tarp with doors compared to no doors and an unde rquilt cover or hammock cover sock

[FLRider]

With a tiny tarp and UQP, it almost seems like were to the point of making a waterproof “pod” or hammock. I guess a "hanging bivy". Something lightweight that completely encapsulates you. Probably not for claustrophobics though!

I can see as how you'd get that impression, but I'm still a lot more open than a bivy set up. Porch mode is possible, even desirable, as long as things aren't coming down too hard. And I go semi-tarpless most nights anyway (stakes get set, guylines extended to their lengths, and then the tarp gets rolled back up into the Velcro ties so that I can see the stars).

It also offers areas where vistas are that you just can't park a bivy or t**t; my trip up on the AT with ihover back in 2013 had one night where we camped on the side of a ridge that was a ~30* to ~40* slope. Ain't doing that with a t**t.

[octagone]

For a few years, my setup has been doorless tarp (summer), or doorless tarp with a nylon sock (winter). It has served me very well.
The sock is *amazing* at blocking all drafts while being breathable, adds loads of warmth, and I've rarely had condensation issues. It also gives extra privacy to get changed when camping with a group.

A month ago, I got caught in sideways-blown rain and sleet at 4am. The wind shifted, and the slush was driving straight at my head. I didn't realize it at first, because my down jacket was acting as a peak beak for extra warmth.
Eventually something that sounded like hail woke me up, but I was heading out of the woods that day, so I decided to ignore the wet and go back to sleep in my toasty coccoon.

When I finally got up, I took stock: my down jacket was soaked; the nylon hamock sock was soaked; my top quilt (HG burrow 0F) was plenty wet, but still hot as an oven; my UQ (HG incubator 0F) stayed mostly dry; gloves, socks, boot liners that had been hanging from the tarp ridgeline to dry were soaked through; backpack hanging under the tarp was also wet, but everything inside was dry in a trash bag.

It really wasn't too bad, but I hate to imagine a repeat of this a few days away from civilization.
I'm now awaiting delivery of a HG Winter Palace tarp with doors, so I can laugh at sideways sleet (while dropping 10 oz off my current tarp, and the 10 oz sock altogether).