Switched to a tarp shelter after getting trapped in my tent in a storm at Old Rag Mountain

Was up on Old Rag last May and a freak storm rolled in around 2am. Wind was so bad my tent poles started bending and water was seeping through the floor. I spent the rest of the night sitting up holding the pole. Next morning I walked past a guy with a simple tarp setup who looked dry and comfortable. Sold my tent on Craigslist that week and bought a 10x10 silnylon tarp for $50. Has anyone else made the switch and regretted it? I'm worried about bugs.

3 comments

3 Comments

west.casey24d ago

Yeah michael_green44 hit it. I run a tarp with a bug bivy underneath, that solves the whole bug problem and keeps you dry if you pitch it right. Took me a few shitty nights to figure out the right pitch for rain but once you do, it's way lighter than hauling a tent.

michael_green4425d ago

Swapped to a tarp a few years back and honestly I still think about going back sometimes. Bugs are a real issue unless you bring a bivy or bug net with you. I got eaten alive one night in Shenandoah because I thought I could skip the net. Also tarps are great in wind but they suck in heavy rain if you don't pitch them right. I've had water pool on top and soak my sleeping bag before I even woke up. So yeah, no regrets isn't universal. You might end up missing that tent seal.

kimfisher25d ago

Funny how that works, right? You think upgrading to something simpler will solve all your problems, then you just trade one set of headaches for another. It's like when I ditched my car for a bike to save money, then spent twice as much on rain gear and bike repairs. We all convince ourselves the next thing will be the magic fix, but usually it's just swapping one annoyance for a different one. Maybe the real secret is just getting really good at dealing with whatever you already have.