[pct-l] Sticks/trees in desert for tarp?

[Steel-Eye]

Good morning, Eric,



>From my experience, the odds of needing to erect the tarp AND not being able to find a local stick for a prop or a tree/bush for tie-off are very slim.  In the Campo-to-KM stretch I only erected the tarp once.  That was in the San Jacintos under a heavy, rolling mist.  Thinking back on my campsites, I believe I could have reasonably pitched without hiking poles at all of them given some finagling.

 

I hiked all of the PCT in often-rainy Washington with the same tarp but no hiking poles and had no problems.  Usually about ½ hour before wanting to camp I started looking for appropriate sticks: One about 40" long and one about 20" inches.  Typically I used, but I didn't really need, either.

 

There will be a few compromises in terms of campsite location and the orientation of your shelter if you need to tie to something local, and I recommend you carry a couple of extra .... and longer .... pieces of cord.  Most of the time I could have also pitched without stakes, but I usually carried a set.  As always, your results may vary.



Happy Thanksgiving,

 

Steel-Eye

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Eric Payne 
  To: pct-l at backcountry.net 
  Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2007 7:01 AM
  Subject: [pct-l] Sticks/trees in desert for tarp?


  I'm contemplating not taking trekking poles for the desert section up to KM, but am worried about how I'll setup my tarp if need be.  I'm going to try to cowboy camp most nights, but if dew or threatening rain force me to set up tarp, I will.  Without trekking poles though, is it easy to find a way to rig a tarp?  As long as I could find 2 branches to substitute, that would be fine.  Even better would be at least one standing tree, but I have a feeling these will be hard to find.  Thoughts?  Perhaps my conception of the high desert is very far-removed from the reality of it...help out a Georgian with this! 



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