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.