Fantastic pic! If you'd dug a little pit (not raining presumably) you could have had it flat to the ground so no need for any lines and poles at all - ultimate light weight and simplicity. Apart from carrying the shovel around of course.

Not my favourite as such but I was pretty impressed I managed this . . . With 3 shoelaces and a bit of blue cord. I'd managed to misplace my shed key so couldn't get to the bag of pegs with the paracord in it. As I was leaving on Friday for a last minute bivi I grabbed the only long stringy things I could find.

Made for a fun few mins trying to work out how best to do it

Very creative that. Raises the next fun question of "favourite ways to double-up/triple-up your gear?". Eg. Could've just used your actual boot/shoelaces rather than taking others, and could also be used as very short washing line (maybe just long enough for a pair of socks) ((or indeed just long enough for ONE sock because presumably super-lighters only use 3 at a time: wear two and always have one washed spare daily: washed to left foot, left foot to right, right to wash, each day)). Laces also good as hair ties, snares if you're that way inclined, anti-biketheft tripwires etc etc.

Maybe we could start a challenge who can come up with the best tarp pitch using just their 2 shoelaces? I think you'd get some interesting pitches . . .

s8tannorm wrote:

Stu - can I have a carbon one like Dave's made then please 42cm is the longest I can comfortably fit in my frame bag, so maybe best in 4 sections? Let me know how much and I'll ping moneys through

Zippy, if ZPack say 122cm then I'd go for 124cm ... the extra 2cm will help if the ground isn't quite flat.

A 4 section, 124cm pole will have a folded length of 34cm. If you'd like one, it'd be £30, paypal is stuart(AT)forestfreeride.co.uk

Having used my pole extension thing a couple of time (which was fine to be fair), but I'd rather have a proper pole and at 4 sections it will fit in the framebag a lot easier. So yes please Stu Can I just pick it up at the WRT, or is it easier for you to just ship it out and not have another thing to remember at the WRT? I'll paypal later this evening so I have one less thing to forget All OK? Thanks

Having used my pole extension thing a couple of time (which was fine to be fair), but I'd rather have a proper pole and at 4 sections it will fit in the framebag a lot easier. So yes please Stu Can I just pick it up at the WRT, or is it easier for you to just ship it out and not have another thing to remember at the WRT? I'll paypal later this evening so I have one less thing to forget All OK? Thanks

I can sort that out Zippy. Hopefully, there'll be lots of lovely carbon poles at the WRT, some may even have a special WRT discount

Hi Stu,

I hadn't been paying attention. Anyway, I should have just winged you some money via paypal

Here's mine



It's a SilWing .

but I have another question if you don't mind a slight hijack.

In what weather conditions would a bivi bag be needed to keep the sleeping bag dry under the Siltarp please?

It's a Siltarp.

It's a SilWing.

In what weather conditions would a bivi bag be needed to keep the sleeping bag dry under the Siltarp please?

Depends ... the obvious answer would be in heavy rain with bonus high winds but in reality you're more likely to get wet from condensation on still, dry nights with high humidity.

I have a bicycle 7 tarp and a hunka, combined they weigh about 850g, make that at least 900g by the time you add pegs and guylines, and about a kilo if you want to carry a pole.
If there are 2 of you add another bivy bag and you are talking at least 1.4kg

I have a couple of 2 man tents, alpkit delta and force 10 superlight, both weigh about 1.2 kg, are double skin and pack as small as the tarp and 2 bivy bags.

The tents keep bugs out, you get a floor, and I think are a few degrees warmer than a bivy bag and tarp, so you could probably take a lighter sleeping bag too...

Much as I love playing around with my tarp I am struggling to ever justify taking it anymore

If it's a short trip of a night or maybe 2 and the forecast is good we tend to take bivy bags without the tarp.

If it's a longer trip or the forecast isn't great then one of the tents usually gets an outing, usually the alpkit delta as it has 2 doors.
The Force 10 is amazingly good in wind (bizarrely as it has no external guylines) so if it's likely to be really windy I tend to take that instead

I'm not trying to pick a fight, I know a lot of users on here love their tarps and a lot of people use bicycle 3.5s and 7s so can someone persuade me why it's worthwhile taking??

so can someone persuade me why it's worthwhile taking??

I'm really not sure anyone can but here's some of the reasons why I always (well 99% of the time) take a tarp.

My full solo set up weighs between 550g - 800g depending on what I take. The lightest tent I have is over a kilo.
Speed of set up. I can generally produce something storm-worthy in less than 2 minutes or quicker if I rush and I'm not blindfolded
I find I've often got more room for gear under a tarp than I would have in a small tent.
I like to feel the wind on my face.
Tents always feel like a faff.

However, the above will mean nothing to anyone else. If you prefer a tent and have a set up that you feel works for you ... stick with it.

My overnighters mainly fall into two categories.

If I'm planning a ride/walk/paddle that involves a relaxed evening watching the world go by, I almost always take the tent. I also like that it's more weather/bug resistant and, as you say, it often allows a lighter sleeping bag as a result. In nicer weather I often leave the tent open so I don't miss what's going on outside.

If I want to cover the maximum amount of ground and want minimum stopped time, I take the bivvy. There's less faff looking for a suitable pitch (though getting the tarp in a good position can sometimes be an issue) and I have used it to sleep in some odd spots (doorways etc). However, on a nice evening it's also nice to see the light/sky/scenery change as the hours pass by, something you can miss in a tent once you're all zipped up.

Summary: each has its pros and cons. and weight doesn't favour one or the other, despite what some folk think

and weight doesn't favour one or the other, despite what some folk think

Colin, I think that largely depends what kit you've got at your disposal.

Here's my tarp set up from this January...



It's a DD3m tarp with the front wheel across the back and handle bars supporting the front. Great cover in poor weather and good in a wind. I was on a trial overnighter not far from home. The pity is that that trip was cut short due to me getting chronic runs and deciding in the end to dash for the comfort of home with a couple of unfortunate pitstops on the way in driving icy sleet in the dark

Same tarp but one trekking pole in on a beautiful mid summer's night...



Not much in the way of trees here