Tarp Cover

[NebrCatMan]

Who in here has backpacked in a considerable distance with a lightweight poly tarp and a good sleeping bag and just made camp and spent the nite when they got into elk? Or do most just back on out and get up early next morning and hike in several miles again? I have done both. It's nice sleeping in a warm........dry and cozy wall tent.....but it's kinda getting harder a little bit more every year to do a pre dawn hike! I'll probably do a little of both this year. Just wondering?

[LckyTylr]

I finally figured out a good system that I like. I have two 7x7 tent fly's that I keep in my pack. Usually, I only need one, I lay my sleeping pad and bag on the older fly. This keeps all of the dirt and many of the ants/spiders from crawling on me. If I think it's going to rain or if I wake up and it's raining, I pull out the 2nd fly and sting it up overhead from a few branches or I make a lean-to. This system keeps my dry and it's very light as there aren't any tent poles or stakes. If I hunted somewhere with more rain or wind, I'd have to use my single-man tent. If you don't have an old tent fly, some painters drop plastic will work as well, it just doesn't fold as easily.

[NebrCatMan]

I have done the same thing like you Lucky. But now I am taking in a 10 X 20 poly tarp and making a triangle shaped (5 1/2 foot sides and about an 7 1/2 foot floor) tent using a small dead tree for a ridge pole and attaching two 6 X 8 poly tarps with clamp style paper clips to close off each end. Works good and very light weight. Can get 3 bow hunters in there and our gear at nite. After using this set up in heavy rain and light snow a few times I have learned a few "secrets" to keep it very dry inside. Always leave the high side peak open to vent and carry out the moisture. Always pack in a small roll of good duct tape to fix a small hole if one pops up. The poly tarps weigh very little...and no rods for added weight.

[Z Barebow]

Keep in mind you are just talking shelter. If you plan on this approach, you need to think about sleeping bag/pad.

I used to use a 5x7 as a ground cloth and pitch a 8x10. Roomy and it works. But what you are talking about is bivouac and it involves keeping everything on you throughout the day. Lots of folks glamorize it, but it isn't for everyone.

I just went scouting for 4 days this way and it wore me down. Carrying a 50 pound pack for 4 days is much different than carrying a hunting/day pack.

Think about spiking out from base camp. Set up a small makeshift/lighweight camp sight near elk. You will be able to hear them from camp in the AM dark and get in close as daylight breaks and they start shutting up.

[twinkieman]

In lieu of the tarp, I use a bivvy. Works great.

[Bowhunter]

My lightest setup was just a sleeping bag and a waterproof bivy bag over it.

[Herb]

We got tired of packing in and out every day. We pack in and set up a base camp, hunt from there with our day packs.

[twinkieman]

We like to stay where ever night fall finds us, that is why we use bivvy sacks.

[DirtyErn]

Recently went to a outdoor fabric store. Picked up some light light nylon( in camo) coated with silicon weight is 1.3 oz per yard (3'x5') @ $10 per yd. have not used yet but is very light weight and now has a home in my pack

[8seconds]

I have done precisely what was mentioned: used a 10x10 camo light weight slick/tarp and some parachute cord to customize a shelter where ever i decided to bivuac for a couple of days. I used zip ties to tie off to trees, etc. so very easy to dismantle when leaving. I installed the shelter against the prevailing winds, rain, and snow and used parachute cord between two trees to bring some of the tarp horizontally and tapered so water would not settle in pools. I also have had to use garbage bags to "build on" to my condo so that rain/sleet/snow that drifted with the wind would not blow in my face while alseep. You gotta know your limits.

This arrangement was a full pack in where i settled in an area aways from bedding areas along a stream. My first night i was awakened by a cow walking by my little shelther. I smiled at the incident until i saw a bull not 50 yards further away. I jumped into my boots and hit a trail to cut them off as they were over a ridge. They didn't show up.

I plan to use a base camp this year and the bivuac approach while on a trip to Montana. I like the idea of scouting a couple of days and if it makes sense, get a little closer so that my night scouting can be closer to a comfort zone. A couple of days of this may get this 69 year old body down, so i'll just go to the base camp and R & R; kinda like Vung Tau (in country R & R) while in Viet Nam.

[Screaming_btf]

I use a Tarp with a polycryo ground cover and sleeping pad. I add in a ultra low weight BIVY for later season or extreme weather. It requires 1 or 2 trekking poles but since i already was using some it did not make a difference. I love this setup.