So I'm going to be camping with tarp and bivi for the first time

[whats wrong with you all]

So I've got my tarp, sleeping bag and bivi. In the next few days hopefully will be my first night out in my tarp and bivi set up [and also my first solo camp. Any advice for my first time? What mistakes did people make their first time out they wish they hadn't?

Cheers

 

[Urban X]

Don't let the dark get to you, it's just the absence of light with some funny noises thrown in.

Stay warm, stay safe and have fun.


Si

 

[cbr6fs]

No doubt you'll take some stuff yo won't use and wish you'd taken other things.

Best bet is to just enjoy it and be safe.
It's easy to think yourself into a panic, be it strange noises at night or forgetting something, trick is to just stay calm, relaxed and enjoy it.



Ohhhh and don't forget the camera and take plenty of pics.

 

[bilmo-p5]

Don't forget a beanie hat to keep your head warm in bed.

 

[Harvestman]

I loved if from the first time I went with just tarp and bivi.

However, you do have to be organised, as the fact is that a tarp gives less shelter than a tent, and therefore is colder, so make sure everything that you need is in reach as you don't want to get out again once you are settled in. Also be prepared to have to alter your tarp set-up if the weather changes, especially the wind direction.

One big positive of the tarp is that you can see out, so try to make the most of that by pitching in a way that gives you a decent view.

A 'lifter' line from the centre of the tarp makes a heck of a difference to how much room you have under it, especially since you tend to pitch the tarp between you and the wind, so it naturally blows inwards, restricting your space. Look at the difference in these two shots.


I wish you all the best in your tarp adventures.

Good luck mate.

 

[Urban X]

Oh and don't forget some TP just in case you get caught short kinda thing, some of the nice soft tree huggie variety not the scratchy waxy stuff you can rip barnacles off the hull of a boat with.


Si

 

[whats wrong with you all]

Oh and don't forget some TP just in case you get caught short kinda thing...

Some very good advice there I'll be sure to remember it, I've been caught short in the woods before and had to make do with the dressings i had in my FAK, Not nice!

I loved if from the first time I went with just tarp and bivi.

However, you do have to be organised, as the fact is that a tarp gives less shelter than a tent, and therefore is colder, so make sure everything that you need is in reach as you don't want to get out again once you are settled in. Also be prepared to have to alter your tarp set-up if the weather changes, especially the wind direction.

One big positive of the tarp is that you can see out, so try to make the most of that by pitching in a way that gives you a decent view.

A 'lifter' line from the centre of the tarp makes a heck of a difference to how much room you have under it, especially since you tend to pitch the tarp between you and the wind, so it naturally blows inwards, restricting your space. Look at the difference in these two shots.


I wish you all the best in your tarp adventures.

Good luck mate.

Some great points there, thanks. Especially about the lifter lines. Suppose i should get some practice in at setting the thing up then

Don't let the dark get to you, it's just the absence of light with some funny noises thrown in.

Yeah I've been thinking about that. From what I've read, most of the bad nights people have had have been in tents where they can't see out. I figure if i can see out of my tarp I'll see there's nothing there Still is scary to think about though. I'm sure I'll be fine

No doubt you'll take some stuff yo won't use and wish you'd taken other things.

Best bet is to just enjoy it and be safe.
It's easy to think yourself into a panic, be it strange noises at night or forgetting something, trick is to just stay calm, relaxed and enjoy it.

Ohhhh and don't forget the camera and take plenty of pics.

I'll see if I can't borrow a camera from someone. I want proof at least that I've done it


Any tips on where is bad to set up a tarp? There aren't too many flat bits of ground at my local, Would it be ok to set a tarp up in a slope, or would the rain get in underneath too much?

 

[redandshane]

What size of Tarp are you using ?
You don't mention anything to insulate you from the ground That would be my tip if you have a self inflating mat use it; if not use the best roll mat you have
You will be best on flat ground but a slight slope is fine much the same as a tent
Don't think of it as a tarp think of it as a shelter
choose your site well
My first time was a disaster and very off putting but I have grown to love it and experience makes it a much more pleasant experience
Enjoy

 

[whats wrong with you all]

What size of Tarp are you using ?
You don't mention anything to insulate you from the ground That would be my tip if you have a self inflating mat use it; if not use the best roll mat you have
You will be best on flat ground but a slight slope is fine much the same as a tent
Don't think of it as a tarp think of it as a shelter
choose your site well
My first time was a disaster and very off putting but I have grown to love it and experience makes it a much more pleasant experience
Enjoy

Its a 3X3 DD tarp. And yes i also have a roll mat, but not a self inflating one just a basic foam jobbie.

"Don't think of it as a tarp think of it as a shelter What do you mean by this?

 

[The Lord Poncho]

The usual things to watch when you are first doing this:

-Don't pitch in a natural dip or hollow in the ground (people sometimes think that this will make their night more sheltered, but in reality it will be colder and could get marshy if it rains)
-If you wish to use a ground sheet, take great care that it is at least a foot or so smaller (or folded under itself) from the edges of your tarp, otherwise it will channel rain water in under you
-Don't pitch your tarp too high- during the day time by all means raise it, but at night, you don't want the sides more than about 30-40cm off the ground, otherwise wind blown rain will dramatically reduce the area that remains dry underneath
-keep the tarp taught and angled to avoid puddeling and annoying flapping in the wind
-check there are no loose branches above you that can be brought down on top of your shelter with a bit of wind.

 

[whats wrong with you all]

The usual things to watch when you are first doing this:

-Don't pitch in a natural dip or hollow in the ground (people sometimes think that this will make their night more sheltered, but in reality it will be colder and could get marshy if it rains)
-If you wish to use a ground sheet, take great care that it is at least a foot or so smaller (or folded under itself) from the edges of your tarp, otherwise it will channel rain water in under you
-Don't pitch your tarp too high- during the day time by all means raise it, but at night, you don't want the sides more than about 30-40cm off the ground, otherwise wind blown rain will dramatically reduce the area that remains dry underneath
-keep the tarp taught and angled to avoid puddeling and annoying flapping in the wind
-check there are no loose branches above you that can be brought down on top of your shelter with a bit of wind.

Thanks for that Poncho. Especially about how low to keep the tarp, that hadn't occurred to me.
Think I'm going to have a day of practicing setting my tarp up before i go out, I don't fancy it collapsing on me in the middle of the night

 

[blacktimberwolf]

What mistakes did people make their first time out they wish they hadn't?

All the mistakes I made I'm glad I made them...It's by trial & error that one learns what not to do...guide books & advice are fine but you can't beat your own hands on experience.


"Who wants this plate of 'am was it ?"

 

[whats wrong with you all]

All the mistakes I made I'm glad I made them...It's by trial & error that one learns what not to do...guide books & advice are fine but you can't beat your own hands on experience.

That's all very well, but I don't fancy getting my brand new sleeping bag soaking wet because I was an idiot with putting my tarp up

 

[bilmo-p5]

... I don't fancy getting my brand new sleeping bag soaking wet because I was an idiot with putting my tarp up

If you put your sleeping bag into your bivy before you pack your ruck the bivy will act as a drybag and the two of them will stow very nicely at the bottom of your pack without a compression bag, and your sleeping bag will remain dry until you have your tarp rigged and are ready to turn in. There's no need for your sleeping bag to be exposed to the elements at all really.

 

[whats wrong with you all]

If you put your sleeping bag into your bivy before you pack your ruck the bivy will act as a drybag and the two of them will stow very nicely at the bottom of your pack without a compression bag, and your sleeping bag will remain dry until you have your tarp rigged and are ready to turn in. There's no need for your sleeping bag to be exposed to the elements at all really.

And that's the lovely sort of advice i was looking for. Thankyou

 

[bilmo-p5]

You're welcome.

 

[Wolfmanuk]

Have fun dude, sounds like your going to need the Tarp with all this rain!

 

[whats wrong with you all]

Have fun dude, sounds like your going to need the Tarp with all this rain!

Yeah Will make for an interesting, if wet, first night out!

 

[copper_head]

Listen to this so you know its not someone being horribly murdered!

 

[whats wrong with you all]

Listen to this so you know its not someone being horribly murdered!

Damn nature, you scary!

Thanks for that Nice to know no-one is getting murdered in the next clearing.