Nothing exciting, just an Alpkit Rig 3.5 (nice quick delivery from Alpkit).

Using it initially just for fast and light hillwalking purposes, hence the hiking poles.

We have a summit camp planned at the weekend so I’ve gone for the limpet approach, low and wide. I crawled inside and the internal space seems fine.

I’m debating adding some short loops to the corners so I can raise the whole shebang off the ground a little, just for the sake of better ventilation, but then I thought my head would be at the big open end anyway so maybe no need to bother?

Will have a North Face bivvy bag inside as well and planning to cut a sturdy gardening bin bag open to serve as a ground sheet.

Can anyone spot any pathetic newbie mistakes?

Orange – you tart.

I’m not shy, the bivvy bag is bright yellow 😀

That poor, poor lawn. 🙁

It’s the communal lawn in our car park, I live on the fourth floor so only have a guano covered balcony to call my own 🙁

As you’ve said, raise it up a bit so you can get airflow between you and the tarp. Having it close will result in you getting as wet from condensation as you would have from morning dew. IMHO a tarp is for deflecting the worse of the wind and rain not for trying to make an enclosed tent out of.

If you are in a bivi bag anywa,y consider using the tarp to make a comfortable space for your upper body and let the bag look after the lower half outside.

Andy

it’s too low, most of that space you wont be able to use.

check out some tarp pitching vids by Bob

The Tarp Video – Promo

if you pitch on long -tufty grass loops might help.

Ok, suspicions confirmed, I’ll add some loops at the corners to raise it.

It ended up that low as a consequence of wanting to keep it relatively flat to deflect the wind.

Will also experiment with having one side open instead, the forecast for wind at the weekend looks nice and gentle with a consistent direction so I might be able to take advantage of that.

Will check out videos later Stoner, thanks.

If you search on http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co.uk/ for rig 3.5 then there’s a few hints and tips.

As Stoner says it’s a bit low, little more than a bivvy bag in terms of room, setting it a bit higher will let you sit up and provide more usable floor space.

The other weekend we bivvied out above Kinlochleven and had an asymmetric setup with the windward side about 30cm off the deck and the leeward about a metre. This gave two of us plenty of room to stay dry – this was with a Rig 3.5.

i’d suggest getting some small loops of dyneema/parachord attached to all the webbing loops around the tarp and also some extra pre tied off lengths roughly 2m long that can be attached by mini carabiners. this helps with impromptu set ups using walls, tress and anything else that can create a stable base.
with the loops attached it is a bit of a faff getting in to the Alpkit bag but I bought a 5L stuff sack and it works fine for little extra weight.

also, i’m not sure if you can do it with the smaller tarp but you can create a small a-frame tent using 1/3 of the tarp as the floor then a-frame the remainder.

I’d agree with most of the above, I generally only use the tarp to cover my upper half and and whatever kit I want to keep dry, as Andy says, let the bivvy bag do the work.

I’m a bit 50-50 about using a groundsheet. Advantage is that it provides a bit of protection to a lightweight inflatable mat. Disadvantages are that it’s something extra to carry and that if you have unwittingly set up in a hollow then any water that gets on to it is just going to pool under you.

Worth learning a few knots as well (if you don’t already): bowline; trucker’s hitch; taut line hitch. No need for mini-karabiners though these are useful when you’ve got cold and wet fingers.

corner loops also allow you to make a decent pitch if the ground is all cock eyed.

I make up little prussik knot job on each end.

I’like the half pyramid type set up, which is covered in the bearbones post above I think.

Consider adding some lines to the mid-panels … it’ll add a bit of stability and also increase the interior space.

a tarp and a bivi bag just seem like a much poorer alternative to a tent, or am I missing something?

I considered it S8tan but would require extra poles surely? Otherwise I’d have to guy it a loooong way away to achieve anything useful. Will give it a try though.

It was the bearbones post which I pinched my ‘dropped tail A-frame’ from and was planning on trying the half pyramid as my first attempt at the A-frame did feel a bit enclosed.

Worth learning a few knots as well (if you don’t already): bowline; trucker’s hitch; taut line hitch.

I know at least two of those from setting up some basic cooking tarps when we were hiking in Canada, will check out the third.

lso, i’m not sure if you can do it with the smaller tarp but you can create a small a-frame tent using 1/3 of the tarp as the floor then a-frame the remainder.

Yeah, the 3.5 is way too small for that, I went small as I didn’t want lots of material flapping around if I’m trying to pitch on a summit somewhere, if I’m camping down low I’ll probably still use my tent.

a tarp and a bivi bag just seem like a much poorer alternative to a tent, or am I missing something?

The one time I’ve slept under a tarp (just a plastic sheet slung across two logs) it was waaaaay more pleasant than being in the tent, the feeling of having more space and the extra ventilation was great.

Also, for a high summit I wouldn’t want to pitch my Laser Comp as it gets really loud and flappy in the wind, and also there’s no guarantee of a perfect pitch for it.

Finally, I just want to try something new 8)

a tarp and a bivi bag just seem like a much poorer alternative to a tent, or am I missing something?

Slightly more flexible – you can use one, the other or both depending on conditions. On a recent thread on the Bearbones site it was mentioned that a tent is seen as “camping” whereas a tarp is seen as, err, weird.

It’s not necessarily about weight: I’ve a tent that weighs 900g and can sleep two people (very cosily) but it’s quite bulky and isn’t brilliant if you try to just use the outer for instance.

Which I take depends on conditions (actually it’s more about how midgey things are or likely to be), there’s no one right answer.

all this talk of tarps and bivvies and the weather is glorious.

I think I shall walk up on the hills to get a few beers towards closing time at a pub a good distance away, crash somewhere on the hills and come back down tomorrow morning in time to do the boys’ breakfasts. Not a night for a tarp though I think. And my bivvy-bag is in France, so just a thermarest and down bag tonight then….

Windy during Wednesday and Thursday – gales on higher Scottish mountains. Rain will be persistent in the west on Wednesday. Rain from time to time for the rest of the week and into the weekend, but amounts generally small away from western Scotland. Often cooler than normal for June in northern Scotland throughout the next week or so. On higher Scottish mountains, there remain substantial snow fields, and although there will be gradual snowmelt, snow will continue to restrict access to some routes over the coming weeks.

Hmm… not exactly bivvy and tarp weather at the moment, although the weekend forecast was just overcast with low winds so fingers crossed…

tonight in Malvernistan:

Just don’t strip off when you’re at the top.

I shall do just that, and waggle my wang in the general direction of the North in the hope I offend some deity sufficiently to bring a Tsunami to the Wirral or somesuch 🙂

I’m a fan of tents, but I’ve realised that there are significant advantages to tarp/bivi. Mostly that they are more flexible – you’ve got a lot more options. Pitch high to give yourself somewhere to sit, low down if it’s filthy, you can do a ridge, you can do an open fronted shelter if you have a fire, you can ignore the tarp and juse use the bivi if you only have a little space behind a wall to curl up in etc.

I find tents need a decent flat space, I can’t stand sleeping in a tent that’s not dead flat. However I can sleep in a bivi bag on sloping ground quite easily.

This thread is nice and timely! I’m after a tarp but both the Rig 3.5 and 7 are sold out in Green. Anyone got suggestions for an alternative? Ideally sil nylon but not too pricey… Thanks!

Needlesports have a few, some SilTarps on offer – http://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Camping-Equipment/Bivi/Bivi-Tents

Tarpology, baby.
Much more options with my gert big True North or Vango Adventure tarps.

had a cracking walk and kip on the hills last night. Lovely sunset. Pity the sunrise wasnt much cop first thing. Just slept out in my alpkit bag, no bivvy or tarp. Found a sheltered spot out of the breeze. Snug as a bug. I think I will treat myself to a ti mug and diddy burner though, as my pocket rocket and brupot is in France, and I had to take lots of clanky stuff with me last night to make a simple brew.

Stoner surely you’ll be using a honey stove or equivalent?!

13thfloormonk – Member

It’s the communal lawn in our car park, I live on the fourth floor…

I’m reporting you to b r