Am I Making a Mistake? - Tarp Tent w/ Down Bag

[elkfanatic]

I have tarp camped in third rifle elk season, so normally cold and snowy, but it has actually rained a few times. I always make a pine boughs bed about 10-12" inches thick to get off the ground to avoid moisture transfer and to add a bit insulation from the ground. Has worked great if I picked my site with wind and watershed in mind. Only bad thing I can say is ,IT SUCKS Getting out of your bag when it's -5°F in the morning.

 

[TexAg09]

I have tarp camped in third rifle elk season, so normally cold and snowy, but it has actually rained a few times. I always make a pine boughs bed about 10-12" inches thick to get off the ground to avoid moisture transfer and to add a bit insulation from the ground. Has worked great if I picked my site with wind and watershed in mind. Only bad thing I can say is ,IT SUCKS Getting out of your bag when it's -5°F in the morning.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Wind Gypsy]

A down bag in sept in WY would not be something I’d be concerned about. Getting wet sucks though no matter what kind of insulation your bag uses so agree if you’re concerned about that, use a different shelter.

If money is tight a guy could probably buy something used off the classifieds here, rokslide, or backpacking light forums and then sell it again after the hunt.

I’ll be out there around then too with a 20 degree down bag and single wall pyramid or tarptent stratospire.

 

[2rocky]

Might consider a bag bivy. Just an extra bit of protection against thunderstorms. I think the Tarp works best as shade or windbreak .

 

[glass eye]

Now that I have experienced a backcountry hunt where my down bag became drenched even with a 4 season tent, I now use a tarp above my rain fly covered tent.
May seem like overkill but it beats having to leave early because everything is drenched.

 

[BackofBeyond]

My go to set-up for September is a tarp and a bivy bag. There's also plenty of nights where I leave afterwork, get to the trailhead at 11:00 and I skip the tarp, just bivy it.

Don't over think it.

 

[Rzrbk]

My ex-green beret buddy decided to cut weight on one of our backpack wilderness deer hunts and so he only brought a tarp and sleeping pad. I'm certain he will never do that again! It was mid-Sept and temps were in the 90's when we left the trailhead shirtless. It turned winter really fast, cold rain turning to hail and snow and wind blowing about 40 mph. We had to build a wind block to protect our fire. We still talk about that trip..., good times and good stories if you survive!

I wouldn't look for weight savings with your shelter unless it's to bivy or solo tent. I purchased a one-person MSR solo that weighs about 2 1/2 pounds....., "the coffin tent" as my buddy called it. I slept well in my coffin tent amidst the blizzard while immense suffering occurred in the tarp tent.

 

[OntarioHunter]

This thread has refreshed my memory about why I decided to buy horses.

 

[yakimanoob]

I have three shelters I use for hunting:

• If it might rain, I use my tarp (SG SkyAir if I'm solo or Black Diamond BetaLite if I'm sharing).
• If it's probably going to rain and it's at/above freezing, I use my Hennessy Hammock.
• If it's probably going to rain and it's below freezing, I take my tent and share with a partner.

Honestly the hammock isn't the lightest but dang if I don't sleep like a baby in that thing, and it's seen me through many a thunderstorm and kept me bone dry.