Tarp vs Tents .. Pros and Cons please

[spdrman]

getting ready to order a new shelter and am torn between a tarp or tent, really like the idea of a mega tarp and stove for early season backcountry bear hunts and late season deer hunts but being floorless Im worried about water seeping under and getting everything soaked in the tarp

 

[123 4/8 P&Y]

I think most people trench a rain gutter around the drip line to direct the flow around rather than under the walls. This year may be my first floorless experience as well. So SUBSCRIBE.

 

[Beastmode]

Where you setup has a lot to do with it. Where are you going to be hunting. Floorless is a great system in a lot of states but not in few where a 4 season tent may be better.

 

[spdrman]

Most my hunting is in Idaho, go to Utah every year and plan on hitting WY this year as well

 

[Beastmode]

I would definitely go floorless.

 

[Mike7]

Spdrman - water is a complete non-issue going floorless. It is the last thing to worry about, and in fact I find it to be much drier going floorless in a wet climate. You just need appropriate ventilation to prevent condensation from above and a large enough shelter that you are not always bumping the walls. You can put a waterproof tarp down where you sleep or place your gear if the ground is saturated everywhere...and water does not come in and get trapped like in a tent. You can enter and exit the shelter with your boots and rain clothes on and while it is raining without getting your gear/tarp floor wet. You can put perimeter netting on the shelter or use a netting nest for buggy times while using a floorless shelter.
The only time I prefer a free-standing tent is for camping on the snow or rock, especially with a tipi. This is because I am lazy about setting up camp, and detest making 17 deadman anchors in the snow for all of the tipi tiedown points...ugh!

 

[Lawnboi]

I'll just mention that camping under a tarp gives you a much different feel. Multiple ways to pitch. And a very different experience than a small mountaineering tent.

You have to be much more selective about campsites, as you CAN and will get water coming in if your in a bad spot, period. There were times I kind of had no choice and setup in a bad place, and it got a little messy. Unlike floored tents that water won't stay long as it is allowed to soak in rather than pool in a bath tub floor.

Condensation is going to be the same as any tent. Single walls can go from not being any problem, to a nuisance, to a real wet time all depending on what and where you pitch your tarp on.

I love my para tarp. I always use it in conjunction with a bivy, and I rarely pitch the tarp the same way twice. A very versatile system. One shelter I can honestly say I'm very satisfied to carry and use.

I personally didn't care for the stove in the front of the tarp. I ended up selling my annex and small stove.

The only place I take my tent is in lower areas in the summer when bugs are a major concern.

 

[6x6]

As others have stated, site selection is key. I had to learn the hard way, but even if water does find it's way in, it isn't there long. Especially with a stove. I hunt Utah mostly, and run a Supertarp with stove. I would never go back to a tent. In my opinion, they are much more versatile by being able to pitch in multiple configurations, they are fast to pitch, and they are light to carry so you can stay on the move if needed. I actually like the stove set up at the front of the tarp with the annex. I had a tipi prior to this, and didn't like the stove in the middle. For me, this set up has been perfect.

 

[gil_wy]

Had no issue with tarps other than the mice running across my bag and face on occasion... That's why I go with a tent... Might just be the area I was in but the mice were horrible!

 

[Lawnboi]

Had no issue with tarps other than the mice running across my bag and face on occasion... That's why I go with a tent... Might just be the area I was in but the mice were horrible!

That's also a two way street.

I had a mouse chew a hole in the mesh of my msr Hubba one year. Trying to get the flipping thing out was no fun in the middle of the night. Not to mention it scared the shit out of me when I felt it on my leg as my bag was wide open.

 

[5MilesBack]

Mice and spiders are the only things that seem to bother me in the high country. Has anyone ever had mice issues with them chewing up their gear in a floorless shelter? Like your down bag/quilt or pad? In my wall tent, the mice will chew up anything and everything they can get to.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Anyone ever have a problem with ants? A buddy of mine says he uses a tent in the high sierras to keep ants at bay. Any of you guys have a similar experience?

 

[ColoradoBackpackHunter]

I was floor less last year for elk season and it rained 6 out of the 7 days on us. Inside stayed dry but every bug on the mountain found its way inside. I bought an actual tent this year so we will see how it works out. I plan on using both throughout the year.

 

[stevenm2]

I am going floorless this year with a MSR twin sisters. It has the skirts and I got a footprint. Can't wait...

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I went with an SS2 (bathtub floor/screen) from tarptent.com to keep scorpions, snakes and the like outta my stuff. If I was gonna use a stove, I'd go floorless and get a teepee.

 

[Solitude]

What does the SS2 weigh without the nest and floor? I like the idea of being able to remove it and run just the fly.

 

[ridgefire]

I have a paratarp and a tigoat bivy and it works great in the western WA rain. I have spent many nights in it and have yet to get wet. Have not weighed it yet but guessing it will weigh somewhere in the 1.5lb range for the setup. It is nice to be able to use the bivy if it is nice out by itself just to keep the bugs off you if you are worried about them

 

[Mmcan]

Mice and spiders are the only things that seem to bother me in the high country. Has anyone ever had mice issues with them chewing up their gear in a floorless shelter? Like your down bag/quilt or pad? In my wall tent, the mice will chew up anything and everything they can get to.

Ticks. I hate ticks and the problems they can cause. That makes me happy in my tent.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Ticks. I hate ticks and the problems they can cause. That makes me happy in my tent.

X2
Ticks are my mortal enemy! I am afraid of nothing in the woods except ticks. I had on hospitalize me and lay me up for a month a few years back. Bad stuff. Are ticks bad in the high country?

 

[Travis1984]

We just got out...lost count somewhere around thirty ticks I was picking off. One finally got me this morning but he wasn't even close to engorged. These are wood ticks, they don't carry Lyme disease according to the inter webs.

I still sleep floor less.