Turning bike upside down to support a tarp?

[1982john]

There's certainly a time and place for both. If it's cold and in an unprotected area I'd go tent every time. In wooded areas, the trees give you quite a lot of protection. If it's warm - which I'm intending this for next summer - then I think tarps can be fine, especially if you've got access to weather reports just in case.

Weight wise my tent which is pretty good comes in 1150g. To go lower you've either got to spend a lot of £££ or get some Chinese import. Perhaps the Six Moons lunar is a good compromise at 800g once poles and pegs are added.

I'm planning to make a bivy which should be around 200g combined with a tarp of 240g. Should easily be under 500g even with a ground cloth. And the total cost of under £100. The lowered pack size is an added bonus.

[Gattonero]

Hi,
But you must admit if it rains over night there can be wind, this is where a tarp falls down, save weight at expense of getting wet.
And I know that there can be condensation in a tent.
But I know that the tarp and quilt has been discussed to death on other posts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA4DElALKt8

Only watched the first minute, seems a very biased video.
The guy with the tent is obviously clumsy and it's tent looks a bit too complex. Ought to be one of the reasons why I don't choose "inner first" type of tents, also won't allow you to use the flysheet only in good weather.

OTOH, a tarp only won't give protection from insects, thought a small net can always be added and can be found for cheap.

[Gattonero]

There's certainly a time and place for both. If it's cold and in an unprotected area I'd go tent every time. In wooded areas, the trees give you quite a lot of protection. If it's warm - which I'm intending this for next summer - then I think tarps can be fine, especially if you've got access to weather reports just in case.

Weight wise my tent which is pretty good comes in 1150g. To go lower you've either got to spend a lot of £££ or get some Chinese import. Perhaps the Six Moons lunar is a good compromise at 800g once poles and pegs are added.

I'm planning to make a bivy which should be around 200g combined with a tarp of 240g. Should easily be under 500g even with a ground cloth. And the total cost of under £100. The lowered pack size is an added bonus.

There's a lot of people that would use a tarp in winter i.e. hammock users.

Btw, what size is the tarp to be only 240gr? What fabric is used?

[Oldjohnw]

I regularly use an Alpkit Hunka bivvy and their small tarp. Packs almost in a pocket.

[1982john]

There's certainly a time and place for both. If it's cold and in an unprotected area I'd go tent every time. In wooded areas, the trees give you quite a lot of protection. If it's warm - which I'm intending this for next summer - then I think tarps can be fine, especially if you've got access to weather reports just in case.

Weight wise my tent which is pretty good comes in 1150g. To go lower you've either got to spend a lot of £££ or get some Chinese import. Perhaps the Six Moons lunar is a good compromise at 800g once poles and pegs are added.

I'm planning to make a bivy which should be around 200g combined with a tarp of 240g. Should easily be under 500g even with a ground cloth. And the total cost of under £100. The lowered pack size is an added bonus.

There's a lot of people that would use a tarp in winter i.e. hammock users.

Btw, what size is the tarp to be only 240gr? What fabric is used?

I've ordered the material to try and copy this one. Here it's a 0.93oz silpoly but I'm using a 1.1oz (bit of extra strength), however, mine will be a bit shorter so it should work out the same weight.
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/top ... e-silpoly/

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Yes, the tent the hammock video was a comedy act, one twin was definitely more grumpy then Clumsy to

(Text by voice)

[Gattonero]

I've ordered the material to try and copy this one. Here it's a 0.93oz silpoly but I'm using a 1.1oz (bit of extra strength), however, mine will be a bit shorter so it should work out the same weight.
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/top ... e-silpoly/

I wonder how are you going to use the bike with a tapered tarp? I think is a lot easier by using a rectangular tarp, perhaps by using the bike (with the saddle &bars set at the same height) on the short side of the tarp, then you have side access?

[1982john]

I've ordered the material to try and copy this one. Here it's a 0.93oz silpoly but I'm using a 1.1oz (bit of extra strength), however, mine will be a bit shorter so it should work out the same weight.
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/top ... e-silpoly/

I wonder how are you going to use the bike with a tapered tarp? I think is a lot easier by using a rectangular tarp, perhaps by using the bike (with the saddle &bars set at the same height) on the short side of the tarp, then you have side access?

That's a good point and something I will need to think about. I have an oldish tarp which I'm going to experiment with this weekend.

[Gattonero]

A few ideas, have a look at those -although set a bit low- setting the tarp with the bike on the short side of the tarp, then you can sleep away from the bike, not on the side (even if in this pictures they show the sleeping along the side of the bike). In this case, I'd say that a 1.80x2.50mt is sufficient for rain protection, the bike's wheelbase won't exceed 1.10mt so you'll have a bit of tarp going down the sides, which is good.




This gives a better shelter, apparently are using a 2.5x2.5mt tarp

[mercalia]

what a hassle? just take a couple of alloy poles with you?

[hamster]

I quite agree. My home made carbon poles are 60g total (900mm each). It's about the same as a bag of crisps.
Bike-suppoted tarps have to be bigger and therefore weigh more...negating the savings on poles.

[pwa]

I regularly use an Alpkit Hunka bivvy and their small tarp. Packs almost in a pocket.

Doesn't your sleeping bag get wet with condensation inside a bivvy?

[Oldjohnw]

<SNiP>

I have only used it in late spring to early Autumn but no, never had condensation. Mostly on the top of a hill and loads of ventilation.

[pwa]

<SNiP>

I have only used it in late spring to early Autumn but no, never had condensation. Mostly on the top of a hill and loads of ventilation.

The thing that stopped me using small tents was waking up in the morning with condensation everywhere. I'd have thought having the waterproof wall directly in contact with the bag would just speed up the drenching of the bag. I had considered looking into water resistant sleeping bags.

[pjclinch]

Doesn't your sleeping bag get wet with condensation inside a bivvy?

A bit like, "doesn't your tent suffer from condensation", this varies according to the atmospheric conditions.

But beyond that we need to think about for what values of "wet" and how much that matters. I've had my pit show definite damp patches on the shell after a night in a bivvi bag, but the next night I wasn't in a bivvi so it wasn't really an issue. There is a group of die-hard disbelievers in down who seem to think that a drop of water will cause a down bag to shrivel in to a useless blob, but you need to get a down bag really quite well soaked to make it a blob, and with modern shell materials that's even less of an issue. Add in the latest trendy hydrophobic down and I imagine it's still less of an issue.

In summary, you might have an issue with night after night in a bivvi over a longer tour if there's no real airing possibility and the humidity is against you, but for the odd night or two it's not going to have the sky fall in. If you are going for a long one you can always pack a Vapour Barrier Liner to keep your personal moisture inside and the insulation dry. I've never tried that as I've never been in conditions that merit it.

Pete.