Starting with a tarp?

go get a cheap 5-10$ poly tarp (grommet type) …. and set it up a few times, spend a few nights under it

you wont be able to try out every available pitch, but it should give you an idea if you like tarps

you WILL find a use for that cheap tarp around the house or for general outdoor use eventually as well … so its not wasted

;)

Hi Eric,

That sounds like a good idea. I’ll go look on REI and see what I can find. Hope all is well up in the PNW!

Eric

The big consideration for me is bugs. Flies, mosquitoes and gnats really annoy me. So much nicer having a bug-free haven to stretch out and relax in after a long, hot day.

Hi Bob,

My thought was that I would purchase a couple of bivvy bags for my sleeping bag/quilt, which would offer me protection from insects during the warmer months and/or cooler months too.

Eric

That could work if you find you like bivvies. Although I find them claustrophobic, there are plenty of people who use and like them.

However, a lot times when the weight of tarp+bivy or tarp+mesh inner are added up the total is close to the weight of a tarp-style tent such as those from Tarptent, Zpacks etc.

Your idea of car camping to test new stuff is a good one. I have my favorite camping places that require only a 30-minute hike into the woods when I want to test something.

You may want to check out the Sea to Summit nano pyramid bug net.  For the cost and low weight, it’s tough to beat.

+1 on starting off with a blue walmart tarp.  Not too much of a loss if you find out tar ping isn’t for you.

one even lighter way for some bug protection is a headnet …

now it wont protect as well overall … but if yr up in environments where its a bit cooler and you can zip up yr bag, it works pretty good … especially if yr sleeping clothes are permetherin treated …

i use one which loops around the arms for a more secure fit

the downside is that you need to wear some kind of hat too keep it off your face a bit

but thats as “light” as can be …

;)

I would start with a flat 8×10 tarp and a bivy with a breathable top/waterproof bottom/bug net top option. Both will be usable throughout your hiking lifetime.

<span style=”line-height: 1.8;”>I’m sure the Hilleberg 5 is good quality, but the pitching options are limited. If you get a shaped tarp, get one with 360° coverage (a floorless tent). If you are going to be limited to one pitch, you might as well get the coverage</span>

Also check:

http://www.ddhammocks.com/products/dd_superlight_range

Hi Eric,

Could you say more about where you’re going and for how long?

Here’s what works for a dog and me in the rainforest and tundra for one or two nights— so, worst case scenarios for rain and mosquitos:

8×10 flat tarp, shown below,

and in summer, a floorless bug tent— half the weight and twice the room of a $$$ Mountain Laurel Designs or Zpacks bivvy.

As mentioned above, by the time you add a bivvy sack to a tarp, you are getting heavy and expensive enough that maybe tent would make more sense.

But, everything will get wet anyway, and given enough time, it will dry, too, so just get the tarp. With a large tarp, you don’t need the bivvy’s protection, and have more room to move, or accommodate another person, or a fire. If your tarp collapses, then it could be imagined to turn into a bivvy sack anyway. And you can use your tarp car camping with your tent.

Finally, having had all sorts of shaped tarps, I think you will be happier with a flat tarp since it will be more versatile. You can set it up in half-pyramid style easily, for example, whereas a shaped tarp doesn’t work well for that— the catenary cut adds extra fabric that droops and flaps in the wind.

I also think, once you’ve used a cheap blue tarp for a bit and decided to buy a nice one, you should wait for a used cuben tarp to be offered on Gear Swap. They are much nicer to deal with when wet than a silnylon one, and since you wisely skipped the bivvy sack, you won’t be spending much more money.

You could also buy 9′ of silnylon, hem the edges, and sew on grosgrain loops. That will be around $35 and suitable for one person.

I started backpacking with a tarp. I think it’s a good way to start. I would not recommend camping in bad weather with a tarp until you have some experience pitching it. I think that flat tarps are ideal for camping in sheltered, forested areas. Above the treeline they are also nice in milder conditions like summer in the sierra nevada mountains. When you get into bad weather above the treeline with wind blown rain they are less ideal. You can still adequately protect yourself but it involves pitching it very low, a few inches from your face. A tarp is just an inefficient design for that kind of situation.  A floorless pyramid shelter like a mountain laurel designs solomid gives you room to sit up doesn’t weight much much more than a flat tarp. The real weight advantage of a tarp is if you are like me and don’t use trekking poles. I have to carry a dedicated pole so the weight increase is significant. I own both a tarp and a pyramid shelter and use them both in different environments and weather conditions.

Hi Will,

Mostly going to be here in the SF Bay Area for now, and doing most of the car camping in Marin County. So, before I jump all-in and get a Hilleberg Jannu, which is the tent I think I”m going to get in the end, I wanted to start with their new Tarp 5, however, as Eric C mentioned (and others), I could just get a cheap tarp at Wal Mart to check it out. My car camping with or without said tent or tarp would be next time my car, or hiking in a fairly short distance and nothing long distance as in miles. Most of my hiking/backpacking I do that is extended over a week or two would be along a hut system like that in the Alps, but here at home I don’t foresee doing that but mostly the car camping scenarios where I’m never far from my Honda Pilot.

Hope that helps give you a better picture of my intended use-case.

Eric

before I jump all-in and get a Hilleberg Jannu, which is the tent I think I”m going to get in the end

Is there a reason you’ve zeroed in on a Jannu as your ultimate tent?

At 6-7 lbs, it’s crazy-heavy by UL standards and massive overkill for almost any activity short of full-on mountaineering. There are a gazillion options for below-treeline shelters at 1/3 to 1/4 of that weight.

If you’re strictly car camping and weight is not a concern, there are plenty of much, much cheaper options from Eureka, Coleman, etc.

Hi Will,

At this point in time, the project use case would be for when I am car camping. At some point I am sure I’ll get to the point where I actually hike away from the parking lot and perhaps might even be on the PCT overlooking the ocean (if that is even possible and/or allowed).

But for the immediate short-term, strictly being alongside my vehicle.

Hi Bob,

Good reputation, value for the money and the fact that they’re not being mass produced in factories around the world. For me, having the peace of mind that the liklihood of a Hilleberg tent failing me, whether in my intended near-term use-case or future unknown uses, gives me great peace of mind. I certainly recognize that there are less costly tents on the market, but if I get it right first time, it won’t be something to worry about down the road.

Eric