GoLite Poncho / Tarp

Brawny has a great way to do it. She explains it on her website. However, i'm not sure that you can get to her website since she has closed down the DancingLightGear store, but you could try TrailQuest.com and DancingLightGear.com.

Also, search the Forums. Her method and a couple of others have been mentioned here before.

In my case, when i only have an Epic bivy and not a fully WPB bivy with me, i also have an Wild Things Epic Treatment windshirt to wear – it's quite water resistant in the short term, much more so than a simpler DWR treatment. This keeps me dry for the short time to quickly rig my 'flapper' (and it's a lean-to pitch no less!!!).

Also, Brawny's PT is much larger, so she uses a pyramid pitch, but you could still use here instructions and modify them for a lean-to pitch if you didn't want to do the pyramid pitch.

Like PJ says, look around.

My personal technique is to use a half pyramid setup. Although I use a cape instead of a poncho, when I used a poncho, this worked OK. First, I determine wind direction. The back of the half pyramid needs to be more-or-less to the wind. I set the pack down, fish out the stakes, pull my head out of the hood or collar, and shelter me and the pack while I find one corner and stake it out. Then I locate the other corner on a "long" side, stretch that side out to delineate the 'back' of the pyramid, and stake it so it is sort-of perpendicular to the wind. I find the center of the remaining 'long side' and secure a line to it, clove hitch it to a hiking pole, and set the pole up. A height anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5 feet will work. Then I reach out and stake the pole. That's the only time I am actually exposed. The pull of the pole and its line creates a triangle with the base being the back of the half pyramid and the apex or top being at the pole. It is completely stable. Then I stake out the 'short' sides. Well, what I really do is stake the short sides about half way and then stake the corners with short lines to make a sort-of front. The front does not really close. Finally, I run a line out form the center of the back side, reach out as far as I can and stake it there. It pulls up maybe 6 inches and gives some more room inside. When the rain lets up, a line around the hood, staked out, will further increase interior space.

This set-up will give a sheltered space almost the length of your poncho and about 2.5 feet wide. There will be 2 additional sheltered areas at each end.

A GREAT question!

This is a key technique to learn when ultralighting with a poncho tarp.

I like a simple approach that relies on the partial water resistance of a breathable wind shirt to buy me enough time to set up the poncho without contorting myself within in while fishing out stakes and guylines and such. But, I will resort to the contorting method if it really is raining cats and dogs.

So, that means I've simply learned to pick a good campsite first, while wearing my poncho and pack, and then quickly and efficiently pitching the poncho. Keeping stakes and guylines readily accessible is key. You don't want to waste time fishing for them in your pack.

Alan Dixon has written a very nice article about backpacking in the rain that details this technique, I'm not sure when it's getting published, but it should be in the next several weeks.

David and others that are non-members.

I don't remember when I became a BPL member but my "Order History" shows I have paid for my membership three times.

That $25 a year easily counts as some of the "best value" for the money I have ever spent.

I am sure that the discounts from items I have bought equal that $25 a year. Equal to or even better better than the gear and other stuff I have bought are the articles that are only available to members. I have learned so much from them and they make-up the basis of my Ultra-Light – Super Ultra Light library of knowledge. At times the Threads (free to everyone) in the Forum section are just as good as the articles and I have added many of them to a "save" file on my computer hard drive.

David and others:

I totally agree with Bill. This is the best $25 I spent in years and it has saved me years of learning curve and 10 times the membership fee by educating me to the gear that works and that fits my needs.

(This is not a thread highjack, I'll get to the thread in a moment or two.) Before I became a member I had been following the site, ordered a few things, and dabbled in the articles available to non-members as I recall for a few months. Then, finally, I couldn't resist: there were too many great sounding articles and features that had the "M" in front of them; as well as discounts on gear. Thus, it was inevitable that I fork up the membership fees.

Immediately I could access the articles and got lost a few times just studying all the information and the Reader Forum posts.

The first magazine came and I couldn't put it down and took it on a business trip with me. Read and reread parts, still pick it up and reread it.

Forum posts, like Bill F's, pj's, DrJ's, and so many others it is impossible to run through the whole list are invaluable. They not only gave me pointers in general, but other members with the knowledge and experience to do so, responded to my specific questions. Without that community responsiveness and mutual assistance I would have a spent a year or more, and tons of money, figuring out whatever issue I was concerned about — like what to wear, what to eat, what to drink and how to manage water, how to camp in the snow or inclement weather, what to look for in a sleeping bag, whether to have a sleeping bag, what shoes to wear, what gloves, what stove to use, what pot, how to make things, do things, ideas on where to go … it is endless, alive and organic here.

Reader Reviews were something I had been using before becoming a member, but with the increased knowledge from the Forums and articles they geometrically increased in importance. The reviews have alone saved me money way more than the cost of membership and mag subscription will cost for a number of years.

Then there is the gear swap where I have already saved a couple of years subscription price on one item alone — brand new, never out of the bag, and just what I was looking for.

Finally, there is the security and pleasure of knowing that for all of the above reasons my family, myself, and especially my partner are that much safer, going to be that much more comfortable, and, therefore, spend that much more time out there where this is all about and enjoy it, instead of suffer through it.

So the value of a BPL membership cannot IMO be measured in dollars, although that is one measure in terms of savings and value received, or merit badges received. To me the value of a BPL membership is the quality, effectiveness, and efficiencies of the information base, network, and the community of other people willing to assist and inform each other regarding backpacking light, ultra light, and super light.

Ultimately, it is the sheer pleasure of achieving, with the assitance of the BPL staff and community, an elegant, safe, comfortable pack trip with a base pack dropping from 40+ lbs, to 30+ lbs, to 25+ lbs., to 20+lbs., to 15+ lbs., to 12+ lbs. and now, possibly for me a base pack weight next season of 7 lbs. easy and 10 lbs total for 3 nights and 4 days — with improved safety and comfort over my old 40 – 55 lb. pack loads.

Finally, by acheiving that HW to L to UL outcome in one season, based on the BPL inputs derived from my membership in BPL, my partner was inspired and has reduced her pack load from 55+ lbs. and an unweildy, uncomfortable supermongous pack down to 25 lbs. She refuses to give up some stuff – like carrying 3 litres of water wherever she goes – and a 0 F bag in 40 F low temperatures season, but that too will pass. Thus, the net result is, we are going out there more often and enjoying it way more. And that IMO is the purpose of a BPL membership, if not a BPL membership's real value.

So as promised above, there is a red letter M article which deals with the inclement weather issues around tarp camping, as well as several others, e.g. the UL packing 101 Treatise, winter camping articles, etc. in the Techniques and Features sections:

"M" The Poncho Tarp: Techniques and Gear Systems for Inclement Conditions; by Ryan Jordan and Alan Dixon. So there is a concrete example of the value of a BPL membership as are the posts responding to this thread.

bd

Ditto Bill & BD.

The gear I had "Pre-BPL" was making my joints unhappy. I knew I could buy lighter gear, but didn't realize some of the strategies and approaches popular here. I've dropped from a little over 50 lb typical pack weight to a low 20's total pack weight, with water and food, and am pretty happy there.

I could get lower, but I like enclosed tents plus ground cloths, and prefer higher volume alternatives to the ultra light but ultra tight mummy bags.

I'm a gadget geek, so 1 – 2 lbs of the total are toys, my luxury.

I've bought gear sight unseen based upon the Reader Reviews of certain BPL'ers, and been very happy with the results.

Overall, I'd would have save $'s not going to ultralight, but then I probably wouldn't be out hiking anymore.

MikeB

Ditto Bill, BD and Mike

Not only has the BPL ultra-light philosophy let me continue to hike in the rugged mountain terrain that I love, even as my bones and muscles age, but the testing that BPL staff has done and reported on has made me more confortable and safer. They have told me what is and isn't waterproof, breathable, functional, reliable, etc. I don't waste my hard earned money on something that doesn't get the job done!

Two weeks ago I went out with my buddies for an annual trip (actually we have 3 or 4 of 'em). As I was running through my gear list before the trip, I found something interesting. We had taken the same hike 2 years ago. But now my pack was to be 12 pounds lighter!

Both hikes were in early December. We were expecting the same weather — cool days with night time temps below 20F.

Taking 12 pounds out of my winter pack weight is the most obvious benefit of my $25 subscription. I've learned a great deal. Two years ago, I could seldom get my pack below 20 pounds.

Now, I am ready to try SUL with a 5 pound pack weight. My hiking style has become much simpler. It takes a lot less fuss to make camp, feed myself, and rest in comfort. I can hit the trail faster in the morning.

My confidence in using lightweight techniques has improved tremendously. I am comfortable sharing these lessons with the Scouts and Scouters in our Boy Scout troop.

Finally, it might seem obsessive to other, but to me, BPL is fun. I enjoy the folks that hang out here.

Oh, back to the thread message, I have been tarp camping for a little while now. One of my key lessons learned is that you can keep dry while pitching your shelter. It does take practice. A correlary lesson came during a thunderstorm a couple of hours after making a perfect low and wide tarp pitch. An excited young man, running to his tent during the rain and wind, kicked the stake for my tarp's end guyline. Well, that's just one of the times you're gonna get wet. As Dr J reminds us, site selection is vital.

P.S. My pack weight decreased by 12 pounds over 2 years. I posted 20 pounds earlier. Shouldn't be online when I'm that sleepy!