Tarp Campers!

Darbyfett

Darbyfett

Joined
May 1, 2007
Messages
788
I have a question for you folks who sleep under nothing but a tarp!

Have you had any bad experiences with critters? I am used to sleeping in a tent and keeping out the bugs for the most part. But next time I go camping I want to try tarp camping(no tarp at all if the weather is nice). I have heard stories about snakes in bedrolls etc.

Help me decide to sleep outside of a tent!
 
The last few times i've been out i didnt even use a tarp. And it came back to bite me in the ass. Literally. Spirder bite that is.
 
never had any problems (knock on wood) but there are alot more snakes if a dnagerous variety in texas than there are in the north east perhaps erecting an aframe bed or a raised jungle bed might be a cool project, that way you get the best of both worlds.
 
I don't worry about big critters, it's the tiny blood-sucking ones that bother me. Black flies in the Adirondacks in the spring can drain you of blood in mere moments.

I really don't care for tarp camping because of that.
 
I don't bother carrying a hammock or tent in the fall, winter or early spring. Critters aren't a major concern during these seasons. In the summer, I'll pack a lightweight head net if I'm by the water and liberally apply bug dope to my ankles, wrists and neck before sleeping. I've slept this way for a long time and never have I had an issue with snakes. Not saying it won't happen but I haven't seen it myself.
 
Tarping here from Spring to the first good frost means having to deal with skeeters. I have a pop-open net goodie. Don't trust repellant for all night. No snake worries here. Anything enlse of concern would laugh at a tent as well as a tarp.
 
RescueRiley said:
never had any problems (knock on wood) but there are alot more snakes if a dnagerous variety in texas than there are in the north east perhaps erecting an aframe bed or a raised jungle bed might be a cool project, that way you get the best of both worlds.
Click to expand...

I have wanted to try making a bed. Could be a very fun project.


PB Wilson said:
I don't worry about big critters, it's the tiny blood-sucking ones that bother me. Black flies in the Adirondacks in the spring can drain you of blood in mere moments.

I really don't care for tarp camping because of that.
Click to expand...

Mosquitoes are our main annoyance here...oh and fire ants.



k_estela said:
I don't bother carrying a hammock or tent in the fall, winter or early spring. Critters aren't a major concern during these seasons. In the summer, I'll pack a lightweight head net if I'm by the water and liberally apply bug dope to my ankles, wrists and neck before sleeping. I've slept this way for a long time and never have I had an issue with snakes. Not saying it won't happen but I haven't seen it myself.
Click to expand...

That's what I wanted to hear!
 
My creepiest spider incident actually occurred in a tent. I remember waking up, sitting up and feeling webs on my face. As I was packing up my gear I spied a 2" spider (no idea what kind) hanging out in the corner. I wasn't bit but I still got the chills imagining that hairy sucker crawling over my face. *shivers*
 
Skeeters is all I need to keep out here. I sew my own tarps up from Silnylon. One of the advantages to that is being able to make it big enough and with custom fittings to really hunker down hard without a massive weight penalty. Some of the rigs I've seen here with skinny tarps raised off the deck like picnic canopies would lead to a pretty miserable time in damp conditions and in the face of the dreaded Scottish midge. My solution to the the blood suckers is to peg the tarp down tight and attach no-see-um netting to either end when I need it. It's just as resistant as a tent then - burn a coil inside to kill anything, climb in, don't get out 'till tomorrow. Netting is a breeze to machine up in exactly the size and shape you want. I don't know what the best place is to get it off the roll in the US but here might be a good starting point.

It's worth noting that the new nanonoseeum netting is supposed to be about 33% lighter than the standard. I don't have any experience of that yet though.
 
I won't sleep in a tent. I have tarped it in some bad weather before and stayed dry. Mountains, desert with scorpions, bears, mountain lions (that was a long night). Ponch/Tarp, quilt, bivy system for me.
Picture044.jpg

Picture043.jpg

Picture042.jpg

Picture2062.jpg

IMG_3602.jpg

IMG_3601.jpg


-RB
 
Last edited:
I was backpacking in Colorado one time and the last night out we slept out in the open so we could get a quick start the next day, no tent, no tarp. I spent the whole night wondering what was going to be crawling over me. Nothing happened but not a good nights sleep.
 
I have done the tarp thing, and there are a lot of disadvantages. One major one is wind howling under it and it's not really that great in the rain. (Look at the picutres in the above posts....you really think you are going to stay dry in a heavy rain????)

There are so may excellent ultralight tents out there these days, I can no longer see any sense in the tarp....
 
tarps are nice because the afford a greater connection to the outdoors then a tent. I live in Vancouver B.C. which means that we get around 285 days of rain (an educated guess). I go camping year round and I would say that in 10 trips in a year, we might get one without rain. We use tarps, but we use larger ones than pictured above, and build beds to sleep on. Plus, if you can build the tarp high enough, you can sleep next to a fire, which keeps you warm and helps to keep bugs away.
 
I prefer a tarp or nothing to a tent. I usually won't put out my blanket or sleeping bag until I go to sleep and if they have been sitting under the tarp for the day, I always shake them out (particulary in the SW) - never had a problem.

This past August while out west I did have something come by and sniff my head which was tucked down in my bag as it was in the low 30s. It woke me up, but I became immediately alert and frozen. I assume it was a racoon ~ but I didn't look for a couple of minutes in case it was a skunk!!! :eek: Never saw what it was or could find any good tracks.

Slough Creek in Yellowstone
DSC03121.jpg
 
Looking into getting a tarp. What size do you recommend to build a decent shelter for 1-2 persons? 8x10, 10x10, or smaller?

One thing I'm looking at is keeping one in my get home bag. My walk home is pretty long (27 miles) so I would need to take a break in there somewhere. The tarp shelter sounds good for that scenario.

In addition, i'm putting together some family hiking stuff and am seriously considering one for that kit. It would give us a temporary shelter in case a rain blew in. What size would you recommend for that?

Thanks,

Charlie
 
I always keep an 9x12 tarp in my pack when hiking. I think anything smaller is an exersice in futility. This size allows you to cover the ground, and the sky, enough for two people. Also, it is large enough to hang higher to allow for fires underneath, just in case it is really cold.
 
Darbyfett said:
I have a question for you folks who sleep under nothing but a tarp!

Have you had any bad experiences with critters? I am used to sleeping in a tent and keeping out the bugs for the most part. But next time I go camping I want to try tarp camping(no tarp at all if the weather is nice). I have heard stories about snakes in bedrolls etc.

Help me decide to sleep outside of a tent!
Click to expand...

It may be fine up north, but it is not for Texas. You'll get eaten up by the mosquitos, chiggers, ticks, fire-ants, etc...

I've been looking into a mosquito net hammock, though... I think it would work just fine.
 
90% of the time I use just a tarp. I like to have a small sheet for a groundcloth too. Skeeters can be an issue in the summer, but never had any other critter problems in many years and in many different states.
 
kdstrick said:
It may be fine up north, but it is not for Texas. You'll get eaten up by the mosquitos, chiggers, ticks, fire-ants, etc...

I've been looking into a mosquito net hammock, though... I think it would work just fine.
Click to expand...

There are some awesome jungle hammocks out there. I've been looking into these as well. I haven't settled on anything but it looks like there are quite a few choices out there. The one below is only $39.99 on Campmor.

41118.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top