time to pop my tarping cherry :)

[jonajuna]

so tonight is the night, going stop out in my new xmas usmss bivi and under my tarp on a friends land as am out at his for a few drinkies and its far to far to walk home! lol

so think of me tonight in the zero temps and rain :/, could have been dry, but have to use my new toys before the end of the year and dirty it up somewhat before my survival course in a few weeks!!! cant trun up looking like the new boy with sparkly kit lol

will post a pic or two of my setup, assuming i dont crash and burn and walk back to his house to sleep in the car!

 

[korvin karbon]

id be careful not to drink too much. booze lowers the body temperature and in this weather you are taking a risk even without the booze.

 

[andy_e]

I apologise if this is completely obvious to you, but might be an idea to take a flask and fill it up with a hot drink before you leave your mates house and make sure your sleeping bag is at the very least comfort rated for the temps you expect - especially if you're drinking.

If this is the first time you've used this kit, I'd be tempted to stick up the tarp before you start your night and mark carefully where it is. That way if it is dark and miserable you've got somewhere already set-up to climb under - also worth sticking your bag in the bivi before you set off, and take it in a rucksack to your friends house so it stays warm, dry and ready for you to climb into when you get (back) to your camp.

 

[jonajuna]

ive got the us modular sleep system, its rated to -35c if all used together, im only going to bother with the intermediate bag (rated -1c - -23) as ill be relatively clothed anyway.

as for the demon drink. i rarely go ott anyway as im a sicky type! lol but i wont drive after even a pint

will be setting up the tarp on the way and carrying my "bedroll" with me, under the tarp i will be leaving a groundsheet (as the ground is sodden round here) and a karrimat... in my bedroll will be my sleeping bag, a thermarest and all this inside the bivvi.

if it all goes boobies up and i need to bug out, its only a few minutes across the fields to his house and my car

so, i should be ok but thank you for your comments, advice and concern, especially as ive made it clear im a noobie to the mysteries of the tarp! bear in mind though my location..... i see you two are in scotland where i too wouldn't be venturing out this time of year for my first experience and certainly not intoxicated


edit to add: forecast tonight lows of 1c and light rain drying up by the morning, so even less hardcore than it was

 

[stooboy]

good luck, look forward to seeing the pics, might take you a little time to get it set up "just right" the first time but

 

[Barn Owl]

I'd use both bags,tried my modular system for the first time the other night.

Better too warm than cold,lets you sleep through without waking.

 

[andy_e]

sounds like you have everything well in hand - have a great night out. :-D

 

[jonajuna]

I'd use both bags,tried my modular system for the first time the other night.

Better too warm than cold,lets you sleep through without waking.

indeed! lol

only used the black (intermediate) bag in the bivvi. was warm til dawn then the temps dropped with a bit of icey rain too. felt a chill then, not too bad, but enough to wake me every so often to pull the hood back up over my head.

have a pic or two of my setup, nothing fancy, 2 poles and an a frame arrangment as thought this would be best to cut down on wind chill

a lesson learnt... dont have open ends facing into wind and preferably, block off the head end to stop wind down me neck! lol

 

[gsfgaz]

looking forward to seeing piccie's

 

[Shewie]

Sounds like you had a fairly successful evening. Good on you for getting out there and trying your new kit and you've already learnt a few things before your course.

What size tarp did you use ?

 

[hog]

Look forward to seeing the pics, I have a new tarp that needs unfolding aswell.

 

[jonajuna]

Sounds like you had a fairly successful evening. Good on you for getting out there and trying your new kit and you've already learnt a few things before your course.

What size tarp did you use ?

tis a Tatonka Tarp 2 TC 3m x 3m... have used this before but only really as a canopy from the entrance of our bell tent

http://www.proadventure.co.uk/acatalog/Tatonka_Tarp_2_TC_3m_x_3m964.html

im guessing i need to host pics off site and link to them?

 

[Shewie]

Nice tarp

Loads of possibilities for setting one up, I'm sure you'll suss a few out though now you've got the bug.