I tried to do the tarp thing using a silnylon tarp, but I don't think i like it too much. About the only advantage they have is weight savings, but it's not enough of a weight savings to make me give up a tent.

Two issues I had with a tarp was insects and rain. A tarp does nothing to prevent insects from buzzing around my head, if I didn't have a bivy with mosquito netting, I probably wouldn't have been able to sleep. Also, when it rains, how do you keep your stuff dry? If you set up the tarp ahead of time, then maybe you can keep the ground beneath it dry, but what if it's already raining? then the ground is already wet.

I've seen all those tarp shelters with the add-on mosquito netting and ground cloths, but once you add up the weight of a tarp+bivy+ground cloth+mosquito netting, you're pretty much at the weight of a one person tent. I've always wanted to try one of the henessy hammocks, but with my luck the next time I go camping I probably won't find any trees to tie it to.