Has anyone ever through-hiked the AT using just a tarp for shelter and maybe some bug repellant to deal with insects? Beyond Grandma Gatewood and some of the old-timers, I mean.
Whalen
The toughest problem
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#2
A lot of thru-hikers end up with a tarp. It’s the lighest way to go. After a while the bugs aren’t so bad. Now if the bugs really like you then get a tent.
Darth pacman
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#3
I tried it for awhile but found that it took too much time to set up in different variations everyday.
Virginian
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#4
Like hammocks, tarps aren’t for everyone. But each works well for some, most of the time.
Several years ago I went the tarp route for several trips of between 2 and 5 days. All types of weather, mid to late Spring, mostly in Virginia. I liked the weight savings, but hated the fact that every time I set it up it required some new configuration, which is of course time-consuming to tinker with until you get it right that night.
The advice is to set up a tarp according to the prevailing wind to minimize rain soaking you and your gear. This works better in theory than in actual practice, at least in my experience. Some storms have no prevailing winds, they have swirling winds, which almost guarantee you’ll get soaked under a tarp. And unless you want to add a bug net or bug bivy, tarps are not the way to go when it’s buggy.
Since there are now several competing lines of ultralight tents and tarp-tents available, most in the 2-lb. range, I think these make a lot more sense all things considered. YMMV.
Skyline
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#5
To me,the beauty of the tarp is the 92 different configurations you can use to set it up.I do hang a net which can also be used in different set-ups.It was intended to cover a single cot,so you can string it up high for head room,or strung lower will cover two quite well. Oo
Onlyone
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#6
The general consensus seems to be that tarps are passe as being ineffective against the weather, too much trouble to set up differently every night and no good whatsoever against bugs. Thanks for the honest assessments.
Whalen
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#7
Tarps are the only way to go. I hiked 5,000 miles on the same tarp… never got wet or buggy. I use a 10X12 tarp that weighed a little over a pound (for two) and a 15$ bug net from campor that weighed like 5 oz. and stayed perfectly fine. I usually stay drier than my tenting brothers and sisters. I also have camped in -40 degree weather in my tarp and stayed both dry and warm. Tarps are far more roomy and when you learn how to set up a tarp no matter what direction the wind blows you will stay dry. Plus tarps set up very very quickly… quicker than a tent. Forget the 98 thousand ways to set up a tarp. I use principly one…
aswah
aswah