Tarp as tent

**sporehead** · 01-13-2014, 13:04

Hey guys, first post. How's it going?

I am trying to cut down my pack weight and still need an effective tarp. I like Hammock camping but also enjoy tents. I have both but want to combine some things. I was thinking a tarp tent style tent that can be used as a walled hammock tarp as well. I'd like the have some zip on/off bug net as well. I am concerned that the tarp tent wont hold heat very well and will be too exposed to the critters.

I have looked at Z pack custom stuff but it may be too pricey. Are there any recommendations?

**Owl** · 01-13-2014, 14:48

I have a HH Hex tarp (the polypro coated one, but the silnylon would do the same thing here, and be lighter) that I had 2QZQ sew on doors on either end. They sell that as their standard product.

One ADDITIONAL feature I added was velcro closures on those doors.

This makes this tarp MUCH more capable of closing off and keeping out the wind/snow/rain/critters. They also added pole pockets, and with a custom made pole, that holds the sides out (and helps with support of the tarp) so that you get a heck of a lot of space underneath it.

I've not tried sleeping in it as a tent only...but I would say that I've used that tarp in some pretty good winter conditions quite successfully with my hammock and HHSS undercover/underpad.

I'd think that it would function perfectly as a tarp tent if I had to go to ground.

**CamoDeafie82** · 01-13-2014, 14:59

with the larger tarps I've seen on here, specifically the winter tarps, I think you would be able to use them as tents without a hammock pretty easily, just need a floor/ground cloth. There is a guy somewhere on this forum who have made nylon versions of the old fashioned canvas wall tents with wood stove in them; and uses them as hot-tents with hammock in them....

**Refreshing** · 01-13-2014, 15:13

I think the easiest way is to buy a stand-alone tarp then have a hammock with a bugnet attached. You can use it for hammocking or if you laid down a cheap piece of plastic (to save the material from twigs and rocks) you could also use it for camping on the ground under the tarp. Or you could just use the tarp alone in the winter for sleeping on the ground.

**OutandBack** · 01-13-2014, 15:40

Originally Posted by sporehead

Hey guys, first post. How's it going?

I am trying to cut down my pack weight and still need an effective tarp. I like Hammock camping but also enjoy tents. I have both but want to combine some things. I was thinking a tarp tent style tent that can be used as a walled hammock tarp as well. I'd like the have some zip on/off bug net as well. I am concerned that the tarp tent wont hold heat very well and will be too exposed to the critters.

I have looked at Z pack custom stuff but it may be too pricey. Are there any recommendations?

Hammock tarps usually have 11' to 12' ridgelines.
Way to long for ground sleeping if you are trying to cut pack weight.
Sylnylon tarps are kind of cheap I'd have one for each type of camping.

5x5 is usually all I need for treeless camping.

**Chard** · 01-13-2014, 16:09

Hi Sporehead,

Check out the link below. If you have a tarp with sufficient tie-outs, almost anything is possible! It's pretty amazing.

Tarp-Shelters.pdf

**Tendertoe** · 01-13-2014, 16:18

The Superfly tarp works perfectly over a "net tent" inner net like a Bear Paw Wilderness Designs Net Tent 2.

You can use it (or any other similarly-sized tarp) as a hammock tarp over a hammock with a bugnet and for a ground tarp-tent over a netted "inner net".

(Skip to 8:31 in the below video to see the tarp in action over the inner net tent)

**sporehead** · 01-14-2014, 13:15

Thanks everyone. These are all great suggestions. Like any good question, it has led to more questions.

Tendertoe- Thanks for posting this video, it really helps me see what I am talking about. I like the two piece system a lot. My one concern is the additional weight that the net adds. Is there a way to incorporate the functionality of the net into the tarp ends without having the water leakage issue that two part tents hope to eliminate?

Owl- have you heard of anyone having critter issues when using a similar setup as a tent? Without having a completely sealed tent space I don't see how one could be separated from them.

Well, these suggestions make me think of something else now... What about a full coverage tarp that has roll up front/back flaps with bugnet attached to the same stitching and has a removable floor? It bothers me to bring extra material for a footprint or a ground cloth. I realize I am adding weight over and over now but there has to be a way to reduce it to its max while still retaining functionality.

Also, what sort of insulation sacrifices am I looking at if I move to the ground with a tarp style tent?

**VictoriaGuy** · 01-14-2014, 13:53

A few questions for you:
Where will you be hiking? i.e. what sort of critters are you concerned about? (sounds like snakes? eech...)
Will you be hiking in serious bug country? (I wouldn't trust anything but sewn and zippered closures to keep out serious bugs, personally ...too many sleepless nights with two mosquitoes in the tent....

)

Do you hike with hiking poles?

What sort of insulation (pad? UQ?) do you use in your hammock?

If the 1# weight of the Bear Paw Wilderness Designs Net Tent 2 is a big concern, you have a challenge.

**sporehead** · 01-14-2014, 14:23

Well these are good questions, thanks for asking. If 1# BPWD is as light as I can get then that's good to know. My goal is to go as light as I can with everything I have.

I live outside full time. I am a hiking/wandering/homeless landlubber. I am housed off and on during winter and so far have had no run ins with snow. There is no telling where I will be from month to month but my gear has to hold up and be very versatile as it is my home. I like to sleep in the woods but occasionally stay in urban areas such as roofs, on concrete and porches. This can pose a problem with shelters that require stakes or tie outs to stay up. I do not own nor do I plan on investing in hiking poles. My ingenuity usually wins out and I find something to use in the immediate environment. What concerns me in regards to this is the possibility of not being able to get my shelter set up on concrete and hard surfaces, which has already been an issue.

I am concerned about any and all critters that can bite maim or annoy. I have not yet tarped so I don't know what sort I can learn to live with. I do know that I hate mosquitoes and no see ums. I got my first taste of this in Brunswick, GA when I finally deployed my tent to fend off the two just mentioned as well as some rather large cockroaches and one alley cat. I don't want to be bothered with it again but I know living with nature is going to call for some sacrifices of comfort. 3 season is a must, 4 season shelter even better.

As for insulation I have only a cheap blue CCF pad. It has served me well on the ground but I have not tested in in a hammock. I'd like to think it will still be what I use in a hammock so I can transition to the ground with it easier, but I realize there are condensation and compression issues. If I find that it works for me. I'll sew in a pocket for it and wings.

Being on the road 100% of the time means that I have to go as light as possible and having extra stuff I am not using in my pack is a burden. The only exception I make here is the tent/hammock, but a UQ or TQ is not an option right now.

If anyone is interested, I currently use an Alps mountaineering Mystique 1 tent and it is amazing. My hammock is a Hammock bliss and has also served me well. When I get this next shelter, I'll be getting rid of the Alps tent.