Shelter Recommendations

[Dazrick]

I'm wondering which shelter to get, over the next 2 years I am going to be camping all around the UK

Tarp and Bivvy
Tarp and Hammock
Tent
Just Bivvy

Ill be carrying a sleeping bag so warmth is not much of a problem.

I was looking at the DD Tarp and Travel Hammock as it can be used as a Bivvy setup too, but I'm not sure how I'd feel leaving my gear out in the open, which is probably the main reason I'd get a tent.

Any advice?

Dazrick

 

[nigeltm]

My personal choice (which may not suit you) is; Terra Nova Jupiter bivi bag, DD Travel Hammock & 3m x 3m DD tarp.

I find this works well as I tailor what I take for the circumtaces and terrain I'm going to.

- Full on woodland is tarp and hammock. If it'll be cold I also take the bivi bag as an extra layer over the sleeping bag in the hammock.
- Lowland areas with little or no woodland is bivi bag and tarp. Using trekking poles or available branches the tarp works as a windbreak or cover for a dry admin area when the weather is expected to be bad. If the weather is OK then just the bag.
- When up the mountain (I sometimes kip around Pen-y-fan or the Black Mountain) just the bivi bag. It's normally too windy for the tarp/trekking poles and there isn't a tree to be seen

As for leaving your gear in the open that's not really a problem unless you expect someone to nick it! If you have a tarp up you'll have a sheltered area to keep it dry. If you don't you can still pull the rain cover over the pack to stop it soaking up the rain. Even then that's only to stop the pack getting heavy with water as everything inside should be in drybags.

Not only is this setup flexible but it is also around thesame price or even cheaper than a reasonable tent.

Tent (reasonable backpacking model) around £120.
DD tarp £29, DD Camping hammock £25 & Highlander Kestral bivi bag £20 = £74, £46 less than a tent.

 

[Dazrick]

I like that setup, and the tent I had been looking at was far more expensive than that, so its nice to see a setup that works well with a far smaller price tag.
I had been looking at the Rab Survival Zone Bivvybag which is around £50, for a Bivvy and it seems pretty good.

 

[nigeltm]

The Rab Survival Zone Bivvybag is a cracker. A couple of guys in the Western Beacons mountain rescue team carry them. If you are happy with the price then go for that one. I use the heavier Jupiter bag if I'm planning to kip on the mountain. Day to day I keep a Kestral in my pack as it's very light (300g) and will do the job if I get stuck on the hill overnight.

At the end of the day go for what looks like it will suit you. Every member of this forum has an opinion on what's the best bit of kit and setup. Some of them have VERY strong opinions (just look at the tarp bashing thread, no offense guys!). In reality there is no one right answer. Some like ground dwelling, some hanging from branches. Some like Gucci kit, some make their own or scavenge from builders yards

My approach is to initally go for cheap and cheerful so you can make up your mind but above all be flexible. If you can pop along to a meet or two and check out the setups. No one will mind if you ask questions (some will revel in it!) and some may even let you try out their hammock or try on their bivi bag.

 

[Paul_B]

I personally started with tents then worked to tarps. IMHO a tarp in a ground dweller set-up is the most useful for its weight. I can't fit into a laser photon or comp nor afford one so I have a tarp. You can pick up a 3m x 3m DD tarp for £30 I think. I like stuff from backpackinglight.co.uk myself. Or look at Team IO website in the UK. They do a few UL stuff including some amazingly light tarps. You are talking 168g for something that is catenary cut and rather good. Price shows it too as it sells for £160 IIRC.

Of course cheaper is around but IF UL is your direction then I doubt you'll find much to compete with that.

Never used a hammock, like the idea but find it hard to find trees on the side of a Lakeland hill. Travel hammock might sound like a good compromise / multi use set-up but IMHO you have to choose one way or the other as in most things compromises are not too good for either use. This hammock could be different though. I'm a ground dweller so as much as I like a hammock I probably won't buy one (lottery win if big enough will change that rather drastically as I buy every bit of kit mentioned on this and other sites).

Only my opinion.

 

[Paul_B]

Rab SZ is a good one. If someone tells you to try an Alpkit Hunka to save money, my advice is that their fabric is not as good as the Rab SZ one. I know ppl who bought one and switched to the Rab one becuase they got damp sleeping bags inside the hunka. Pertex powershield IIRC is the fabric in the SZ and is a lot better than in the hunka.