Tent vs Tarp

I spent a night in a absolute torrential downpour under a tarp. The camp site was flooded by about an inch or two of water. Practically everything was soaked. The only reason I stayed relatively dry (but not totally) was because I was in a hammock and above the water. If I'd have been on the ground it would have been a distinctly unpleasant experience. My friends were both in tents and didn't have any problems.

I've moved onto good quality single man tents after that experience - you feel just a bit more secure.
 
Last summer, I spent some time up on Walker Mountain in SW Virginia. My younger brother and I stayed on the ground under a BCUSA tarp. We slept on thermarest pads, with a light blanket.
My older brother stayed in the Eureka Solitaire bivy tent. All three of us were comfortable, and not bothered by heavy rains at night. We were on a slope, but a small trench above the tarp kept the run off away from us.
WalkerMountain.jpg
 
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