Tarp vs tent debate - I tried cowboy camping for 3 nights in Olympic NP

I've always been a tent person, but after my zipper broke halfway through a trip last month I slept under just a tarp for 3 nights. Honestly it was lighter and I slept fine, but the bugs were annoying. Which do you guys prefer for shoulder season trips?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_ryan1mo ago

Last August in the Winds I did two nights under a tarp because my tent poles snapped. @tessa_clark74 is right about the head net, but what did you do about critters crawling around your face at night? That's the part that keeps me from switching full time.

tessa_clark741mo ago

Oh come on, it's three nights not a thru-hike. Bugs are annoying but that's what a head net is for.

daniel59322d ago

Buddy of mine had a mouse run across his face on the third night of a tarp setup in Yosemite. He switched back to a tent the next trip.