How Stormworthy is the Patrol Tarp?

I used my DCF Patrol last August in the Winds, (Alan Dixon High Route), with no problems.  I am 6′ 2″ and use the Serenity inner net for the mosquitoes.  Site selection is key keeping your feet into the wind.  If weather comes in at night you can easily drop the tarp down around you from the inside, practice at home first.  If the weather shifts to the front of the tarp I just place my backpack in front of my head and I am fine.  I have also heard from those who use umbrellas they just open them up, placing them at the entrance  shutting down the weather.   Cross winds will move the tarp a bit, site selection, but the Patrol is so low profile I have not experienced major problems even with snow.

John

I used to use patrol tarp years ago. I found it to be a pain in the neck every time I got out and back in.. Staking and re staking the door flaps.. Here in NY, NJ and PA the ground can be very rocky and roots.. So it was frustrating during the night when I get to get in and out. I switched to the Grace Duo and was much happier.. Using Borah Gear or katabatic bristle cone bivy.. worked awesome for me.

Nowadays though, I mostly hang in my hammock…

Isn’t the patrol tarp essentially the same design as the Ray Jardine tarp kit? Those people go everywhere in their tarp. I’m sure they’ve experienced every possible weather. Unless they are total narcissistic masochists (and granted, it’s realistically possible that they are), I’d think that this proves the design to be weather-worthy.

Thanks for the replies – The Patrol Tarp seems to be loved or hated…

John- you had good experiences…did you ever see significant wind?

Dirtbag – wish I could use a hammock…above treeline a lot and on the CDT they say there are only 3 trees and those are burning LOL.  Being older I appreciate the mobility issues and getting up and out at night.  Did you recall ever tempting it with heavy winds?

Piper – Being somewhat of a narcissistic masochist myself, I suspect I can manage the small space. Thanks for the tip on Ray Jardine tarp kit.  Wish I could sew.

Nobody

I would get the Duo Patrol for the additional coverage.  Looks like it could handle very dodgy weather.

I remember a line from Jardine’s book: “if you forget a piece of gear at home, why, once on the trail, you don’t need it.”

Really? I thought. That’s not true.

Off trail in the Sierra and the Winds presents enough issues that I don’t also want to be dealing with bad weather coming in at altitude and having a less than dependable shelter. I don’t need a wetted out sleeping bag in unexpected 35 degree weather, everything else also wet and having to make my way in the dark to safety…off trail.

I’ve never used the Patrol Shelter, but I’m curious about the reports of difficulty, “staking and restaking the door flaps” when entering/leaving.   Looking at the photos, it appears the Patrol has a single “beak”, or what Jardine called a bat-wing, and it’s kept down by a single guyline coming out from the front trekking pole to the ground.

Would that be correct?

When I purchased my ZPacks Hexamid Twin tent with extended beak, that extended beak was configured similarly.   This was back in 2012 or so.   I also didn’t like that configuration.  I fixed it by running a fixed guyline from the trekking pole to the ground.  In that guyline I tied a loop that was situated 4″ or so below the beak.  The loop was tied using a mountain butterfly knot.

On the tip of the beak, I attached a small loop of shock cord and a small biner – the smallest one I could find, maybe 1-1.5″ long.  With this mod, securing the beak involves clipping the biner into the loop on the guyline.  The shock cord keeps the correct tension.  Opening up the beak to crawl in or out was easy as unclipping the biner.

This worked a LOT better than undoing a guyline from the beak all the way out to a stake in the ground. That has to be a good 30-30″ away from where your head is typically located.  :-(

Also, don’t try going cheap and using a plastic mitten-clip instead of a small biner.   I hate those things.  Dutchware has some metal ones that are a bit easier to use.  https://dutchwaregear.com/product/metal-mitten-hooks/

It sounds like a useful mod to the Patrol shelter would be to sew a decent zipper between the two panels of the beak.  Then the beak tip could be unclipped from the guyline loop and the beak unzipped and rolled completely back.

I know they are a slight bit heavier but if you are looking for storm worthiness, it may be necessary to step up to the Yama Cirriform tarp or the HMG Echo tarp/beak.

I like the the patrol for its simplicity.  Aside from it’s height you can only stake it out one way which is good for my tried mind at the end of the day.  No zippers, I live in Texas so I visit Big Bend and the Guad’s frequently where the dust is always blowing.  There is plenty of length, I am only 6’2″ but you would be surprised how many shelters my head or feet, size 13, brush up against. I primarily use a bivy underneath it and over the years have had no issues.  I have encountered some good storms while using the patrol but when above tree line I try to insert myself  into some low scrub using it as a wind break, which the Winds have plenty of, or when in the trees some sheltering pines.  But I have been fine.

Now this shelter may not be for everyone, at my height changing cloths under it can be an acrobatic en devour but I usually sleep in what I hike in.   You do have to unhook one of your front corner stakes to crawl in but I just chalk it up to one of the quirks of this shelter.  The only weather caveat I have experienced has been blowing snow which will find its way under the tarp but I was in my bivy so I was unaware until I woke up. Stayed dry.

I hope this helps

John

My preferred nasty weather shelter is my DCF Solo Mid XL

Thanks for all the replies-

David- Duo patrol clearly has more space, and is probably great for straight trail hiking, but I’m hoping for a smaller footprint for less traveled areas.

Scott- totally agree.  That is the heart of my query.  I’d like something storm/wind worthy yet capable of being set up in tight quarters if/when I’m caught in unfavorable terrain.

Jeff – thanks.  I’m no good at mods but like your idea.  For myself, I want to keep things simple and am leery of zipper failures.  That said, a small carabiner and shock cord might work on the front corner.  What did you use for a shock cord? did it stretch out over time and did it hold enough tension?

Eric- both the Yama and the HMG look solid, have you used either or the Patrol?

John – great info.  Gives me confidence in the Patrol Tarp’s worthiness. You describe many of the things I was thinking it might be.  Regarding the MLD Mid, I have used a Duo and its great but huge.  The XL is apparently smaller, but I fear on the large side still? The experts seem to concur that a single center pole design is the best for shedding wind, but if I could get good enough function from a two pole design I’m happier with the fabric a ways from my face.

I can tell you that the Yama Mountain Cirriform tarps are bomber. Have used a sylnylon 2p and DCF 1p. Both have been in rain and snow with no issues. Gen uses #5 zippers so pretty robust. I also really like the shaped vestibule.

I have a Patrol Shelter Solo and have used it mostly in the Sierras. It is quick and easy to pitch. With all of the use it has gotten I have only had one good rain storm with wind and it weathered it well with the brunt hitting the front and west side pitched head to the north as the storm was mostly from the northwest. Surprisingly to me my bag stayed dry. Everything inside stayed dry without a storm pitch. The rain and wind lasted from just before 5 pm to around 10 pm with the wind whipping at times testing the stakes.

The criticism regarding ingress and egress is valid but was overcome for me personally by cutting the right side front guy extra-long allowing the opening up of the front lateral flap without restriction making entry and exit about as easy as simply as standing up or laying down. This guy-line tip has been mentioned here in this forum repeatedly by users who have made this shelter their go-to gear.

Matt Edwards (Ice Ax) several years ago posted evangelically his use of this shelter which as I recall was used by him for the entire PCT. I have been using a DCF Cricket for the last several years. I haven’t a strong preference at this point.