Flat Tarp Survey

a: what tarp
GoLite Poncho. I mostly go out in the dry season and it's protection from surprise showers. If I went out more often in the rainy season I'd get an 8×10 or so. The rainy season can rain all afternoon and night with a lot of wind in open areas. The extra coverage would be needed to keep dry.

b: what are your favorite pitches
Half pyramid and A-frame

c: what accessories do you use
titanium stakes, 1.25mm dyneema cord and trekking poles.

d: what is your bug strategy
Bivy. In some climates it's all the insulation you need too.

c: what is your storm setup
I check the weather. ;P
In addition to the 8×10 tarp I'd consider an additional ground sheet so I can put my stuff on something other than soggy ground.

a: MYOG spinnaker, 80" by 90", two mid-ridgeline tieouts

b: A frame and flying diamond

c: 2mm guyline, MSR groundhog stakes

d: headnet, site and route selection

c: site selection, low pitch

Hey David, can I ask you to elaborate a bit on 'site selection' for protection from bugs. I presume you stay away from water sources. Anything else you try to go for?

During bug season locally I make a big effort to always camp high on tundra, or on gravel bars away from vegetation with plenty of wind. Fortunately skeeter season coincides with the tail end of snowmelt, so water availability from little seeps on high ridges makes such camping convenient.

>"Hey David, can I ask you to elaborate a bit on 'site selection' for protection from bugs. I presume you stay away from water sources. Anything else you try to go for?"

Different David here, but,

Wind really keeps the mosquitos down. So I'd prefer a knoll over a depression. (Also, you can get cold air from radiant cooling collecting in a low spot and being up 100 feet in elevation avoids that, too). At home, lawns are great "defensible space" not only from forest fires, but from bugs. Mosquitos hang out on bushes, down in tussocks and in tall grass. A mowed lawn has essentially no mosquitos. Similarly, in the backcountry, avoid high, thick grass and bushy areas.

If you have a broader area over which to select your sites: Higher up the mountain is almost always better: away from standing water and ponds, rockier without bushes, cooler temperatures, more wind all help.

Seasonally, I like to get out in the Fall once we have some freezing nights. The first freezing night really knocks them down.

Thanks guys. That's really helpful. I'll certainly be applying these strategies here.

Anyone have pics of the suggested pitches? I am considering a tarp for the first time for a trip to Yosemite and pics would be greatly helpful.

Thanks.

Larry

Take a look at Bearpaw Wilderness Designs website. Tarps section has a lot of pics.
Zpacks also has some pics that you can take a look at.

Thanks, I will check that out.

My favorite pitch is a plow point.
Here is a video on it. Skip to the very end to see it set up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvPNosxrwo4

"d: what is your bug strategy"
Get a separate bug net that you can pitch off a high point and stake to the ground. I have a "mombasa defender mosquito net". It gives me an area to relax away from the bugs.

a: MLD Cuben supertarp

b: A frame and lean to

c: Locus gear poles and guyline

d: head net

c: half pyramid

My favorite flat tarp is 5×8, matched with bivy (MLD superlight or Lytw8 bivy), set up a frame, using 8 ti stakes and kelty trip tease, pitched maybe a bit lower if rain/wind is coming. If conditions will be buggy then temps are usually 50+ degree so I switch to a MLD bug bivy.

I have some pictures of a MYOG 5×8 tarp with a few pitches on my website.

LytW8.com_5x8_Tarp

Jamie