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.
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