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.)