solo shelter opinions

[Lawnboi]

If theres one shelter I will not give up it is my paratarp+annex. Iv only had it for about a year now but I am very impressed with it. Such a versatile setup. If i was any bigger though I would have gone with the super. Being only 5'7 i can sit up in my para no problem with the traditional pitch. Any bigger and I would seriously consider the super. With the guy outs on the para you really get alot of room, i can pitch it so my walls are almost vertical just like the mega if i so choose.

A few reasons Ill always have the paratarp with me when im camping solo. First you can pitch the thing anywhere, any way you want. Seal it up and add a stove if its cold and raining or open it up to get the air moving when its hot out. There are an infinate amount of ways you can pitch the thing all depending on the conditions and what you want. You could even use it to glass under on hot sunny days or even if it was really cold out. Its foot print is small enough to where you can fit it just about anywhere whereas if you go bigger you start to limit yourself.

The other good thing about it is that it is tiny and will pack down to nothing. It really is as it says on the website, takes up about the same amount of room as a pair of socks. I usually end up stuffing mine on the side pocket of my timberline, and there with the stakes and annex it only fills up the pocket about 1/3 of the way. The other good thing about stashing it there is that you can get it in a hurry if it starts to downpour.

If you have any questions regarding the paratarp and annex or want any pictures of anything let me know

 

[slim9300]

Slim,

I take it those tensioners are the red MSR ones? How are they holding up? Do they slip at all? I have some but haven't used them yet?

Yep. Rock solid if you loop them correctly. I learned that pretty quickly when I did it wrong on the first one. Lol. They are plain easy to use once setup. I am knot challenged by the way.

 

[Plainshunter]

That new mega tarp looks awesome. I love that it is big enough for a man and all his gear and still only weighs 21 oz!!......that being said, I don't know how you guys can handle it without end walls and a floor.
A few pesky mosquitos is one thing, but what do you do about snakes and scorpions looking for a warm place to curl up on chilly mountain nights? Or what about mice, rats, squirrels and other varmints rummaging thru your gear while you try to sleep??

I guess it's great for some.... But as for me I will lug the additional 2lbs of a full tent every day.

 

[Rizzy]

The Kifaru 3 string stuff sack really compresses those tarps down nicely for packing. I would go with a supertarp over the paratarp.

 

[slim9300]

That new mega tarp looks awesome. I love that it is big enough for a man and all his gear and still only weighs 21 oz!!......that being said, I don't know how you guys can handle it without end walls and a floor.
A few pesky mosquitos is one thing, but what do you do about snakes and scorpions looking for a warm place to curl up on chilly mountain nights? Or what about mice, rats, squirrels and other varmints rummaging thru your gear while you try to sleep??

I guess it's great for some.... But as for me I will lug the additional 2lbs of a full tent every day.

1 man and all his gear? Try three men and all their gear. It's 14' long! Lol.

 

[Becca]

1 man and all his gear? Try three men and all their gear. It's 14' long! Lol.

We decided on a recent trip that it could potentially work as an emergency shelter for 4 if you didn't take up much space inside with gear, and maybe piled packs at the open end to cut down the breeze for the people sleeping near the opening.

Luke and I spent 3 unplanned nights in ours with minimal bivy gear a couple of weeks ago, and it exceeded all my expectations even with a hard frost a couple of the nights. I slept well Notice that my feet are well in front of the rear pole, and my head is several feet from the opening.

 

[luke moffat]

For me solo will likely be the Megatarp. But the SL3 is a great cheaper options. I put my bag in a bivy anyways so I actually set my feet up to be touching the sidewall of the SL3 when I go to sleep as I like my head room.

 

[7mag.]

We decided on a recent trip that it could potentially work as an emergency shelter for 4 if you didn't take up much space inside with gear, and maybe piled packs at the open end to cut down the breeze for the people sleeping near the opening.

Luke and I spent 3 unplanned nights in ours with minimal bivy gear a couple of weeks ago, and it exceeded all my expectations even with a hard frost a couple of the nights. I slept well Notice that my feet are well in front of the rear pole, and my head is several feet from the opening.

Jeez, Becca, it looks like you're hogging the whole thing! Laying at a diagonal, right in the middle of the shelter...did you make Luke sleep outside?

 

[Becca]

Jeez, Becca, it looks like you're hogging the whole thing! Laying at a diagonal, right in the middle of the shelter...did you make Luke sleep outside?

Naw....we cuddled together in the middle through the night. But he got up up to do some camp/sheep related chores and I slept in. I knew we had a long day of hiking ahead of us, and we were nearly out of food so I spread out and hogged the bed