Tarps vs Tents For Shelter

This is a question that comes up from time to time. And is equally open to debate on camping, prepping and survival on the move. Each has their pros and cons. But first a link to a pdf of various tarp shelters and a pic to use as a cheat sheet. www.equipped.com... As you can see there is a lot of configurations.



Tarp Shelter

Pros:
• Versatile. Many configurations can incorporate a floor or allow or restrict airflow
  
• Utility. Not every use of a tarp has to be a sleeping shelter.
  
• Weight. With the exception of heavier materials like waxed canvas. Tarps are generally lighter than tents.
  
• Size. When packed down tarps tend to be less bulky than tents.
  
• Cost. Tarps almost always cost less than tents.
  
  
Cons:
• Open. Tarps are almost always more open to the weather and bugs than tents.
  
• Complexity. While some tents are difficult to setup. Tarps are more freeform on the setup which can be a problem on more complex setups.
  
• Improvised Gear. Tents usually come with the pole, stakes, lines that you need. Tarps require you to provide your own. Carrying 8 ten foot poles isn’t practical but you might be shy of those resources at your next stop.
  
  

Tents

Pros:
• Simple. Tents setup one way. Unless an optional double wall or rain fly style tent. Although setup is unique to that tent.
  
• More protection. From bugs, from weather, from wildlife, from people. People are less likely to steal/destroy a tent campsite than a tarp.
  
• Psychology. A tent campsite says camper vs. homeless. See above.
  
  
Cons:
• Stealth. Tents, even with camouflage colors and patterns, are more noticeable than tarp shelters.
  
• Limited use. A tent is a tent. Improvised ground cloth. Improvised rain blanket. Slight heat retention wrap.
  
• Fragile. Tents are more vulnerable to embers, seam fatigue, damaged poles and in more cases than tarps, UV damage over time.
  

So what do I use? When camping, tents. Even on a weekend, hike and setup camp. Pack up in the morning to hike some more. Wake up Sunday and pack out. So where does the change to tarps happen? When it becomes week to 10 day hikes. If I was to BugOut, tarp. The weight and space saved is worth dealing with the chance of heavier rain.

In the pdf and the pic, there are roughly 60 different tarp setups. I don’t know her all. I only use maybe 5-6 depending on circumstances. I would like to buy a Romanian Plash-palatka. It is roughly a 71” x 71” (180cm x 180cm) canvas tarp that is setup to be used as a rain cloak with a hood and a couple pockets. I am fairly sure that my six foot tall self could use it in an Arrowhead Wedge configuration or low Plow Point (which they call a Diamond Fly). Romanian Army and Russian Army (which is where this originates but has less frills) recommend the Holden setup. But would be tight at my 6’ height versus the 5’6”-5’8” average.

Bivies

Have the advantage of stealth, the protection of a tent, and the lightness of a tarp. But they are very constrictive. And most have condensation problem. Another strike is that ground to ground contact in many cases unless you build a bed of boughs (you almost always find spelled and pronounced browse bed). But all in all, the lowest bang for your buck as they tend to be expensive.

I think weather and local bug problems should be the deciding factor.
I have a Mountain Hardware Trango 3.1 for the winter. You can hang out in it in a tshirt while it's 15 below, with a small heat source.
Minimalist tarp guy would be a meatcicle in that situation.
Bugs or poisonous snakes?
Another one for tents.
My ultralight tent is only 2 lbs, so I can't justify losing or gaining a pound for a tarp.
Tarps have the same or worse solar degradation than tents in my experience. I cover a lot of trailers with various tarp and see their lifespans.
I use a combination of the 2 usually. My tent for sleeping and a tarp top over an eating area.
Thanks for the cool infographic, saved!

a reply to: Ahabstar

I do a lot of 36 hr carp fishing sessions. And weeks in France. Here is my bivvy:

www.soniksports.com...

It has a useful rain gutter.

Condensation?

Simply get an overwrap or a skull cap. Being basically an umbrella, it's easy to put up. Can't be bothered with a groundsheet.

Oops. Posted wrong bivvy.

It's this one.

www.soniksports.com...

When i was young i preferred tents because they are fully closed when the door is closed. But now i prefer tarps (my only camping is wild/stealth/illegal camping in the forest and not on those awful, with rules overloaded german camping sites) because of weight, of how mu different "tents" i can build with one or two tarps.

I use two tarps or better i have always two tarps in my backpack when going into the forest. One is a "fancy" Ryaco outdoors tarp, not too heavy of course, 3mx3m and camo for around 40 Euros (Amazon). And another one from an army surplus store for 18 Euros, believe it was a Miltec tarp but it´s more like a tarp from the DIY store but only in woodland camo.

You can set them up perfectly for a shelter with a fire place inside. It´s hard to explain it with my english but here is a video:


With this setup your fire isn´t too visible, you will have no problems with smoke and you and everything else will stay dry. if i want it a bit more snuggly i like this setup here, beginning at around 18.07:

A bushbox in front of the entrance and it´s a nice place to cook, rest, chill and sleep.

A Plash Palatka is really nice if someone wants it the old school way (like i do with my knives and hatchets) but to be honest, for me personally it is a bit too small and too heavy (especially after waxing). But sturdy as hell, it laughs about sparks and flames. Will eventually change my mind after i burned my first ripstop or PVC tarp, if that ever happens.

Bivies, no thanks, i don´t want to feel like a Bifi Roll, kinda trapped, when out there. I simply could throw a blanket over my body and fir branches over said blanket and i would have almost the same comfort like in a bivy xD

If i would have to stay on a camping site with a million rules and restrictions, with "neighbors" no two meters left and right to me, i of course would use a tent because of privacy. But for such a horrible experience i wouldn´t pay a cent, let alone around 30-100 Euros per day.

For what i do tarps are the best solution relatively lightweight, not bulky. To support my knee if needed i always carry a set of hiking sticks which i use as adjustable tent poles if needed for the tarp setup. Plus a tiny bag with two DIY ridge lines, i meanwhile prefer 3mm paracord or bank line, it´s more than enough for a tarp setup.

Btw, it´s nice to meet someone on ATS who seems to have the same things going around in his head like me, in another thread i wrote something about my outdoor cooking setup and you exactly knew what i was talking about and even got the weight of my "kitchen" almost exactly right. Amazing because i have friends who want to chill in the forest from time to time but it´s not really one of their hobbies, if they need something i have to tell them where to get what and what they need and what not etc.

My hiking tent is an older original Thermarest XL cot and the matching tent. Total price ~ $475. Packs fairly small in two separate bags. Takes longer than I would like to setup but only weighs about 4.5 - 5 lbs (2kg - 2.25kg) total. And not even sure the tent is made anymore.

A decent waterproof nylon tarp 10’ x 10’ (3m x 3m) will be in the $25 -$40 range and weight about 2 lbs (1kg) including lines and aluminum Y stakes. You can spend more for better quality and more tie outs.

My interest in the Plash is for the versatility. I often just carry a USGI Poncho, which is a 5’ x 7’ tarp at around 1 lbs (450g). Which is good for overnight if the need arises as well as a stray shower. With a Plash, that goes to 3 lbs (6 lbs if I opted for two). But now have the option fold and wrap one as pack to attach to a crafted frame such as a Roycroft or a ladder style. Options abound. Those in Europe also will find them more often and cheaper than I can. Often less than 20 Euros each before tax and shipping. But the buttonholes can be laced together with paracord to make a 12’ x 6’.

Poland’s Lavvu requires both halves to make the shelter and are somewhat rare to find both matching sizes and good condition. I do like their bread bag as a haversack because of the divider. But I have a different idea for that.

Having a tarp set up a foot or so above the tent has helped take some of the heat out when there is no shade around.

Having a bug resistant tent saved my life one night in the outback when a swarm of mozzies descended. There was a lot of them and they where hungry, it was a noisy night. It would of made a mess of me without some protection.

a reply to: Ahabstar
Two links for you:

Russian Plash Palatka

Wojsko Polskie

I hope they send to the USA.

Btw, for a few more attachment points on cheaper tarps with only eyelets and two or three slopes in the middle (to build an a frame for example) simply use backpack straps and a strong two components adhesive. By that way you don´t have to perforate the tarp because of stitching. Like shown in this vide here:

a reply to: DerBeobachter

That second link is a neat shop. I liked their selection of NVA/DDR items.

Cheers

a reply to: Ahabstar

Got something here for you from Diaster Relief.

Tarp down, tent down, tarp over the 2 of them. Cover or not with woodland debris.

A sleeping bag, with pad inside and a thermal space blanket inside...will burn you up inside w warmth.

And tarps are very 😎

a reply to: DerBeobachter

Between the Romanian and the original Soviet design. I really like the Romanian. One because you have two slits, one for each arm (both button as well) but the pockets are a handy addition for quick access to a flashlight or compass that would be harder to reach while wrapped up in the rain.

The US Improved Combat Shelter is very similar to the Thermarest cot tent (minus the cot and straps for attaching to the cot) in design. So similar, in fact that I think someone “borrowed” the design from someone else. And apparently there are some of the bug net build of the tent on Amazon, but not the rain fly.

Varusteleka will ship to the US, but I have not used them. And I like the way their site give plenty of pictures and has amusing descriptions. The real plus is that they have European Surplus that usually never comes up over here or will pay a fortune for it. But even US surplus is somewhat exotic not since military surplus shops have declined the past 20 years. Partly because modern surplus isn’t made as durable as in the past. And partly because for the price you can get light and more comfortable civilian gear.

But that is another topic.

But while on the subject of military gear and shelters. The 4 piece US ECWS (extreme cold weather system), two sleeping bags, inside a Gore-Tex bivy cover that can all fit in a stuff sack. Weight is 9-10 lbs (4kg - 4.5kg) and is good for four hours at -40 F (-40 C yes same temperature) if properly dressed. Unissued will run about $600 and maybe $150 off for used. And yes, there is a newer version of this as well that is a five piece kit. Which pretty much the same just includes a smaller stuff sack if you don’t want/need to carry the whole system.

I would like an old wool sleeping bag with the heavy bag and the canvas cover bag. Which is both heavier and not rated as cold, but the wool and canvas cover or just the canvas alone were really pretty good in mild temperature of late spring to early fall.

Again more of a sleep system topic than just the main shelter of tents and tarps.