I've used a Kelty Noah's Tarp 12 on my last 2 or 3 elk hunts along with a generously cut Tyvek sheet for moisture and puncture protection for sleeping bag.
Pros: more than a pound lighter than my tent, has a lot more headroom, has a lot more room period, can be set up in a variety of configurations, big enough to keep me dry (proper set up) even in hard rains, big enough for two if you really want to shave weight (buddy and I took an additional small tarp to add covered area - still way lighter than 2 tents), can easily cook under a roof if it is raining - much more difficult to do that in a tent, can use combination of trees and rocks as tie-outs or anchors in case you forget stakes (yes I did), mid-day naps are more comfortable than tents due to air circulation, bears don't have to destroy an expensive tent to get to you
Cons: need to practice different set ups at home, takes longer to set up than backpacking tent, generally need more space to set up, will most likely share space with spiders, bears can pull you out more easily
Tips: paracord or similar is your friend - but I always take extra cord into backcountry for a multitude of uses, I also pre-rig some of my mid-tarp tie-outs to save time in the mtns, use pine boughs to make a bed - way more comfortable and keeps your ground cover off of ground, don't worry about bears unless you're in the habit of keeping food in your sleeping area
Topic: trail tarp (Read 464 times)
