5 reasons why I switched from a tarp to a tent for ultralight backpacking 

My conversion to tents was waking up with a skunk on my chest. He(visually verified) took a bit of sweet talking to convince his departure. Tent wall is now mandatory.

A good sign of intelligence is the ability to change one's mind. Great video.

I appreciate the minimalistic yet stylistic video and the reasoning you provide for your change in equipment use. It's interesting to think about how we become attached to gear despite the logic of the context.

I was spooked about using anything but a tent years ago. We pulled up to a trail head late one evening. I was warm, the stars were in full view we decided to cowboy camp. Just after dawn we started packing up and my buddy let out a “WTF”A baby rattle snake was under his backpack. Yep, been in tents ever since (that was about 25 years ago).

A few thoughts. First, I would never consider trekking poles as extra weight these days, as most backpackers are using them while hiking. They’re usually not carried on the pack and taken out only when pitching a shelter. When talking tarps, we also need to add in the weight of a ground cloth. Modern lightweight gear is relatively expensive and delicate. The last thing I want to do is get a bunch of trail dust, pine needles, sap, etc. on my quilt, sleeping pad, and sleeping clothes. Tarp + ground cloth + mosquito netting + guy line definitely weighs more than the lightest Zpacks DCF tents. Even if I’m not using a tarp as my primary shelter, I still often carry a large DCF tarp on hikes, especially group hikes. While, as a solo hiker, I’m fine doing a death march in the rain, only eating a solid breakfast and dinner and subsisting on snacks on the move all day, I find most backpackers still like a formal break for lunch, especially less seasoned or low-mileage backpackers. The DCF tarp doesn’t weigh much on its own, and I can quickly pitch it a-frame style between two trees and use it as a shelter from the weather for four hikers and gear. I’m already carrying the four stakes minimum that I’ll need for my primary shelter, and everyone has a sit pad. As long as I’m carrying the tarp, when in camp I’ll just pitch it over my non-pyramid tent. If it rains at night, I can often protect the entire tent from any moisture at all. Even the floor stays dry, as long as the ground in camp around my tent doesn’t get over-saturated. I’m not advocating carrying a tarp and tent as a solo hiker, but in group trips, particularly if you’re the leader with less experienced and less hardened people, the tarp can really enhance the experience for all. Finally, until you’ve given hammock camping a serious go as a solo hiker I’d encourage you not to get rid of an 8x10 or larger DCF tarp. You’re probably going to be heavier, even with a modular hammock setup focused on minimizing weight, than you would with a Zpacks DCF shelter, but the hammock in areas with trees is usually a lot easier to find a place to pitch, as the slope of the ground underneath is less of a factor. Hammocks have zero condensation, and are cleaner camping options as none of your gear has to come into contact with wet ground. Hammocks allow for a dry place to cook under in the rain as you have a large tarp overhead, and can pack everything up dry in rainy conditions, except for the tarp. There’s no splash on an inner tent or tent floor covered in wet dirt and pine needles to deal with. No issues with mice chewing holes into your shelter, either. Since you are hanging below the edges of the tarp, when you wake up you can look all around camp. I see deer, fox, and other critters lounging around camp before they scurry away at the first sound of a vestibule zipper opening. I’ve tarped a lot, and feel that the animals are less spooked and more curious about the hanging burrito, and have thus had way more morning wildlife encounters in camp than I have with a tarp. There’s definitely a learning curve with a hammock, and that I feel is its biggest negative. In the end, it’s a consistent pitch as you’re just using two trees as a base for an a-frame tarp pitch with 4-6 tie-outs and hanging a piece of fabric between the same two trees. Probably the biggest learning factor is in the tension and slope of the hammock between the two trees, so the fabric doesn’t have any tight ridges once you get inside, which can cause discomfort, limit space for movement, and impede a good night’s sleep. Sleeping in the hammock can also be a challenge, but with proper pitch techniques back and even side sleepers will be happy. Stomach sleepers not so much. As a stomach sleeper, I’m happy to report that in the hammock I can easily fall asleep on my back or side, which I can’t do on my mattress at home. The best part of hammocking is in its regenerative qualities. No matter how stiff my legs and hips are at the end of the prior day, I wake up fully restored. I think this is due to being cradled and suspended all night long. Conversely, in a tent I still feel stiff the next day.

I generally travel and camp off-trail and never near other people, so I haven't had problems with rodents. I'm highly allergic to them though, so I carry a small vial of strong-smelling essential oil (pine or balsam fir) as repellent. I rub a few drops into a bandana or whatever other clothing or gear the oil won't damage before I go to sleep. Peppermint oil will also work, but I prefer the scent of pine or fir. It reminds me how the forests smelled before all this beetle kill. I use a single wall tent to keep bugs and rodents out, and because I'm usually above timber line. And of course, in good circumstances, the doors can be left wide open, giving that sense of freedom. I always learn something from you, and I really appreciate the directness and quality of your videos. Never any annoying hype (or annoying anything for that matter). Thank you!

1) my 10x8 tarp is pretty spacious underneath and i love having more room to spread things out and stretch and roll around. 2) for site selection, tarps are way more flexible. I’m surprised you put site selection as a + for tents. Tents are more finicky, esp with uneven ground or if you have a nice spot but a branch is in the way or some other obstacle. 3) if the weather gets REALLY bad, like super strong wind, a tarp wins - you can pitch it really low and cut the wind out of the equation, whereas a tent will just blow over. Jardine discusses this. For just ‘normal’ bad weather, like if you know it will rain and want to hang out in camp with another person, a tent would be more convenient. But life-or-death - I’d rather have the tarp, esp strong wind. 4) a basic A-frame works at the end of a long day - so if you really don’t want to think about it. Seems like finding a sufficiently flat spot for a tent is more difficult. I love my Durston, but my tarp is easier for site selection. I just need to find an area for my actual body to sleep in and it’s ok if the surrounding area is uneven or otherwise problematic. for a tent, you have to be much more careful and need more floor space to consider. Uneven ground or just one obstacle can be a dealbreaker for a tent site. 5) weight - tarp + bug net doesn’t add much. Tarp + bivy is a little more, but the bivy also adds a bit more heat if you need it. So you need to count that as part of the pros of the added bivy weight. 6) as you get older, you’ll find that tarps are way better for getting in and out of, esp for midnight nature calls. After a long day of hiking, older guys can easily strain a muscle just having to make the awkward movements to get in and out of a tent or to change clothes or do other things. 7) ventilation and, therefore, warmth. Never had a condensation issue with a tarp. I agree the great new tents out there are light enough that weight alone isn’t enough to justify a tarp, but there are other factors to consider. I think you use a smaller tarp than my 10x8 and that’s partly why a tent can be more convenient in many situations. But with a larger tarp, you don’t get much added weight, but you do get much more ease of use and comfort and margin of error.

Hi, I am a die hard tarp guy, but last week I had the experience of a cougar lying in wait for me to come out of my shelter. I spotted it with my headlamp and it ran off, but it made me think. The tarp setup did cramp its style so maybe a tent is a little safer, because it gives the illusion of an enclosed structure.

To identify when we are clinging to something… Love it! Thanks for this.

It was time for bed, so I picked your video. I was interested in your view on this topic. The bonus was hearing you converse about your experiences. You put me into the space of being in a real forest, and all it's wonder. I began to relax and a smile appeared. Thank you for the peace.

Tarping is a fantastic skill to have, whether you use it or not. I hope to take along a small UL tarp WITH my tent this year, and learn some tarp skills going forward. Thank you for another GREAT video!

You are my go-to guy for the more artisic and esoteric backpacking gear vidoes; so well done and thoughtfully informative. I have three general modes of trail shelters: Nothing, when the conditions allow for it. This is how I grew up and is still my favorite; a tarp, when rain or snow threatens. Almost always have a mini-tarp and a few stakes with me; and full-on tent (Hilleberg Abisko) when the going is foreseeably rough, like Iceland or Finland. That being said, the current development of the single-walled Dynema tents have really peaked my interest for all but the roughest conditions. It may change my whole stable of choices even at this stage of my life (I'm 67). Please keep making your great videos!

Very solid points. I feel similarly. I keep a tarp/bivy combo for off trail peak bagging type trips where a tent may not fit. With a bivy you can find a 25”x74” relatively flat area almost anywhere.

Kudos to your effort 👍

Well said. A tent provides more protection and a simpler experience at a very comparable weight. With a sub 1 lbs tent it's not much weight saved by a tarp. Tarps are fun sometimes but as you say, a tent is just much more versatile. - Dan

I'm loving your channel more and more! Goof stuff here, I just got into tarp camping recently and like it for the reasons you do (knots!) But yeah for true UL the best tents beat the best tarp setups (at least what I bring haha).

I enjoy both tarp and tent camping. The Plex Solo is amazing. It's crazy light and versatile and also provides protection. I enjoy the openness of tarp camping, so when the weather is good, I just sleep with the vestibule door open. Great choice!!

Last month I moved from tarp to tent. Weight is almost the same and my comfort level has gone up significantly. However, the condensation is more than i’d like. Great video! 🎉

Having backpacking shelter options for different use cases makes a ton of sense and really does make it easier to pack and prepare for a trip. So I agree with the sentiment here. I would also add that having a freestanding tent as an option is also really good.

Good video man! Here in the Midwest I only find myself using a tarp for fun, and usually only in late October and in winter time when it's like 20-40 degrees out it's a very small window of opportunity. The bugs will carry you away around here otherwise. A tent is a necessity I find more than a luxury. It's all situation dependent. It's not so much the bugs even that creeps me out but if I wake up with a snake in my sleeping bag some day that's it I'm never going into the woods again 😂 game over lol.

Ease of end of day…tent. Thanks for sharing, from East Tennessee.

hey 🌷- Whatever works best! Great points ! Take care 🥳 Cheryl

I have been having a similar shift in thinking. Been a tarp and bivy camper for years. Had a great work season one year so got a zpacks duplex for the sierra high route and hated it since finding places to set up was a pain. I really mossed the versatility of my tarp. Then i got into hammocking and havent used my zpacks duplex in years. Pulled it out of retirement recently for some winter time glamping with wool blankets in very rainy and buggy conditions and was like damn this is super comfy. It is true that solely based on weight at this point a single wall shelter out performs most tarp bivy or hammock setups. But for pack size and versatility tarp wins especially silnylon. I like to use a large silnylon tarp now over my duplex for extended camps. totally eliminates any misting in the tent during extended storms and provided a huge extended living/cooking area.

I backpack a lot and I honestly have never seen anyone use a tarp ever. I hike with my dog and my Duplex works very well and it’s very light. I live in New England and it rains a lot. I can’t imagine trying to stay dry in a tarp.

I've had mice chew through several tents. The really bad part is when they can't get out. I like the fact that tarps can be pitched in places that a tent can't and that they can be adapted so many ways. Not having a muddy tent floor is also a big plus. Generally speaking, I carry trekking poles in my pack for stream crossings or those times I'm really bonking going up hill or when it's slick out. I trimmed down my 45 lb pack of the early 90s years ago. Played around with trying less than 5 lbs and eventually discovered that anything under 20 lbs feels about the same on my back and at the end of the day. The mental effort to drop a few pounds had diminishing returns for me below that.

You have to do what works for you 100%. Me after many years hammock camping & Tarp camping there just something I love about the openness but I don’t judge other for there preferences.

Both. When I visited the BWCA it rained every day. Either a tent or tarp alone would have been miserable. The extra 2 lbs is well worth the added weight.

People always say, do you worry about bears. I am like “nope - mice are the scariest thing on trail.”

Here in Florida it's was a tent for me and then I made a switch. 1st consideration is what ever it is it has to have bug protection. So I made a choice as a teen and went with what might be considered the Red Headed ( outcast ) Step Child of camping back then , the Hammock , a WW2 Jungle Hammock. That was over 60 years ago and I'm still in Jungle hammocks but modern day ones with bug netting and a rain fly ( tarp ) . I have had all sorts of critters walk under my hammock over the years and most of the time they keep going. One morning ( I always looked under the hammock before getting out ) and had 2 Water Moccasins laying there. I stayed in the hammock till they were gently persuaded to move on. Still use a tent now and then when the area requires one.

Real thorough, but still concrete!

Hey Tim. All very valuable points. Especially that today I just got a nice 490g Tarp (strings and poles included). I'm sure a trendy tent like the ZplexSolo is a fabulous piece of gear. I'd really love to have one. But my issue is $$$. My 2nd hand Tarp costs 1/10 of that value. Let'sI see how I use it here in Europe.

Two thoughts: 1) The number of stakes needed for set-up are usually greater with a tarp vs a tent further negating the tarp's theoretical weight advantage. In mild weather, I can set up my Skyscape Trekker with as few as 3 stakes. 2) Tents can usually be placed in smaller areas because they have a smaller overall footprint.

I have used about every sort of shelter there is, including a hammock. In the end, a tent is the lightest shelter with the least fidget factor and has ALL the stuff you need to be comfortable in the backcountry, i.e. rain protection, bug protection, wind protection, etc. I take my tarp only when I go with my spouse and we might need a dry area to cook, eat, and hang out in case of rain, though we still have a tent for primary shelter.

You probably don’t have tent platforms in your area but in the east that is an occasional variable the limits tarp usage. Some people even avoid trekking pole tents because of this

I like tents for storage, privacy at certain times (YES, nudity! lol) and it's like a fort. I usually hammock camp, lately, but when I focus on filming more wildlife in the warmer months, a tent is my basecamp - lol. My other channel is mostly nature and wildlife documentaries (sort of Attenborough style, lol) and a tent is so useful, lol

good video. Same conclusion, dcf tarp + waterproof ground sheet + bug protection and critter protection is heavier than a single wall dcf tent. Also the tent is more storm resistant

You can hang a tent swifter than a tarp if you add a corded loop to its peak, if it has a peak. It can be hung by 8 different or more methods.

Tents work best for me and my environment because of ease of use, the "mental consistency" (I always know what to take and what my shelter will end up as, regardless of location) and bug protection (very important to me in Florida). I've been on more than a few trips with friends that take tarps and it is absolutely a lot more work and effort.

I take both! It’s not like I’m thru hiking!!!!!!

After hiking with an 8x10 silpoly tarp & a MLD Bug Bivvy2 for years, I 've switched to a Lunar Solo.. What finally did it? After a long day of hiking - especially at altitude - I would struggle with the tarp set up and get frustrated. The tent goes up the same way every time. Also, with the door open - which it always is unless it's raining - I actually see outside more than if I'm in the bivvy under the tarp. Plus, in the tent I can sit up and not worry about bugs. I love the tarp, but as I've gotten older the tent is just more efficient. That being said, I think I'm a better backpacker/camper because of my experience/skills gained by using a tarp. Site selection, dealing with rain and wind . . . you can get lazy with a tent. With a tarp one needs to be diligent.

As always, excellent video. But I didn’t see any comments about the price difference between a tarp and a dcf shelter. Since I want to shed weight but don’t feel like spending $$$ on dcf, tarps seem like a good option.

What you might wsnt to consider is adding a corded loop at the peak of your tent for supporting it from above by about eight different methods.

I am happy with a bivak and a poncho as a mini-tarp. Worked so far. I just never want to sleep in the complete open without any insect protection (after 2x lyme disease. Not recommended).

Good reasons, however a formed tarp like the Yamaha mountain gear cirriform 2p tarp + bivi is the best 3+ season shelter for me since I'm not sure if I want to spend around a 1000 dollar when a 250$ tarp + 150$ bivi has more protection from the weather. I hope the bivi will protect me from the mouse.

My DIY Dyneema floorless one person tent weighs a mere 4.7 ounces, fits in the palm of my hand and is 9 foot long, 4.4 feet wide and 3.6 feet tall with 3 foot entry/exit waterproof zipper and waterproof zippered vent with mosquito netting and hood.

I never was a die-hard tarp user, but I used tarps for a while, until I realized that, for me, they had no real advantages and several real disadvantages. I made the switch to tents before the latest fabrics came on the market, back when tarps still boasted notable weight savings, but with the new fabrics weight no longer is a determining factor. Your video was well done: you got to the point and said enough but not too much. If I may make a suggestion, it would be to drop the background music, not so much because at times it interfered with your voice (which it did) but because there is no need to intrude music into every department of life. Most of us go into the backcountry precisely to be away from quotidian sounds, including recorded sounds. The best on-the-trail videos I've seen use no background music; they use ambient sounds and that thing that is particularly rare in cities and towns: silence.

I do a lot of camping in forests of India. After I saw videos of tarps few years ago I did use them few times. I am always scared of snakes with tarps as there is enough space for them to crawl in. Don't you have any snakes in your area?

I definitely save 10 ounces or more with a tarp over my zpacks tent. I don't use a bivy or bug netting when I use my tarp, only carry one trekking pole.

Tarps may have a place in certain geographical regions. In the NE U.S. ticks a real problem (Lime disease), along with critters, bugs, etc. you could not pay me to sleep under a tarp. There’s a notion that you have not achieved backpacking nirvana unless you switch to a tarp.

I will put food out for the voles when camping in Washington

Ticks are an increasingly serious problem in my area. For that reason I'll stick to a lightweight tent with sewn in groundsheet.

The point with mice is invalid since they can easily chew trhough the tent fabric..

A well considered decision -- and considerate, too! I'll share camp with bugs and rodents, even bears, but hiker trash -- c'mon! Gimme the fresh air and views, even if I have to wear a head net and breathe through a balaclava! Now them rodents . . . one guy recently showed his ursack, after a night anchored to a tree, with a mouse-sized hole in it and the other packaging! Everything, pack included, goes at the bottom of the bivy with a couple of mini-strobe lights! ! !

I post a “here’s my new tarp” video and now you tell me this?

you certainly thought this true

How to tarp in the rain, using the tarp as ground floor/bathtub and having a large vestibule for cooking. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7d1D0xHvMiY.htmlsi=JJDnpDsU8d1-bj8J

I identify as a tarp camper/hammok camper is gonna be my my goto pronouns😂❤

You didn't explain why you switched to a tent with one layer and not 2 layers

Maaan $600 ??? I'm not sure if i should feel offended that you would even list it in your description, maybe i'm just a poor peasant or i'm not the target audience. I enjoyed the video though, i have been thinking about getting into tarp camping but never thought about the things you brought up so i'm going to try to find a affordable lightweight tent.