[at-l] Tarping (was Tents that are really for two?)

[dfaddleton@mindspring.com (David)]

> If you can make it to Trail Days this year, walk around and look  at the
> setups.

>From a Tarper:  Are there lots of trees at trail days????

> I don't tarp but can offer some answers...  others can add on...

Will do!

> Advantages: weight is often less than tent, better ventilation, more
> flexible setup

I can't see much of an advantage over a tent for people who sleep on the
ground. If I slept on the ground I'd go for the bivie sack or small tent.
If you can get off the ground in a hammock, then the
advantages/disadvantages lists change a bit . .

> Disadvantages: no barrier to bugs (snakes, skunks, etc)

In Re SKUNK:  Agreed. Waking to a skunk nosing through your food provides a
mahvelous and surprising experience of . . .
confusion or zen or . . . hmmmmmmmm . . . . I still don't know . . . except
that to do nothing except observe because nothing else can be done seems the
best course of nonaction in such a circumstance and that's the shinning and
ultimately odorless path I chose . . .
I've not run into a snake while tarping . . .  plenty while hiking, but none
while tarping . . .
Bugs. I'm not as attractive to bugs as are some people, although, on rare
occassions, I do need cover my exposed skin with a light netting or cotton
fabric . . . bugs bother me more while I'm hiking than while I'm sleeping .
. .

>you must be able to
> read the land and the weather for optimal setup (easy for some people,
hard
> for others),

ok . . .

Depending on the wind direction, ridges have either two sides (winward and
leeward) or no side. In the former case, chose the leeward side; in the
later case keep walking and look for a cove . . .
Coves often provide shelter from the howling wind and driving rain . . .
Uneven terrain provides a place to stand and, sitting in the hammock, a
table on the other side of the hammock (Don't let gear roll down the hill!).
It also lets you keep the tarp near the ground and behind a bush or a rock
to provide additional protection . . .

>often need a separate ground sheet

true, for ground dwellers; hammocks let you ditch the ground cloth