Re: [Paddlewise] Tents Vs. Tarps

In order to bring two warring factions together may I suggest that in the
Northwest where it rains all the time (with out ever letting up) that
serious kayakers put up their tarp and then erect the tent out of the rain
underneath, keep it dry all night, and then fold it up dry again in the
morning if moving camp. I used to go backpacking using some nylon shelter
halves/ponchos I made some thirty years ago or more. I discovered I don't
like ponchos but have used them together as a tarp ever since. Actually, the
tarp halves were retired for backpacking once I was affluent enough to buy a
lightweight tent (Warmlight) and do not have to hide out deep inside a too
hot sleeping bag anymore to get away from the marauding mosquitoes. Once I
became a kayak camper and had the water floating all the weight and no more
hills to haul it up anymore, I could "heavy up" and swear off freeze dried
food and "either or" thinking and discovered "why not both" thinking. For
years I went on kayak trips where I was the only person who used a tarp over
my tent or inflatable bivy but a few years ago I went on a trip on the NW
Coast of Vancouver Island with two other very experienced kayak/campers and
discovered that both my paddling partners and I all did the same tarp/tent
thing and we had never kayak camped together before or discussed it prior to
setting up that first night. We knew we were compatible campers at that
moment.

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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