I much prefer a tent, or other full enclosure, not to keep out the lions and tigers and bears, but to keep out the snakes and scorpions and ants and spiders and all the other little critters that seem to find me when I sleep in just my bedroll under the night sky.

For the big critters that might view my tent the same way I look at the plastic wrapper on my bean and cheese burrito, the 44 magnum laying across my chest takes care of those type of uninvited guests. I generally don't go tent camping in places where I can't bring "ol' snuff 'em" along.