[pct-l] Fw: Tents vrs Tarps - Bivies?

Sun Feb 6 13:19:47 CST 2011

Hi Kevin,

I really hate being bitten by mosquitoes.  What the tarp approach lacks is the 
netting and the bathtub lower design, which reduces cross wind chill and, with 
the netting, also keeps out other insects and critters, including snakes.

Let me mention just a little bit about myself.  I have discovered that I am 
probably, at 75, the oldest person on this list.  I started backpacking in the 
Sierra and in the mountains of S. California during the early 1950's.  I was in 
the 10th grade.  My first hiking buddy and my mentor, was Bill, a12th grader 
with lots of back country experience.  I learned a lot from him.  I was to 
become, most often, a solo backpacker.  In those days we did not use tents or 
tarps or air mattresses or sleeping pads (we would just scrape out hip holes and 
line them with pine needles)  We would bring a ground tarp with grommets wide 
enough to become an emergency shelter.  We brought no stoves.  All cooking was 
over a wood fire. Hiking poles were not yet invented.  I did usually carry my 
ice axe.  When I did the JMT, solo, in 1957, I probably carried 55 to 60 pounds 
in my Kelty Pack ( I bought one of Kelty's first - when he was working out of 
his Glendale garage). On my JMT hike I did not resupply as it was only 182 miles 
from Whitney Portal to T. Meadows.  I took my time, I think 18 days, and fished 
a lot and also supplemented my diet with certain wild plants that I had become 
familiar with.  In total, I backpacked about 2500 miles between 1952 and 1963 - 
when my wife and I left for our VW camping adventure in Europe, Asia, and 
Africa.  We traveled through 31 countries.

 I would like to mention that bears were never a problem in the Sierra high 
country in those days.

MendoRider/Ed Anderson

________________________________
From: Kevin <hikelite at gmail.com>
To: Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com>
Cc: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Sun, February 6, 2011 8:50:39 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Fw: Tents vrs Tarps - Bivies?

Ed, most of your argument seems to also make sense for a tarp and cowboy 
camping.  ;)

Only put it up when needed. Better views. Bonus is it's lighter and provides 
more protected space. 

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

Misspellings and typos brought to you by iPhone.

On Feb 6, 2011, at 9:33 AM, Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Sorry I cant send the pictures to the PCT-L list.  I did send them to Diane.
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Forwarded Message ----
> From: Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com>
> To: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
> Sent: Sun, February 6, 2011 8:23:41 AM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Tents vrs Tarps - Bivies?
> 
> 
> Hello Diane,
> 
> I always read your posts as they bring up a lot of useful information. You are 

> an excellent writer, always interesting. 
> 
> On this subject of tents I want to mention and also illustrate with 
> pictures that you don't really have to wall yourself off from nature in a 
>single 
>
> wall tent. I rarely used the rain fly of my tent - I only used it if it was 
> raining or looked like it would (on just a couple of occasions I mis-judged the 
>
> weather and had to put up the rain fly during the night), or if I wanted 
> privacy.  Privacy was not often an issue since, by preference, I almost always 

> camped alone and well off the trail.  I wanted to be surrounded by nature, not 

> people and all of their distracting sounds and their visual litter (tents and 
> tarps).  I lived on the PCT with Primo - I did not, and did not want to, suffer 
>
> the distraction of towns either.
> 
> I know, a tent with a rain fly will weigh more. And I realize that you are 
> someone who wants to go as light as possible.  But - I think, given that you 
>are 
>
> also someone who especially enjoys experiencing nature, you should seriously 
> consider that you are denying yourself the view outside just to save a little 
> weight. In life there are usually trade offs.  
> 
> Another advantage of my tent, which I came to appreciate, is that it is 
> free-standing with just the netting.  I sometimes moved it around to obtain a 
> better view. The night sky is also sometimes awesome to enjoy from inside your 

> tent.
> 
> Using the insect netting part of my tent kept the insects and other critters 
>out 
>
> and allowed me to enjoy the beauty surrounding me including my horse.
> 
> MendoRider/Ed Anderson
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Sent: Sat, February 5, 2011 10:26:36 AM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Tents vrs Tarps - Bivies?
> 
> I read all the pros and cons about tents and tarps, did all kinds of  
> calculations, yadda yadda but what ended being the best for me was to  
> go with the tent. It wasn't the lightest option, it wasn't the most  
> versatile, I did hate that I was walled off from nature inside, etc,  
> but it was easy. Just one stuff sack sitting in my pack that would do  
> the job.
> 
> If I were you, I would get the gear to have an optimal tarp set-up  
> and an optimal tent set-up and then use your PCT hike to test both  
> out. When else will you have so much time to try stuff out? I tried  
> out all kinds of stuff while hiking the PCT. It was great fun. Nobody  
> is going to care out there if you have the lightest pack, or chose  
> something heavier. You won't even care.
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