Tarp camping converted me after one bad tent night

Always saw tarps as makeshift, but staying dry in a downpour changed my view. Now I prefer the openness and simplicity.

3 comments

3 Comments

Backpacker Magazine had a piece last year on tarp camping in the Pacific Northwest. The writer talked about how a well pitched tarp handles rain better than most cheap tents. Your story about staying dry in a downpour reminds me of that. I used to think tarps were for people who pack light, but now I get the appeal. That article pointed out that tarps let you camp on bumpy ground where tents fail. So yeah, once you go tarp, it's hard to deal with the closed in feeling of a tent.

samf959d ago

Tbh @thea_carter, tarps handle bad weather better than tents.

thomas.sean2d ago

Yeah, I was totally in the tent camp before, no question. But last fall I got caught in this sideways rain storm on a ridge, and my buddy's tarp just shed the water while my tent fly was flapping like crazy. The wind went right under the tarp edge and kept things dry, where my tent just pooled water at the corners. Now I see how you can pitch a tarp tight to handle wind, and the air flow stops all that condensation. I'm kinda sold on it for anything but bug season.