Tarping with kids…

I am on the west coast. My daughter (between age 8-12) has:

* cowboy camped
* golite hex3
* various tarp tents

If you daughter is adventurous that I won't worry about tarping proved the biting bugs aren't too bad.

–Mark

I tarp or cowboy camp with both of my kids – a son and a daughter. My daughter started camping this way at 11 without any issues. My son started later (but only because he was older when I went to a tarp) but hasn't had any issues either.

I use a 9' x 12' silnylon tarp for any 2 of us. And bring a 5' x 8' silnylon tarp for me if all 3 of us go.

I made individual bug nets for us. I started with 2 yards of mosquito netting, folded in in half, trimmed it down 1 side so it was just wide enough to pull over the top of me while I'm in a sleeping bag, and trimmed it at the open end (opposite of the fold) so that it was just long enough to cover my arms when out of the bag and folded (covers my chest). I sewed the sides shut, sewed a hem along the open end to take a drawstring, and added a drawstring and cord lock on one side.

To use it, I sit up in my bag, pull it over my head and bag, and lay back down. Then I simply push the material away from my face – it's stiff enough to stay that way with only the occasional repositioning during the night.

My son and I use the bug nets but my daughter just uses a lenght of mosquito netting – about 1.5 yards and arranges so that it's over her head and drapes down, covering her arms without folding them. (I offered sew up a net for her but she prefers to do this.)

We use the bug nets throughout the summer, including in July in the Sierras next to lakes that were turning into meadows (lots of mosquitoes) and have slept undisturbed (except for the buzzing).

We've camped with the tarp(s) from late spring to early fall and have encountered light to heavy rain (sometimes for the better part of the trip) and no one has complained about "only" having tarp to get out of the weather in camp.

Good luck.

My son is almost 2 so my experience has been baby and toddler camping (3 trips- 2 nights each) and I've used a Tarptent Rainshadow. It's a great size for the 3 of us and I liked the fact that we had an easy refuge from bugs.

I also like the fact that we all get to sleep together without inidividual nets or bivies.

As far as storm worthiness, the Tarptents are suprisingly good with moderate winds and I've had them well into the supalpine zone on many occasions.

Steven- I like your bug system- great idea. Do you have any pictures of this?

Have fun!

Doug

I've taken my daughter & son on overnight backpackig trips along the AT and slept under tarps since they were 3-5 years old. We've used a 5×8 and 8×10 tarp. Both worked well since I usually chose nice weekends so it would less hassle and more enjoyable. Although neither kid takes much room, they both end up half on top of me by morning after they wiggled around. I also chose nice weather weekends because of the wiggling since they would squirm out of their bags and tarps are a bit cooler than tents. The alternative was duct taping them into their bags.

When bugs were a potential problem, I used the A16 bug Bivy. The bug bivy gave them the adventure/comfort of an enclosed area, while allowing us to better experienc nature. It also added some warmth. From a parent's point of view, it was nice to carry a <1 lb tarp instead of a 6lb tent since I was also carrying the bulk of the other items for my kids.

For winter camping we still use the tarp, but my wife makes me set it up in the living room for fear of the kids getting a cold.

Tom

I've got three boys ages 13, 9 and 6 and have been tarp camping with a number of times. I started out with a 9×9 Oware pyramid which was great, and then moved to a homemade catenary tarp, which I like better b/c it's lighter. They each have bivy sacks with bug netting.

From Doug:

> I also like the fact that we all get to sleep together without inidividual nets or bivies.

That would be nice – particularly with younger kids.

> Do you have any pictures of this?

I'll get out the camera this weekend.