seww]

I have done it several times. The last time I was in Flagstaff during monsoon season and I was not able to keep everything dry under the tarp. If there is not a chance of rain I would do it again.

Oh I bet. A low pitch will help for sure but I can imagine a monsoon is pretty damn wet.

 

[EdP]

I've camped plenty of times at 18th century events (rendezvous) using a diamond fly of canvas or oil cloth. Stayed dry in some downpours too because I had the open side of the diamond pointing downwind and a layer of straw under a ground cloth. A thick layer of leaves or pine straw would serve the same purpose as the straw to get everything up off the ground.

 

[Wilderness Spirit]

What if you have no trees?
That might be an issue with just the tarp too..

That hasn't been a problem in my area.

 

[seww]

I've camped plenty of times at 18th century events (rendezvous) using a diamond fly of canvas or oil cloth. Stayed dry in some downpours too because I had the open side of the diamond pointing downwind and a layer of straw under a ground cloth. A thick layer of leaves or pine straw would serve the same purpose as the straw to get everything up off the ground.

Very cool.

 

[oldgrowth]

I used a Kifaru mega tarp, Exped synmat, and a slick bag for a couple of years. Worked great and kept me dry in everything from a light rainstorm to a flat-out blizzard. The picture below is from 2013 in the trinity alps wilderness at the start of some nasty weather. I did use a cheapo survival blanket to block the wind that day and to keep the snow out. Bugs were sometimes a nuisance, but I never really had any real problems other than the occasional carpenter ant that crawled into the sleeping bag during the night. Eventually I decided to go the tipi route because I got tired of crawling in and out of the tarp. I think it's a great option though if you want to save weight and keep it simple.

 

[seww]

I used a Kifaru mega tarp, Exped synmat, and a slick bag for a couple of years. Worked great and kept me dry in everything from a light rainstorm to a flat-out blizzard. The picture below is from 2013 in the trinity alps wilderness at the start of some nasty weather. I did use a cheapo survival blanket to block the wind that day and to keep the snow out. Bugs were sometimes a nuisance, but I never really had any real problems other than the occasional carpenter ant that crawled into the sleeping bag during the night. Eventually I decided to go the tipi route because I got tired of crawling in and out of the tarp. I think it's a great option though if you want to save weight and keep it simple.

Damn that looks cool!
Great info, thanks. I can imagine October or later is better with colder weather and less bugs.

 

[UA_Blake]

I have used this set up (Breeze Mesh Bivy) with and without a tarp. Where I hunt/camp snakes are a legitimate concern, meaning they are a constant presence, so I use the bivy rain or shine. I have not used this setup in any inclement weather yet. If I’m out for more than say 3 days I prefer the security of a tent since weather forecasts aren’t super reliable that far out.

 

[daniellmcquillan]

Tarp and bivy for summer here in AK. Give good coverage to stay dry and ya don’t have to stay inside your cramped bivy if you don’t want to. Keeps fire out of the rain too