I thought I might "stir the pot" in the tent thread by offering another alternative I like: tarp and bivy sac combination. The tarp can be set in a variety of configurations, depending on conditions and terrain and offers far more floor space than a tent. Condensation is never an issue. In addition, you can safely cook under the tarp. The view is better, and, when pitched correctly, is very weatherproof. Adding a bivy not only increases the safety factor a bit more in very wet weather, but offers insect protection and the option of just using it alone when desired. Packing is easy too. Steve *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Stir the pot indeed! But , I wonder how many northern paddlers ( Canada, 'though MN and ME are North enough) would enjoy a night under a tarp and bivy sack during black fly season? Further North, you run into the problem of lack of trees, or even bushes, to string a tarp, and the strength of the winds preclude poles, even well staked ones. ( My ex-brother-in-law however, backpacked in the very maw of what Seattlites call Summer, Cascades and Olympics, using just the set-up you describe, and was quite happy with it. However, I eventually felt that both he, hid sister, and entire family were on the farside of eccentric,,, which is probably why they are all "ex's") :) rich dempsey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ See our canoe tripping website http://communities.msn.com/RichWendysAwayFromHomePage *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Having spent a few years in the Army, this sounds like the shelter half each Grunt is issued (we were all Grunts - Infantry) as part of your field gear. I remember that if there was a ten percent chance of being out in the field there was a 90% it would rain. The Army had a way of making camping out with your buddies less than comfortable. From experience, the Tarp and Bivy sac combo is really under rated! It is compact, light weight, versatile, but unfortunately not necessarily cheap. For a few years I used a military surplus poncho, which was coated rip stop nylon as a make shift bivy sac and/or fly depending on conditions. The cost of a high end bivy with netting and a supported head section for a little breathing room is close to or as much as many two person tents and more than many solo tents. Personal choice, but both approaches can provide more than adequate protection and a comfortable nights sleep. Caution: You will notice that all bivy's come with a warning label about ensuring proper ventilation. I'd hate to see someone suffocate. Fred California Kayaker At 08:19 PM 10/20/2000 -0400, drsm wrote: >stir the pot" in the tent thread by offering another >alternative I like: tarp and bivy sac combination *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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