Emergency shelter for mid/late season

[stretch866]

Hi folks. Im solo hunting late October and trying to be more prepared/safe this year should I spend an unexpected night on the mountain. Would a tarp or bivy to just keep in the pack at all times be a good bet. Have a tarp, do not have a bivy. Do have a Big Agnes 2 person but thats just over 3 lbs which is substantial. Just thinking of trying to keep warm enough to make it thru the night should I need to. Have puffy and rain gear and all my other layers, and emergency fire, in reach etc. Trying to see if a tarp would be enough it snow/rain and high winds would rip through. Id have some work to do figuring out how to best set up a tarp to accommodate that.

Thanks

 

[tater]

A 10x10 sil tarp is ALWAYS in my pack with some cord and pegs. Learn three or four different pitches to match the terrain.
A good tarp set up with a puffy and rain gear can get you through a lot. I actually used an EMR2 bag emptied out as a half bivy once...

 

[Johnny Tyndall]

Sil nylon tarp is good in case things hit the fan. You can pitch it if you are just waiting out some weather but if things really go sideways you can burrito yourself (hypothermia wrap).

Also depends on how confident you are with your backcountry navigation. If walking out at night, in a snowstorm, by yourself sounds ok you can travel pretty light. If not, a couple extra pounds for a tent might be good insurance.

 

[RockAndSage]

Don't underestimate the utility of an emergency/mylar survival poncho. Light, compact, and used as layering within the other items you've mentioned can get you through a pretty bad spot overnight.

 

[Seth]

I always have a lightweight SOL bivy in my pack. Too small and light to not carry it.

 

[7mm-08]

I always have a lightweight SOL bivy in my pack. Too small and light to not carry it.

I REALLY like this answer.

 

[GunsAreFun]

I keep my Warbonnet Ground Tarp in my pack at all times. We use it several times a year, and it has bailed us out from some nasty hail and thunderstorms.

G

Thread 'Review: Warbonnet Ground Tarp (SPOILER: It’s awesome)'

Mar 25, 2024

There isn’t much info out about these tarps, even less on hunting forums. I recommend it constantly in posts but usually seem to get lost in the main hunting brands. I’m here to tell you this is THE best lightweight tarp out there.

It is more or less a flat tarp with doors. …doesn’t sound interesting?…. Well what that means is that you can do most of the pitches you would want to do with a flat tarp, while also having the ability to close off the sides to keep wind and rain out. Yes, you can pitch flat tarps in ways that accomplish this, but you sacrifice a ton of space. For 17oz, you...

• GunsAreFun
• Replies: 24
• Forum: Sleep Systems

• 

 

[stretch866]

Sil nylon tarp is good in case things hit the fan. You can pitch it if you are just waiting out some weather but if things really go sideways you can burrito yourself (hypothermia wrap).

Also depends on how confident you are with your backcountry navigation. If walking out at night, in a snowstorm, by yourself sounds ok you can travel pretty light. If not, a couple extra pounds for a tent might be good insurance.

I mean I have good nav skills good nav equipment but just going all the way to worst case I’m solo disabled enough I can’t get out and help is going to take some time to get to me. My last trip got snow dumped on night one and it was just a good reminder how fast things turn up there

 

[Yaremkiv]

No matter what I'm doing, I have a tarp in the pack. The Hilleberg Tarp 10 is what I bring the most but picked up one of the Seek Outside offerings last year for the weight/size savings.

 

[TrueAt1stLight]

I keep my Warbonnet Ground Tarp in my pack at all times. We use it several times a year, and it has bailed us out from some nasty hail and thunderstorms.

G

Thread 'Review: Warbonnet Ground Tarp (SPOILER: It’s awesome)'

Mar 25, 2024

There isn’t much info out about these tarps, even less on hunting forums. I recommend it constantly in posts but usually seem to get lost in the main hunting brands. I’m here to tell you this is THE best lightweight tarp out there.

It is more or less a flat tarp with doors. …doesn’t sound interesting?…. Well what that means is that you can do most of the pitches you would want to do with a flat tarp, while also having the ability to close off the sides to keep wind and rain out. Yes, you can pitch flat tarps in ways that accomplish this, but you sacrifice a ton of space. For 17oz, you...

• GunsAreFun
• Replies: 24
• Forum: Sleep Systems

• 

Thanks for the post on that tarp: it looks like a hell of a setup! I’m going to contact them tomorrow and see if the price is still the same as in your post about custom ordering one.

 

[mtnbound]

Hi folks. Im solo hunting late October and trying to be more prepared/safe this year should I spend an unexpected night on the mountain. Would a tarp or bivy to just keep in the pack at all times be a good bet. Have a tarp, do not have a bivy. Do have a Big Agnes 2 person but thats just over 3 lbs which is substantial. Just thinking of trying to keep warm enough to make it thru the night should I need to. Have puffy and rain gear and all my other layers, and emergency fire, in reach etc. Trying to see if a tarp would be enough it snow/rain and high winds would rip through. Id have some work to do figuring out how to best set up a tarp to accommodate that.

Thanks

I always have a tarp and have spent many nights under one in nice and horrible weather. Find one with good, solid guy out points. Seek Outside DST and Argarli Talus are both good choices, but there are a lot of good ones out there.
The most important thing is to practice setting it up so you are comfortable with it. Also, carry some good stakes.
A fire that provides supportive warmth can be tricky with a tarp. Again, practice setting up your tarp and building a fire to see whether it will be beneficial or just burn holes in it. A fire is more of a mental thing; protecting yourself from getting wetter and being exposed to the wind is your priority.
You're not camping; you are waiting out a storm or waiting until daylight to start moving. You're gonna be uncomfortable; just expect that.

 

[wowzers]

I always have a lightweight SOL bivy in my pack. Too small and light to not carry it.

Same.

 

[fngTony]

Below tree line = tarp + puffy top & bottom + an sol bivy to cut the wind that might get under the tarp. You don’t always have every pitch option for a tarp that’s why I say to have the sol bivy.

Above tree line = a real bivy if possible but an emergency one is better than nothing. Puffy layers again. Tarps are almost a waist here.

 

[ianpadron]

Tarp and practice your firemaking skills. You'd have to be in one helluva pickle to not be able to ride an unexpected night out with that combo