[pct-l] tarp rain Floor

[Brandon McGinnity]

I learned this the hard way in Pennsylvania on the AT, where we camped up on
some giant slag pile. It sure looked like a nice spot, but I ended up using
my foam sleeping pad more like a pool raft that night when the storm rolled
over. Took a long time for it to drain away on that packed slag, and in the
meantime I was curled into a tiny ball on my pack and sleeping pad at the
only "high ground" under the tarp. D'oh!

But I hate hammocks. Can't sleep in them, the way my shoulders curl in and
the way my back curves leaves me stiff and sore without fail. I'll sleep on
the good Earth, thank you, and stick to my tarp.

On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 11:09 PM, Kevin <hikelite at gmail.com> wrote:

> You nailed the most important aspect of tarp camping, site selection. I've
> noticed that most people gravitate towards the worst possible sites! They
> see these ovoid shaped flat looking spots of dirt to pitch their tent. When
> they deity to a tarp, they want to use these same spots. The problem is,
> these spits are often the localized low spot. The reason that spot looks so
> flat and perfect is because it's where the water pools. I'm not exactly sure
> how to describe them, but you can learn to recognize them. In a tent, you
> may not realize you're in a puddle, and the bathtub floor keeps you dry
> hopefully. This makes it a non-event that you soon forget. Once you start
> using a tarp, you find yourself waking up in the puddle. Campsite selection
> is one option. I know you all will get tired of hearing this, but there is
> another option. Don't sleep on the ground! :)  Hammockers don't have to
> worry about this issue, and tarps lend themselves to use with tarps.
>
> Misspellings and typos brought to you by iPhone.
>
> On Mar 3, 2011, at 8:22 PM, Amanda L Silvestri <aslive at sbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
>
> > I have been using a tarp for several years now.  Fortunately, I have had
> little experience with rain.  When selecting as camp site, I always look for
> a level spot to pitch.  I use Tyvak (sp) as a ground cloth.  When there is
> rain, I place rocks on both sides of my floor to hold it up and make a sort
> of bathtub.  I wonder what other tarp users do.
> >
> > Shepherd
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-- 
~ Moccasin