[pct-l] Tents vrs Tarps - Bivies?

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

I have used a tarp and I enjoy it. I have an 8x10 tarp and a poncho.  
I like them both but I think I like the poncho better. I also sewed  
my own little mosquito net tent. It works alone or with the 8x10  
tarp. Tarps are great as long as there aren't a lot of flies or  
mosquitoes out.

I probably would have died of insanity on my 2009 hike without a  
tent. I went through Oregon at the height of the snowmelt mosquito  
season. Those mosquitoes were insane. Nothing like the crazy  
mosquitoes in the Sierras. These were aggressive and evil. The bit  
through my clothing. I had to wear a head net all day long and tuck  
in my shirt, and button down the cuffs of the sleeves. It still was  
not enough. They bit my back and elbows, my crotch and knees and  
through my shoes, believe it or not. So I added another shirt on  
underneath and a skirt over my pants and sprayed myself with a giant  
can of DEET. And oh, the craziness of trying to relieve myself! I  
made myself a device for peeing out of a plastic salad dressing  
bottle. Literally saved my ass. I'm just glad I took a lot of  
pictures because I hardly saw anything at all through the haze of  
DEET and netting.

When I pulled into camp each night completely exhausted by the chase  
(me being chased by mosquitoes), having a refuge where I could take  
off all those layers, cool off, eat something without fighting and  
just simply rest, was essential. I became a tent convert.

A tarp is nice. I'd probably choose to use a tarp over a tent if  
there were no bugs. But I was chased by them across Central and  
Northern California in 2008 and across Oregon and part of Washington  
in 2009. It just became simpler to toss a tent in my pack and know I  
was ready for anything.


On Feb 6, 2011, at 9:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> I have a question for the tent advocates. Have you tried a tarp?
>
> HYOH and all that. I'm not being critical or anything. It's been my  
> experience that 100% of the hikers I've exposed to tarps have been  
> converted. Maybe it has to do with them hiking with me. :p Again,  
> I'm not suggesting there is a right or wring way to backpack. I  
> just can't fathom eer using a tent Unless it was in a snowy winter  
> setting