Torrential Downpours and Wind Under a Tarp

[David D]

I’m north of where dirtbag calls home and we get ticks even when the snow hasn’t completely melted in the spring.  I had a big whopper sitting on my mesh as a wake up greeting this late April while the trail still had snow at the edges.

I love the idea of tarp camping and have one but can’t bring myself to use it.  Ticks scare me much more than bears (which I ran into again yesterday so bears aren’t an abstract concept up here).

I never met anyone attacked by a bear but I hear many stories of friends of friends battling Lime.

[Steve Thompson]

Excellent video and appreciate your steadfastness in challenging conditions.

In 2022 I had a challenging tarp experience on night one of a Sierra Nevada backpack during hurricane Kay.  I had 8 hours torrential rain and wind.  I select a campsite in a hard rain selecting a granite outcrop where no water was pooling, used my stakes as deadmen under large rocks crawled underneath and hoped for the best.  Rain and wind for about 8 hours.  Fortunately no water ever ran underneath but the wind delivered significant spray the my MLD soul bivy kept at bay.  By and large I stayed dry and was able to get some sleep.

The key learning is how robust a tarp can be and an increase in my tarp confidence.  I had two additional rainy nights, but these after that first night were easy.  And I am glad that first night I had 55 years of backpacking experience informing my pitch.

[Josh J]

@dirtbag

i like the bathtub ground sheet, where did you get yours?

[dirtbag]

MLD Silnylon Duo Pyramid floor

[Author]

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