[pct-l] base pack weight

[Thomas Jamrog]

Tents may be for weenies, but if the weather gets bad?   Even Ray Jardine's report of recent ( 2009)  His AT thru hike  illustrates Diane's point .  The photo of his tarp ( with beaks) , netting , and bathtub floor sure looks like a tent with lots of guys lines to me, minus the poles.  A lot of this tent vs. tarp discussion needs to acknowledge the significant difference between the nature of where you are sleeping.  I really wanted to make the tarp work for me and tried it our several times here in Maine and it just didn't work out, due to crawling insects, sideways rain, lack of easily accessible space to keep my gear next to me, groundcloth sliding around, the desire to read at night, mosquitoes, black flies, spiders, etc.   Your experience may differ.  But this is the PCT list, and I respect those of you who make these tarps work out there.  Who knows, once I get out there I may convert, but for now, I'm loving my Tarptent, but I am looking forward to this thing called "cowboy camping" as well.  
Uncle Tom 


> I did the math on tarps and in order to have the joy of lying naked  
> on top of my sleeping pad while eating my noodles and reading my  
> novel at the end of a long day of walking, I have to add enough  
> mosquito netting to my tarp to make it weigh more than my tent.
> 
> I like my comforts, yes I do.
> 
> ___

On Dec 21, 2009, at 8:43 PM, Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com wrote:

> 
> On Dec 21, 2009, at 5:03 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>> 2) Use a tarp instead of a tent.  Tents are for weenies (I'm  
>> totally just
>> joking, I love all you tent people  :D ).  You don't need a $140  
>> Cuben fiber
>> tarp (although, that *would* be awesome).  Even a cheapo, $20,  
>> homemade, 14
>> oz Tyvek tarp (like mine) will work.  Not a make-it-at-home  
>> person?  No
>> problem.  Buy a tarp for $80.  But go with a tarp and save at least  
>> a pound
>> over the lightest of tents ( or igore this one, HYOY).
> 
> I did the math on tarps and in order to have the joy of lying naked  
> on top of my sleeping pad while eating my noodles and reading my  
> novel at the end of a long day of walking, I have to add enough  
> mosquito netting to my tarp to make it weigh more than my tent.
> 
> I like my comforts, yes I do.
> 
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