I was contemplating just ditching my tarptent for the first 700 miles and going with my equinox bivy. I realize it does rain in the desert but isnt it storms mostly?
Dan
Desert shelter - Pacific Crest Trail
system
#2
I lived out west for 4 years, when it came to desert hiking, there are trade-offs (aren’t there always??)
Lightweight - in summers, lightweight is best, so you can carry more water (we are assuming hiking in the desert, no trees to speak off, no water to gather, carry your own)
Sealed environment - nothing like waking up with 2 snakes huddled under you for warmth during the night, scared the hell out of me!!!
Free standing - we once had a guy who took the ultralight thing way too seriously without planning ahead, he brought a hammock…has anybody seen a tree today??? Unless you want to carry those 3 pound sand hog stakes that double as boat anchors, go freestanding
Tarps - You are in the desert, it rains like 5x a year…what are the odds? (1 in 73, i know) go ultralight, sleep under the stars, hope no snakes want to cuddle with you, or anything else besides your gf, and bring a small tarp just in case!!
Desert hiking can be great, sleeping outside is often the only way to catch a breeze so you don’t bathe in sweat all night, that sand gets into everything…
hehehe
-xtn 
airferret
system
#3
My gosh Airferret; you woke up to SNAKES underneath you??? I’d still be running today!! Just curious; how did you handle this?
neela
system
#4
I think awakening to snakes would scare more than just the hell out of me. I awakened once to a griz sniffing the footbox of my sleeping bag and that was enough for me to hike like madman for three days. And I think I would prefer that to a snake. Besides that, I have crazy dreams and am prone to sudden physical movements when I wake up and I doubt snakes would take to that too well to that. I guess I’ll bring my tarptent w/sealed floor.
Dan
system
#5
I have a tarptent squall, you can use rocks to help set it up in the sand, but they are a pain. If you are going to bring a tent, get a freestanding one, easier in the long run, IMHO.
As with the snakes, i was sleeping in a thin fleece bag that night, I awoke when my two hiking partners were talking how to get the 2 snakes away from my feet and knee areas. To the encouraging, albeit useless words of “don’t move, dude” and “lay still, perfectly still” as I thought about the thickness of my fleeece bag (not very so) and how dangerous mojave rattler bites are when you are 3 days from the nearest road, I lay there as they prodded them with various items until they took off.
Still, sleeping under the stars is great, just depends where you do it (just never again in the sand flats of the mojave)
-xtn :eek:
airferret
system
#6
I did the Arizona Trail last year and took a 5’ x 8’ siltarp. I set it up three times in 800 miles. Twice for rain and once as a wind break. All the other nights were on the ground with ground sheet only. I never had a snake or scorpion come calling (that I was aware of). Risky, maybe. But the starry, starry nights and shooting stars as I fell asleep occupied my thoughts. A small tarp would likely be much lighter than a bivy. All the best, Joe
Joe