Boy do I have a lot to learn about winter camping!

[BillyBob58]

................



My second really serious and very dangerous problem is the one that everyone is aware of but the setup is to good to not use it. and tha tof course is anchoring your 4 corners of guylines that includes a small section of shock cord in order to help maintain tension as the tarp sags throughout the night.

The obvious very dangerous problem with this concept is of course F=k(Di-Df) or in non geek talk. the massive amount of energy that becomes stored in these sections of shock cord. energey that in this case will soon become kinetic in the form of massXacceleration, or again in english, was very very quickly about to become a very pointy large aluminum projectile that was moments away from being launched directly into my face. Not a fun 20 or so seconds, I quickly ran around poping cordage off the GSR hogs to free the tension, bu tit was nerveracking. Again I am thinking of adding very mini clip or biner at the edges of the tarp to help facilitate removing tension if things suddently get out of hand.


Most importantly though I realized that I really need to read up on and then get some much needed expereience about how I should go about properly scouting out the correct location to hang and make sure that I can keep the wind off of the face of the tarp.

I feel like there should be soem magic tarp shape or secret fold hat you make in order to allow the wind to pass through and not destroy the tarp. But so far from what I gather you need to make sure you pick a set of trees that are parallel or close to the wind direction. Andthen Im also assuming tha tyou wanna hang your tarp super low to try to keep everything from slamming right though by going under the tarp/

It's true that the elastic tensioners are a potential danger causing projectile stakes. But during set up, if they get away from you they should go away from you rather than towards you. I would normally be pulling away from the tarp to plant the stakes, and they would fly towards the tarp if it goes awry. Plus, if the tensioners are short, the distance they travel, hindered by attached tarp, should be short if they come loose later. Might put a hole in your tarp though. However, all of the above is why I try hard to attach the tarp to trees, bushes and roots, rather than using stakes. Impossible in my back yard, often possible in the woods. I often carry extra cordage to help me reach natural tie on spots.

One thing I forgot to mention, and not sure if any one else has: if not soloing, your hiking partners can be a HUGE help. They can hold onto parts of the tarp while you try to get each guy line secured. Especially while pulling small sections of tarp out of snake skins.

And to repeat, if on an actual hike rather than taking what you can get in your backyard or at a developed campground, if the wind is knocking you down in one spot, most times you can move to another spot where a hill or thick trees or a huge rock are blocking most of that wind. That is another huge advantage we often do not have in our back yards, especially sense we don't need level, rock or root free ground. Just hunt for that sheltered spot. But, with bigger groups this can be tougher, trying to find enough good trees in a sheltered spot where all can hang together.

[FLRider]

Repetitive noises like tarp snapping or rain falling really put me to sleep quickly. I also tend to fall asleep when my wife talks to me 'cause it's always so repetitive.

I usually don't deploy a tarp if the weather is good and it's only in the 30's. However, below freezing I prefer the tarp 'cause it keeps some wind out.

What is this air bivy you reference? Is it like a hammock with a weather system sans tarp?

Don't let your wife hear that, or you'll be sleeping...wait...on second thought...

The wind is definitely a heat-stealer. I found that I was colder two nights ago, in ~40 degree weather, with the wind before I set up my tarp, than I was last night at ~25 degrees with no wind. It's definitely something to keep an eye on any time that the mercury drops.

[DemostiX]

<snip>

What is this air bivy you reference? Is it like a hammock with a weather system sans tarp?

Some trading company has probably trademarked "air bivy." I mean a sleep-system up in the air, water and wind-resistant without a tarp. ie a hammock with quilts wrapped in Gor tex, what is called here a pod or sock.

"Air -bivy" occured to me because in another thread on deep, deep winter camping (or another version of hell, a very cold one) I've suggested poking a hole in one of the zippered US GI bivy covers that are part of the 3-5 part US military sleeping bag system.) I haven't done it to mine because I can find no defects in this $130 exquisitely Gor - tex-taped Gor -tex sleeping bag cover, and piece of gear which I should reserve for jungle use, so likely waterproof it is.

You can find them on ebay for <$15 in repaired condition that would be fine for our use.

I have enoug rain-flys / tarps for my successful promotion of these bivy covers to be counter to my interest. And, there is, no porch mode. I just suspect that we might be more comfortable wrapped-up rather than covered overhead on many windy nights.

All smilies implied.