Anyone use a tarp in the alpine?

Lawnboi

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I have a tangential question on tarps. I've got the materials to make one for use this summer but I'm curious how often you have to re-rig them? I'd see myself getting it setup picture perfect for say a west wind and then a few hours later it would be blowing out of the north or east and I'd be SOL. :(


Easy enough. I'll preface by saying that I typically use the tarp if I'm going to be moving often. If I know I'll be camped in 1 spot, I'll eat he weight penalty of a tipi style shelter, for 360* coverage, especially when I'm not around camp.

The paratarp, tacked tight to the ground gives wind protection from 3 directions as is. Even with it raised a little, it still provides good coverage. The wind would have to switch 180* to be blowing into my tarp, and even then, it's not bad unless directly blowing in the door side. Typically I try to setup with my door toward a wind break, be it a rock, cliff, trees, back side of a mountain, whatever you can find. For this reason I really like the paratarp shape over a typical flat tarp. It can be raised in nice weather and provides great coverage tacked tight to the ground. That said, a tarp IMO is not suitable for all conditions, and if I know it's going to get nasty I'll likely take more shelter.

I also always run a bivy of some kind under the tarp.
 
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I have a tangential question on tarps. I've got the materials to make one for use this summer but I'm curious how often you have to re-rig them? I'd see myself getting it setup picture perfect for say a west wind and then a few hours later it would be blowing out of the north or east and I'd be SOL. :(

This is one reason I chose a Mid over a tarp. I don't have to worry too much about which direction the prevailing winds are coming from, Mids shed winds equally well from all directions. I really like the ability of being able to pick up and go whenever I want and not have to go back for my base camp. My entire sleep system (shelter, quilt, bivy, and pad) weighs 46oz., so I don't mind carrying it around on my back all the time. This gives me about a 60 ft.² footprint and with a normal pitch it's about 51"-53" tall. Way more than enough room for me and all my gear or two people and minimal gear.


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mtnwrunner

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This is one reason I chose a Mid over a tarp. I don't have to worry too much about which direction the prevailing winds are coming from, Mids shed winds equally well from all directions. I really like the ability of being able to pick up and go whenever I want and not have to go back for my base camp. My entire sleep system (shelter, quilt, bivy, and pad) weighs 46oz., so I don't mind carrying it around on my back all the time. This gives me about a 60 ft.² footprint and with a normal pitch it's about 51"-53" tall. Way more than enough room for me and all my gear or two people and minimal gear.


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Hey Greg........what exactly do you have in your equipment that comes in at 46 oz? That is mighty appealing.

Randy
 

Justin Crossley

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My ultralight system is under 3 lbs as well. There was a long thread going about it a while back.

Zpacks Hexamid Solo Plus tarp
Zpacks 30 quilt
Thermarest Xtherm
Tigoat Omni Raven Bivy
 

mtnwrunner

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My ultralight system is under 3 lbs as well. There was a long thread going about it a while back.

Zpacks Hexamid Solo Plus tarp
Zpacks 30 quilt
Thermarest Xtherm
Tigoat Omni Raven Bivy


Just curious what Greg is using as I trust his experience in a nasty environment.

Randy
 
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Hey Greg........what exactly do you have in your equipment that comes in at 46 oz? That is mighty appealing.

Randy

The Mid I was referring to Randy is that new Mid that I just purchased from Locus Gear, but the one I used last year was a MLD Solomid at 16 oz. all in, EE 35° 850 fill treated down, wide/regular at 14 oz. Borah Gear bivy at 6 oz. and small Thermarest XLite pad at 8 oz. then I figured another couple ounces at the most for cuben fiber dry bags.

The LG Mid is about an ounce heavier than the MLD but it's also quite a bit bigger.


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mtnwrunner

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The Mid I was referring to Randy is that new Mid that I just purchased from Locus Gear, but the one I used last year was a MLD Solomid at 16 oz. all in, EE 35° 850 fill treated down, wide/regular at 14 oz. Borah Gear bivy at 6 oz. and small Thermarest XLite pad at 8 oz. then I figured another couple ounces at the most for cuben fiber dry bags.

The LG Mid is about an ounce heavier than the MLD but it's also quite a bit bigger.


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Thanks Greg. So........what is the coldest you slept in that quilt? (Not to derail the thread)

Randy
 

MtnOyster

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How do you tarp and TP guys keep keep your stuff dry after a 2 or 3 day rain? figure the ground under it would finally get soaked,
 

Bulldawg

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How do you tarp and TP guys keep keep your stuff dry after a 2 or 3 day rain? figure the ground under it would finally get soaked,

Everything stays dry ground only gets wet about 2 inches from the edge of the tarp. In a bad rain, I'll pitch my paratarp right to the ground and I'll be dry in there along with my gear.


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suchee

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I'm a tarp guy, the versatility is the real winner, and i cant afford a hexamid! ALOT of climbers around here turned me on to them but in a SQUARE design(supposedly better pitch options/less folds) mine is 8.5x8.5 cuben, with stakes and full guy lines I'm at 10oz, and its HUGE for two in a "open cave" pitch like the paratarp.

I had a paratarp, way too small width wise when pitched low and really unusably long for me. I'm way lighter with way more space with pitch options. When its knarly out, i can pitch mine into a pyramid mode with pole in center(cut tennis ball to protect cuben) with full 3 side enclosure, and at 5'10" I can fit with gear. That pitch is one man only

I run a hammock for 3 seasons, the square tarp works great for that too
The Best Ultralight Tents, Tarps and Shelters | OutdoorGearLab reviews them, they got it figured out,
if you can afford both... add a Zpacks hexamid twin for full 3+season bomber, the tarp does make a compromise when its nasty, but i put up with if im solo, it works
 
Last edited:
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I'm a tarp guy, the versatility is the real winner, and i cant afford a hexamid! ALOT of climbers around here turned me on to them but in a SQUARE design(supposedly better pitch options/less folds) mine is 8.5x8.5 cuben, with stakes and full guy lines I'm at 10oz, and its HUGE for two in a "open cave" pitch like the paratarp.

I had a paratarp, way too small width wise when pitched low and really unusably long for me. I'm way lighter with way more space with pitch options. When its knarly out, i can pitch mine into a pyramid mode with pole in center(cut tennis ball to protect cuben) with full 3 side enclosure, and at 5'10" I can fit with gear. That pitch is one man only

I run a hammock for 3 seasons, the square tarp works great for that too
The Best Ultralight Tents, Tarps and Shelters | OutdoorGearLab reviews them, they got it figured out,
if you can afford both... add a Zpacks hexamid twin for full 3+season bomber, the tarp does make a compromise when its nasty, but i put up with if im solo, it works

I've been really close, on several occasions, to pulling the trigger on a CF flat/square tarp but I eventually talk myself out of it. My biggest concern is that I have no experience with them and they kind of intimidate me. If I found myself on an exposed mountain without any natural coverage or decent wind brake and had a severe storm moving in, I feel pretty confident that I could pitch my solo mid and be able to take cover relatively fast and I could weather just about anything. I know that if I had the same confidence in a flat tarp as I do my mid, I would have no problem carrying one and using it as my sole means of shelter.
 

Akicita

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thinking of going smaller and more dynamic and obviously lighter.

What size? I tried the Walmart outdoor gear 5x7, that didn't work so well.

Below treeline I will not hesitate to bivy under my Kifaru Sheep Tarp pitched against a leeward downfall or rock cropping or my Redcliff Tipi. Anything above treeline where my life may depend on sheltering from severe weather I am taking any one of my Hillebergs. . . I don't even think twice about that. . .

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