Suggestions for someone who keeps sliding out from tarp!

[Gary]

Hello Everyone,

I’ve done a search and haven’t found anything super helpful, so I’m sorry if this has already been answered. Anyway, I own a Gatewood Cape, Bristle Cone Bivy, and Exped Synmat UL 7. It seems that no matter what I try, by morning, I’m either half out the back of the Gatewood Cape or right up against the inner pole.

I’ve tried staking the bivy, but I will literally pull the stakes out by morning. I also just bought the Serenity Net Tent hoping that would solve the problem, but it didn’t and I’ll still slide out from under the cape or into the pole. I’ve also tried a Thinlight Foam Insulation Pad under the bivy and net tent, but that didn’t solve the problem.

I know site selection is important, but I’m not setting up on a major incline. So, aside from better site selection, what are your tips or tricks if any? Also, if you are forced to have a minimal incline, what tips do you have for that? As for the ground, this is mostly in eastern Pennsylvania. Also, go ahead and assume I’m doing something wrong and missed the obvious.

Thanks,
Gary

[MJ H]

Is there a strip of seam sealer on the floor of your bivy to give the sleeping pad something to grip? If not, the sleeping pad might slide and take the bivy with it.

[Gary]

I haven’t tried the strips of seam sealer yet. I’m worried about overdoing it, but at this point I’m willing to try.

[Matthew / BPL]

How about a Gossamer Gear Thinlite pad to add some friction? It makes a nice sit/nap pad during the day.

Assuming you are on some slight incline maybe you could place your shoes like wheel chocks to keep from sliding too far down hill?

[Gary]

I’ve tried the Thinlite pad, but the shoes are a great idea. Thanks!

[Lester Moore]

If you’re using a polycro groundsheet, replace it with something less slick, like Tyvek. If the camp site is not perfectly flat, polycro can be like an ice rink.

Also try making rock bumpers. I often stack a row of medium sized rocks (head-sized or a bit smaller, preferably not round river rocks) just past my feet and another row just above my head as bumpers to keep the sleeping pad in place vertically. If I’m forced to sleep on a side incline, I’ll stack rocks on the downhill side too (or sticks or pine cones, but rocks work best). Multiple head-sized block-shaped or irregular-shaped rocks at your feet and head and on your sides if you need them will keep you put pretty well from my experience.

I’ve also recently started placing carefully chosen rocks under my elbows with a hat or some clothing on top so the elbows have a place to rest. Works well and lets me keep my trail runners together in front of the tarp, or hung up if there are rodents.

While it may go without saying, try to use “pre-used” rocks if at all possible and return them to where you found them when you break camp.

[Kevin Babione]

I have a Gatewood Cape as well – it was the last ground shelter I used before switching to hammocks.  I also used a polycro groundsheet and was a bit neurotic with my site selection…it had to be level and not someplace that would become a river in the event of a torrential downpour.  It wasn’t always easy to find that spot.  I didn’t have the issue of sliding out from under the Cape, but I never slept well – especially if it was raining – because I was always worried about keeping everything covered.

In PA you’ll always find a pair of trees that you can use to hang your hammock and it opens up a lot of previously unacceptable sites for spending the night.

[Gary]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Hopefully some combination of them will work on my next trip. If not, it might be time to try a hammock.

[Five Star]

I have the Bristlecone Bivy and it’s one slippery SO…..sucker.  Try the seam sealer tip and the shoes thing.  Using a Thinlight in conjunction with what you have would work as well.

[Rex Sanders]

On one sloping site I piled up gear underneath my feet and lower legs, between the pad and the floor. Not quite comfortable, but much better than waking up every 45 minutes to inchworm my way back to the top of a dew-soaked single-wall shelter. Similar to Lester’s rock bumpers idea, but easier to implement at 2 am without getting out of the tent.

I have trouble judging the slope of a potential campsite while standing up. Much easier to judge lying down on a clean surface. Someday I’ll remember to do that more often!

— Rex

[Rex Sanders]

And for yet more proof of Universal Synchronicity or something, I just stumbled across this excellent tip from Paul Mags:

https://pmags.com/quick-tip-water-bottle-leveler

TL;DR – Lay your (clear, partly filled) water bottle on the ground to see if it slopes too much.

As the great 20th century philosopher Homer said: DOH!

— Rex

[Scott Nelson]

I had a similar experience trying to stay inside an old Hexamid. I was always slip-sliding out one direction or another…  I ended up using larger tarps.

I have recently had a lot of slippage as I went back to using a bivy with a DCF floor under a tarp. I used Seam Grip dots on both sides of my  NeoAir pad.  (silicone did not stick to the pad.)  I could see having to do this to each sliding surface to get a grip.

I am finding that with a floorless tarp I need to choose a site with some slope to avoid the water collecting “dished out” spots.  Big Rocks at my feet help. Tyvek sounds good too.

Scott

 

[Brad P]

At Philmont, we never had a flat site.  They were all varying degrees of sloped.  My GG Thinlight pad under my Xlite helped a good bit, but did not eliminate the sliding.  This was with a Dyneema floor.

In addition to the seam sealer on the floor, maybe some electrical tape on the bottom of the sleeping pad would help?

[Gary]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who is having this issue. I always try to find as flat a site as possible (who doesn’t), but it’s never enough.

Since my Exped Synmat already has a patch, I’m going to put seam grip dots on both sides, and see what happens.

Since I will switch from side to back throughout the night, I never thought a quilt would work for me. Any of you have experience with quilts helping reduce the overall shifting out from under a tarp?

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