[at-l] Need input on tent and sleeping bag selections

[bluetrail at aol.com]

I'm with the anti-bug people.? Don't know about the bug problems on all of the AT, but there are times and places in Florida where you'd be eaten alive if you couldn't zip up.? And fire ants could certainly be a problem down here too.? Somehow I just like the coziness of the zipped up cocoon.

As to a single or double....hmmm, are you single?? How do I put this discretely?? Do you have even the faintest hope of meeting someone with whom to share a tent?? 

If sharing a tent is NOT in your plans in the least, IMHO opinion, sometimes it's nice to have enough room to get your pack in out of the rain, dig through it, re-pack it, etc.? This is kinda easier in a two person.? Your mileage may vary...as may the amount of extra weight you're willing to carry to accomodate either a partner or your pack.

Joan
bluetrail at aol.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Amy Forinash <amy at forinash.net>
To: at-l List <AT-L at Backcountry.net>
Sent: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 8:26 am
Subject: Re: [at-l] Need input on tent and sleeping bag selections




On Dec 4, 2008, at 10:31 PM, EHamilton wrote:

>
> And I'm wondering about skeeters, ants, etc. coming in. I guess  
> maybe ants sleep at night. (I get a reaction to fire ant bites, but  
> I guess there aren't too many of those on the Trail.) Also wondering  
> about rain coming in under the edges.

This is the part I'd worry about.  Skeeters and gnats.  I like tarps  
myself, but not when the bugs are bad.  During bad bug times you see  
people hiking really fast, then when they make camp they throw up  
their tent or hammock and dive in to get away from them.  You don't  
have that refuge with a tarp.  You can carry some bug mesh but that  
doesn't necessarily give you room inside it.

>
> You said an 8 X 10 keeps you dry in a rainstorm? How do you pitch it?
>

I don't know about Bruce, but I've always stayed dry under my 8x10  
tarp - more so than in my tent or hammock, even, because I can get  
farther away from the edges.  I typically set mine up as a shed roof,  
or in a trapezoid during severe weather, with something propping up  
the back a little to give me more foot room.

-amy
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