hey folks,
I’m planning a 2010 thru hike.
The more I learn about gear the lighter my pack gets.
I am getting quite a kick out of “going Light”.
But–I am finding it hard to decide between a tarp system and a closed in tent.
I cant imagine sleeping out in the open, when its raining and cold and buggy!
But maybe I am too soft.
Also: slepping bag or quilt?
I want to cut the weight down as much as possible AND
I want to be warm and cozy and bug free.
Advice!!??
flickala
I used a trap/bivy/bugnet last year and was more than happy! The bug net is the most important to get right but you have many nights that you do not want to set up a tent so that you are able to watch the stars, so just a dust bivy will make you happy 85% of the time. Keep the tarp always and pick up the bug net in Kennedy. Options are great, so go with a quilt until the Sierra and swap back in Old Station. Just an opinion!
Avo
Probably best would be:
tarp for SoCal
tarptent for the Sierra Nevada
tarp for NoCal and S. Oregon
tent for N. Oregon and Washington
But nobody switches around that much, so which you go for depends on your natural tendencies. For me, having mosquito netting and personal space was worth carrying the tarptent,and in Washington when the rains started it was worth carrying a tent. Many were just fine with a tarp the whole way.
markv
Tarptent.com is a good compromise for shelter that’s good the whole way as long as you use it right. Bugs will be your main concern until WA. I think most thru hikers recommend a decent 20F down sleeping bag.
Garlic
Henry Shires’ Tarptents get my vote as well. Tarptent - the name sums up the concept.
As for a sleeping bag, I love Western Mountaineering, but they are pricey (you get what you pay for).
freebird
Just hiked the PCT this past year and this was my experience and what I put on my journal. I’ve pasted it here for your consideration.
Tarptent vs. REI Dome Tent (or any double-walled tent): I’m a fan of the Tarptent. It’s lightweight and easy set-up and break-down were a huge asset in DRY WEATHER. My Tarptent made it all the way to Oregon (the Sisters). But when it rained, hailed, snowed, and then rained for four days in a row with no sun, my tarptent was completely soaked and I wasn’t able to get it dry enough on the inside to feel comfortable that my stuff wasn’t getting wet. With a double-walled tent you can actually get the rainfly fairly dry because it’s only one piece of fabric, as opposed to the floor and ceiling pieces of a tarptent. Hope that makes sense.
lil’ buddha
sorry, forgot the following to that entry:
Additionally, the footprint, and the fact you have to use stakes to set-up, of the tarptent makes it difficult to find a good spot to sleep. This was a huge annoyance in the High Sierra for two reasons: mosquitoes and granite. Enough said…
If I had to do it again I would probably just use my REI Dome Tent for the entire PCT. Most hikers aren’t so lightweight that 1.2 lb. makes that much of a difference.
lil’ buddha
I used a double-wall Sierra Designs Lightyear in 2008 and a Henry Shires Contrail in 2009. Vastly preferred the contrail. If you carry a bandana or, preferably, a small face-sized packtowel, you can easily wipe down the inside and get it dry during multiple days of rain. My tarptent was never any wetter than my lightyear was and we have several similar rain situations in 2008 as we did in 2009.
And I’d definitely notice a pound and a half difference in my pack! Especially when it’s something I have to carry all the time. As for stakes, I never had an issue. If you’re camping somewhere in the sierra that is all/mostly granite, you’re probably a little high in elevation. But even if that’s the case, you can substitute rocks for stakes in most cases. I know I’ve done this a few times to help me get underneath trees a little better to fight condensation.
Joker
Its great to get advice from people who’ve been there and know first hand! Looks like there really isnt anything thats perfect for all conditions…I’ll check out the tarptent website…
What about the Hubba series? They seem pretty light. Anyone know much about they perform?
Thankyou!
flickala
As to the Hubba tent: Mine stood up excellent to a heavy all-night Tennessee summer downpour with out a single leak. Very little staking is needed only to keep the external vestibule pulled out.
I found the internal space adequate for my 6-2 200+ size. The footprint only covers the main tent floor so I usually set a garbage bag on the ground under the vestibule to place the pack and shoes on.
You will probably be hanging your pack in your area of hiking. The left hand zipper on my bag matches well to the left hand zipper of the tent.
I know the reasoning behind simple tarps but I don’t want creepy-crawlies on my face at night and minimal set-up time is a plus. You could set it up using only the cover or with only the netted tent body.
I last used it in October with a 40 degree bag in 20 degree weather with zero issues. I sort of wish the exterior cover reached all the way to the ground, there is a couple inches of clearance all the way around.
It’s frame is aluminum with shock cords that attaches via plastic clips.
Pioneer Spirit
My two cents, the Big Agnus Seedhouse SL 1. Check it out, it’s a solid light weight tent. Full bug screen, room for gear, bath tub base and a place where you could spend the day in it if you have to (and some days you just might). Keep the fly off when you want to sleep under the stars and stay away from the creepy crawlies. Plus you can sit up in it and get dressed if need be, on the PCT there will be a need. The one downfall is that there are a lot of lightweight tent pegs that come with but, you do not have to use them all. The company stands behind their product… Any questions, e-mail me. Have fun and HYOH. Peace
WB
I spent a miserable week in a Tarptent in the San Juans last summer and ended up going back to my Hillberg Akto afterwards. The humidity was so high that every time a raindrop hit from the sky, another would fall inside from all the condensation. My sleeping bag got pretty wet. I may try it again this year with a Mont Bell waterproof bag cover and see how it goes. It’s really nice to reduce the weight and bulk, but it’s nicer to go through a downpour and remain dry…
bearcreek
The Hubba is what i switched to in Washington when my Tarptent Contrail was starting to frustrate me with condensation. It was easy to set up, and pretty much bombproof. After the Contrail, the Hubba seemed very narrow, but plenty long and high enough to sit up. If you are broad-shouldered it might be too narrow for you. But these tents are everywhere so you should be able to get one set up and try lying down in it in the store before you buy it.
Of course, the extra pound isn’t worth it to many PCT hikers. It was to me in Washington. I’m glad i didn’t carry it the whole way though.
markv
I staked out my Tarptent recently and felt for the first time that it was really finally looking a bit long in the tooth; just general weakness in the stitching. Granted, the zippers went about 50 nights ago after some sand mis-treatment, one poles has a bit of duct tape reinforcement at the ends, and there has been some minor strategic stitching reinforcement over time. But none of this was due to an unreasonable breakdown, just a love of the piece of gear and wanting to keep it somewhat dialed.
I figure I have now spent about 350 nights out in it and therefore feel somewhat confident in this statement: The Tarptent is the best backpacking shelter ever created period. I have had it in 5 inches of heavy slushy snow in Oregon, a mosquito apocalypse in Yosemite, hellacious wind high on Combs Peak, on snow during spring ski descents in Colorado, and in a damp moist unrelenting breeze in New Zealand. It has always felt like a solid home. I have never been in a situation where I wish I had had something more substantial above me. Yes, you must plan your other gear based on what you expect to encounter, but the Tarptent has always satisfied as the basic shell.
Is it always PERFECTLY comfortable (no moisture, 100% wind block, super warm in all conditions). No, of course not. We are living outdoors; a shelter does not need to compare to a Hyatt. If you are thinking along that line (you know what I mean), you are coming from a place of fear. Let it go along with so many other things that general society consciousness may be drawing you into. Trust me, the thing works. And it is light! “Nothing is perfect until you can no longer remove anything from it” – words our spirits live by out there and the Tarptent defined.
One other thing the Tarptent has made obvious: Ground tarps are unnecessary. Not one rip or tear of any sort in the floor after 350 nights!
Thank you Henry Shires. You are a maestro.
I don’t think I will be able to just throw it away. Maybe after some kind of ceremony; maybe I will burn it with chanting.
I love the damn thing.
Hans Berg
ohhhh, so true. great words of wisdom-- you really helped me identify why I was having so much trouble making such a simple decision.
‘lightness’ is not just about the gear, but the sense of freedom you have when you let go…the point of long distance trekking (for me anyway) is to live the reality of “lightness of being”.
how did this conversation about tents and tarps become so poignant? 
thanks again.
flickala
I did the tarp/bivy and quilt thing on the PCT this past year. I’d do it again as it fits my hiking style. I never felt that I was somehow lacking in my shelter compared to my past tent days.
If you are the type who likes to get into camp early and hang out in your tent awhile before going to bed, then a tarptent would be more of your thing. If you tend to hike from dawn to dusk and only sleep (and maybe eat) in camp, taking your breaks and vistas during the day, then cowboy/tarp camping might work out for you.
There are solutions for bugs; I was never troubled by them while I slept. And when done right, weather isn’t an issue. I was drier under my tarp in Washington then some of my tarptent friends who often had to dry the insides out when hiking in rain for more then a day. Cooking under it is safe and easy and I never had condensation issues. The worse weather I encountered on the PCT was 3days straight of rain in N.Oregon and 4 days of snow just before finishing in Canada. My down sleeping quilt never got wet.
As I am a lazy person in camp (I don’t like dishes or setting up a tent), I normally cowboy camp and the tarp is there for weather insurance. In fact, on the PCT, I only used my tarp maybe 9 times and slept out the rest of the time. My cuben fiber tarp + bivy weighed less then 14oz and I often liked using the bivy sack for cowboy camping, so once again it fits my hiking style for the least weight.
Tarping isn’t for everyone, but I do think everyone should at least try it out to see if it works for them. Some fears are justified, but they can be successfully managed. Some people probably could never get comfortable with using a tarp, but others find the adjustment easy. And there is nothing wrong with a tarptent as many hikers were quite happy with them.
Miner