Many on here seem to prefer a tarp as survival and camping shelter. What is your preference and why?

My position is this: Tents are commonly available, compact and cheap. They are my preference. Look at news footage of snowed in airports and there are always tents pushed against the walls. Try that with a tarp. Where could you tie a tarp in a building? Just my opinion. All answers and opinions are welcome, as always. Thanks.

With small children and car camping, tents are an obvious choice for my family. Before kids when we were farther away from the car, we still lugged a tent. With my back the way it is, I might not be able to go back to how it used to be; I can't sleep on the ground any more.

People are setting up tents INSIDE of airports? That's news to me. I can't say I've ever run into that bit of weirdness.

For camping shelter, a tent is my choice. With the family, as chaosmagnet said, this is an obvious choice. But even for backpacking with just us adults I prefer a tent. Not only does it seem more capable of handling various inclement weather scenarios but even that aside I like the privacy it affords over a tarp set-up.

For survival, I'd say tarp is the best choice from a size/packability perspective. For example, my daypack will usually have one of the All Weather Emergency blankets mentioned in another current thread. This allows for an improvised shelter in the case of emergency without incurring the cost of carrying a full blown backpacking set-up.

Thanks chaos. Jungle hammock or Clarke jungle hammocks might be a good choice for you. The knock off jungle models wiegh about 3 pounds if I remember correctly.

Watch the news footage next winter haertig. Small domes and bivys. What makes me wonder is why so many people travel with tents? Thanks for responding.

Privacy and total shelter are points I like also. And a tarp doesn't keep out the crawlies. I don't like being carwled on and bitten. Thanks Denis.

I think both have a place. I usually prefer a tent. Less problem with insects, weather protection and no special setup requirements, such as trees to tie the tarp to.

I also like a tarp for some trips. It is open, you can cook on stove under it, you can put all your gear under it and it is light to carry and easy to setup, providing there is something to tie it up to. I have used a headnet for bug protection and I have a one man mosquito net I can carry. The disadvantage is that the tarp is not that weatherproof. You can get rained on if it is a driving rain and the wind can blow the tarp down or away fairly easily, compared to a tent. Another consideration is weight, overall weight. To be secure under a tarp you could need a ground cloth, a bivy bag and a bug net. With all that, it likely weighs more than a good lightweight tent.

My favorite setup is a small, light tent and a light poncho. If I am rained in, I can sit under the poncho setup as a tarp, cook, eat, rummage through my pack and stay out of most rain. I can sleep in the tent, dry and bug/snake free.

I am not going to any airports though, my flying days are way over with.

I'd like to say my flying days are over also, but alas I am not that lucky. I agree with the light tent. There are some very good 1-2 man bivy tents which fit even my sprawled out form. Thanks widget.

seeing that i don't camp much inside buildings (nor at established "campgrounds"), i'm with Kephart on this one: i prefer a tarp.

an 8x10' ripstop nylon version, used with a sleeping bag inside a small waterproof bug-screened bivi bag, offers lots of options.

tarps allow anyone to better enjoy the outdoors, to see what's happening around them at a glance, to use the warmth of a campfire, can cook under it, can more quickly jump into action should you need to, packs lighter/smaller, adapts to other uses (like a stand-up working space, or as a privacy "fence" for a privy, or sunshade, or ground cloth...), can hold more people than just one or two folks without going to a larger product, can be used in conjunction with a bush shelter (ie: spruce bivouac, lean-to, leaf hut, brush tepee, under evergreen trees, snow cave, et al), can be set up in odd-shaped tiny areas (like in thick bush, small ledges or along a tight trail), doesn't build up moisture from breathing, easy to dry out before packing, far less expensive, doesn't require hauling poles (but can be used with makeshift poles), comes in nice low-profile colors or in camo, far less depressing stay during days of rain, can be added to other tarps to make larger shelter, allows finding that annoying rock under you without getting out of a tent, seems easier to use in uneven ground, faster to exit if it catches fire (burning nylon is a scary material to get trapped in)...

those are what immediately came to mind.

that said, it wouldn't be my first choice is some conditions, like above the treeline on a snow covered extremely windy slope.

Depends on location and conditions. A tent is free standing and generally has screens to keep out the bugs, which is nice in some areas. A tarp can be lighter and suffice if you have trees to tie it to. If I have to carry poles, I will probably just carry a tent. In some areas and weather I prefer a hammock, but again you need trees. I normally do not put up a shelter unless I am expecting precipitation or strong winds.

Good points all. Thanks wiley.

If I don't put one up it rains everytime. Thanks montanero.

I have not been camping in a long while, but I always used a tent as an adult.

I am giving some serious consideration to taking up camping again. Car camping is pretty easy. You can bring whatever you want with you. Backpack camping requries more thought. Never tried that before, although when I was a kid I did some walk in camping with a youth group.

Most of the time when I was a kid and we were at a regular campground, I slept out on top of a picnic table. Worked pretty good except when it rained. Even with a tarp strung up over the table, the wind would blow rain on me and chase me into the camper or a car.

My biggest concern with tarps is how weatherproof (or not) they are, especially a small one (like 5X7). I don't see anyway that it is as weatherproof as a tent. Has bug issues too.

Having said all that, I am getting old and no longer want to sleep on the ground or a table. I am thinking a hammock with some kind of bug screened bivy under a larger tarp might be the setup for me.

For car camping, I may just get a cot to sleep on.

I bring an Aerobed. If the campsite isn't electrified I run an inverter from my car to inflate and deflate it. Camping without the agony.

I have both. Each has its merits. Tarps are great for the weight and are easy for a night or two. When I section-hike the AT, I'll likely bring a 3-season 1-2 person like a Eureka! Apex (or something close). Don't need to be between shelters with small protection in emergency conditions.

I bought a tent which fits in the bed of a truck. An Areo type bed with a foam topper is a nice combo in it.

The AT was a dream of mine. But my knee would never make it now. Thanks for responding Finn.

When "car camping" I prefer to sleep in my Jeep. Comfy, quiet, and very wind resistant. (As compared to others in the party whose tents collapsed/flooded so they slept in their trucks without prior preparation and after being soaked)

When backpacking I prefer a tent. I've thought long and hard about bivy sack & tarp but there have been too many instances of having an inch of hail cover the ground just about sunset leading to a damp/cold environment that suggests the tarp would be ineffective as shelter (in my hands).

When dayhiking I carry an army poncho as both a rain cover and as an expedient shelter. (Trading a lower quality of shelter against the chance of even needing it.)

I have both, but use tarps 95% of the time in the backcountry.

When backpacking I love to be able to crawl into my sleeping bag
when it gets cold, and set my stove up just out from under the tarp. In very sunny treeless places, a tarp can be used for shade to read a book or take an afternoon nap. And I have a great view.
Tents get too hot.

I bring both car camping. I have a tarp for rain or shade when cooking and dining,a tent for privacy when sleeping.

Most of the time, I'll go with a tarp - light and versatile. When privacy and bugs are an issue, I'll take a tent, This is when I am on foot or ike touring. In a car, take it all.

Between my 8 year old and the bugs and crawlies, I prefer a tent. We use a good 4 man, 3 season tent for family camping, and I keep a small, cheap 2 man tent in my Jeep for emergencies. I can easier add it to my GHB or our BOB in need be.

I carry a thermal sportsman blanket and an AMK bivvy in my hiking kit for an unepexected overnight shelter. I throw the little tent iinstead of the bivvy in the summer. In the winter I use a tube tent in addition to the blanket and bivvy, because I find it does a better job with the wind, rain and snow than the cheap tent, as long as we barricade one end. If I had the money, I'd upgrade to a better winter shelter but that's not in the cards right now.

I have seen several DIY bivy designs made out of Tyvek house wrap. I have not gone and bought any house wrap just yet, but they are intriguing. as a lightweight tarp, Tyvek seems to me to be a better choice than a typical space blanket, if nothing else because you can make it big enough to be more useful.

There are some other very lightweight materials out there that people are using, like Cuben Fiber and silnylon. These are a bit expensive though.

Tyvek = lots of noise. However, you can throw it in the washing machine for a couple of cycles to "soften it up". I researched using this type of stuff. The biggest issue is sealing the seams. Some have used 3M Super90 Spray Adhesive with good success. I would be reluctant to sew it unless you are proficient with French seams. Even with using them, you may still need to use some kind of goopy stuff.

Also, go to YouTube and check out Tinny's "Hasty Hooch". It may be an option.

Standard Disclaimer.

My $.02

YMMV

I think this is one of those cases where the universal answer applies: It depends! Both have their place.

Tarps are wonderfully versatile, and can serve many purposes. One can rig them for a shelter, use them to protect gear, hypo-wrap an injured person, use as a ground cloth....the list goes on and on. They can be lighter and more compact than a tent. Their light weight, compactness, and versatility make them attractive to carry as a survival item. On the other hand, they aren't always the optimal solution for many of those tasks. As a shelter they don't provide the best protection from wind. They don't keep the bugs and creepy crawlies out. Etc.

A well designed tent, on the other hand is highly specialized as a shelter. As such, a tent does a superiour job of protecting from the elements. They keep out the bugs and creepy crawlies. A good tent can be faster to set up than rigging a tarp as a shelter. But being so specialized, tents are less versatile. They do one job, but they do it well.

If I am planning on camping, I will generally opt for a tent. The climate can be challenging in my part of the world, even in summer. Alaskan mosquitos are legendary (and the legends are true, I might add ). If weight is not too big an issue (for example when sea kayaking), I will often carry our tent and a couple of tarps. One tarp gets rigged as a sort of porch in front of the tent, to provide a place to don or shed rain gear and muddy boots. The other tarp gets rigged some distance away as a cooking shelter, since in bear country it's a good idea to keep your food and cooking far from your tent!

Tarps and tents are just like other tools. Sometimes a Leatherman will do the trick, sometimes it's preferable to have a proper tool kit. It depends!

Thanks Bert. I'm assuming you have have an SUV type jeep. No way I could sleep in a a compact jeep, not comfortably. I'm too danged big.

Good points. Thanks clearwater.

Poncho with a liner is a decent improvised bag if it;s not TOO cold.

Hey Jac. As always you have impressed this old geezer. I'm not that touigh anymore. I want a warm bag, mattress, tent and warm clothes to sleep in the winter. You always seem prepared for any emergency, I learn a lot fro, you. Thanls for responding.

The pocket sized space blankets are noisy. And they ride up when you sleep in them.

Very true. Thanks Aksar.

Standard Jeep Cherokee. Remove the rear seat cushion (leave it at home). Fold the rear seatback down. Put the bedding (air mattress & closed cell foam) catty corner so that your head is in a rear corner and feet are at a rear door. Move the front seat forward if necessary for a little more room.

I slept out a 2 day snowstorm at 10,000' one year very comfortably that way.

HAHA!! Have you seen my mini u-haul style of packing? My sleeping on the ground days are far behind me too, Snake. I keep two thermarests and a sub-zero sleeping, along with two wool blankets, in my Jeep. I don't camp without them and carry at least a thermarest on a long hike.

Also, tarps do not have as much of a condensation problem due to moisture in the breath, from the body, and sweaty clothing.

After a nights sleep in below freezing weather, the sides of a tent will release a shower of frost all over everything inside. Not a good start.

A tarp does not have nearly as much of a problem in that way.

small light weight tents can be had for cheap and if you plan on staying for a while making a brush shelter over one would add more protection from storms.back in the 80's i went on two long solo canoe trips with just a tarp that i put over the canoe,Boy Scout style.by the end of the second trip,17 days,i knew i would have to invest in a good tent.bug,mice,rain,wind,dirt.i know people will say well you can set up a tarp to take care of those problems but that takes time and energy when pulling a tent from a sack and threading poles and putting in a couple wire stakes will give you a shelter ASAP.

I have went back and forth over the years. Loving Tarps but thinking I needed a tent. After reading "Woodcraft" by Nessmuck (George Washington Sears), I am totaly in the Tarp camp now. Even in the fridged cold, a properly set up Tarp system in front of a fire will keep you warm and dry in almost any conditions. For me personally I just like being closer to the nature that I came out to enjoy, regardless of what she throws at me. I don't even own a tent at this point, I do own a $1,200 Kifaru Tipi (pictured in my avatar) that I Rarely ever use.

Woodcraft..great book it's in the bookcase a arms reach away.
i don't want to get on and on about tents and tarps but i think the term "properly set up" is the tricky one here.
i have set up a one man tent where the working floor space was not much bigger than my air mat and sleeping bag.wedged in between trees or with rocks or downed trees and brush the tent gave me fast all around shelter.to get a tarp up properly,and i have done it,means finding trees or whatever to run lines out to and tie off.wind is a major factor and the brush,rocks--whatever--could mean taking time to clear a spot for floor space to get the door down wind while a tent is up and thats that.
it also depends where your using it,part of the country your in i mean
in the north woods the bugs will eat you alive while maybe other places they are not so bad,weather is another factor of course.nice summer nights or damp cold rain coming in off Lake Superior.
i think we all know what works best for each of us and i don't think you could have a post about the best tooth brush without it running down the page----cut the handle down or not???---

For survival use go ahead and make fire.

For regular camping, many places (National Parks - I've done a LOT of backpacking in RMNP) don't allow fire.

Does that change the equation for you?

I hate fire bans. We've run into them a lot the last few years. Always check with the area authorities in advance, or bring back-up, especially if you need the heat or the cooking ability.

Thats what Dakota fire holes are for ; Seriously though I don't frequent Park lands much, but I would gladly pay a fine to the oligarchs, than be deprived of such a nessesity. Not promoting an illegal activity, just stating a point of fact. Everyone has to draw the line somewhere.


PS (Doug feel free to censor me, lol)

How's this for a compromise:

I just bought a small, cheap, extremely basic Ozarks Trails 6X5 2 man tent from Walmart. It's our second of this model and the first one has held up pretty well to some pretty heavy abuse by my son, niece and nephew over the past few years: (we've also got the 3 man version, which comes with a half sized fly. Not not great but OK and at an easy price point.)

Ozarks Trail 6X5 Scout Jr. Dome Tent

The rain fly is more of a napkin than anything but when you couple the tent with a tarp, you get a pretty nice little bug-free set-up, provided the weather isn't too terrible.

EDIT: Regular price in Canada is $19.99

I have to admit, having to rig up a tarp over a tent is a huge pet peeve of mine; for some reason I just can't accept the idea of doing that. I see it all the time in the car accessible camping sites but as far as I'm concerned my tent is there to protect me from all of the elements. In my mind, if it can't do that then it doesn't belong in my camping gear.

We have, on many occasion set up a fly over our tent, especially during periods of wet weather.

For our family’s trip to Disney World many years ago, we stayed in a tent at the campground. Knowing that afternoon and evening rains were probable; we set up a tarp over our tent. The almost daily rain never touched our tent, where as a neighboring tent using just the tent fly was obviously soaked.

On another occasion, our Girl Scout troop went on a rafting trip; we knew that potential severe weather was possibility due to an approaching storm front, so my wife and I set up a tarp over our tent. During the night we were hit with a major storm dumping between 3 and 4 inches in the area. Most of the girls ending up spending the night in the vehicles, our co-leader’s tent became soaked and they ended up having to abandon that tent. Our tent stayed dry throughout the night. When we awoke in the morning and walked through the camp, most of the tents were flooded and abandoned.

By having a tarp that extends out over the front of the tent by a few feet, it gives us a relatively dry area to transition from wet ground into the tent. Granted we were car camping and bringing extra gear was not an issue, but the tarp took up almost no extra room and only takes a few minutes to erect over the tent. If it is raining when setting up, we set up the tarp first giving us an opportunity to get the tent set up without getting soaked in the process. The tent also stays dryer, so packing up is made much easier.

Just a different approach-
Pete

I agree. I love my Eureka Apex 4XTC, with it's excellent rain fly, but it's just way too big and heavy to carry for anything longer than a short hike to camp. It's definitely not going portaging with me. It's basically been relegated to car camping. I'm on the hunt for a better lightweight, small backpacking tent. Money's tight though, so I need something that won't break the bank. A tarp set-up, or tarp/cheap tent combo, fits that bill nicely.

we see the tarp over tent set-up at bwca.com quite a bit.it seems to provide a big sheltered work area in camp sites that don't have much open space so you use what you have to the max.rain issue too,the only time i did that was when i wanted lots of shelter after a close hypothermia scare.

Yes, a good tent with fly should keep you dry, in normal rainy conditions. Obviously some tents aren't so good, and sometimes rain can be severe and long lasting, and have a lot of wind with it. In these cases, a tarp over the tent can be useful.

I own a really good tent (a older North Face VE 24). It is a bit heavy for backpacking but provides excellent shelter. I use it a lot on sea kayak trips. With the VE 24 I rarely if ever have put a tarp over the main part of the tent. However, I often rig a tarp up over the entrance to the tent. This provides a sort of front porch, where one can take off wet rain gear and boots before entering the tent. In sustained wet weather I have found that works really well in keeping the inside dry.

I have to agree with Pete and AKSAR. Having a tarp to be used in tandem with a tent makes a lot of sense in wet inclement weather and provides the outdoors person with many options no matter if they are car camping, back country hiking etc,

Also in hot weather, a light weight tarp can be improvised (use your hiking/trekking poles) to provide some midday shade relief in very hot and sunny weather when hiking in open or alpine terrain where there is no shade tree coverage.

At times, depending on hiking trip, expected weather and terrain, I will pack a sil tarp. These sil tarps are much better then the common blue tarps that so many people use as they can weigh as little as 1 lb and pack down to a size of around 9"x7" for a 7.5' x 10' sized tarp.

Don't get me wrong, I know that the tarp-tent combination will work, but it's just not the way I like to set up camp. There is definitely a place for tarps when setting up camp, but to provide a dry area in addition to the tent (like the "kitchen"), not as a way to keep the tent dry. In my brain a tarp over a tent is like wearing a poncho over top of rain jacket & pants. Again, this is just my preference, I'd never say that someone shouldn't do it; it's just not how I do things.

Since my preference is to have a tent that can handle the rain on its own, I've selected my gear appropriately (full fly, good material, vestibules, etc). I am confident in my tents' ability to keep me dry when they are set up and guyed out properly and they've proven themselves capable so far.

My wife and I have become very interested in 'prairie walking' over the last couple of years. We travel down to prairie country and set up a big tent, then take our hiking poles, small packs, and the dog out for the day.

The biggest issue we have had is finding a shady resting place, so we bought this lightweight tarp pretty cheap from SG (no affiliation) over the winter to use for exactly the purpose you describe. I'll post a review after we get a chance to try it on the prairie.

This ramps up my spring fever a notch.

I have that model as well. Its stated for kids but its makes a decent solo tent as well, giving ample room for and adult to sleep diagonal and with lots of room for gear. In fact, you will see this exact tent touted on solo bike across America forums for its durability, size and weight (as a towed component for biking).

I got it for my kids to use as a privacy and sun shade for weekend lake trips, long race days and hot days when the kids are playing sports and we are stuck there for hours.

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Another thing to consider with tarps and tents is the availability of lashing points in the area your going to camp. Meaning, I've transported my ENO hammock with me on at least a dozen hikes, road trips and stage races, and have been able to set it up maybe twice. In the desert SW there just isn't a dearth of trees, posts, strong shrubs to sling up a hammock or guyline out a tarp without bringing your own infrastructure. When I hiked or moved around the south Pacific, West Coast and SE of the USA, I was able to string up a tarp pretty much anywhere. In the SW, not so much. My tarp & hammock is pretty much a dead weight in my pack in the desert.

tent comfort tarp to rough it........