I Swapped My $600 Ultralight Tent for a 5.5 oz Tarp

I wanted to try thru-hiking without a traditional tent primarily to carry less weight on my back. An autumn thru-hike of the Long Trail provided the perfect testing ground for this swap, and as my start date drew nearer, I grew increasingly more excited for the chance to lower my pack weight while trying something fresh and new with my camp routine. 

Prior to this hike, I’d heavily used the Durston X-Mid Pro 1 on my thru-hikes. In switching to the Hexamid Pocket Tarp by Zpacks, I shaved 11.6 ounces from my shelter setup, with most of that weight savings coming from the elimination of the bug net and floor found in a traditional tent.

Throughout my time on the Long Trail and in the many nights in the backcountry since, I’ve learned loads about the trade-offs that come when choosing a tarp over a tent. Understanding the differences between the two — and how those differences will shape your experience at camp — is incredibly important.

So which is better, a tent or a tarp? There is no single right answer; you must decide for yourself if the downsides are worth the benefits.

Tarps vs. Tents for Ultralight Backpacking

Some tents use external poles to keep their shape, while others use trekking poles and tension from staked out corners. Double-wall tents have a bug net and a separate rain fly, while single-wall configurations use only one layer of waterproof fabric for most of the body of the shelter. However, (almost) every tent creates an enclosed bubble around you, the hiker, by integrating a waterproof exterior, bug netting, and an attached floor.

Tarps, on the other hand, ditch the floor and bug netting. This cuts the weight you have to carry but leaves you far more exposed to the elements. With only the waterproof fabric over your head, things like bugs and puddles become a much bigger camping hazard. Tarps also can take a bit more of a learning curve to set up correctly, though the Hexamid Pocket Tarp I used pitched like an ultralight, non-freestanding tent, so I didn’t need to learn any new skills there.

The tarp is a pretty simple shelter; there are no storage pockets or lines for hanging gear. The trade-off is a large reduction in weight and packed size. Photo via Katie Jackson

Choosing a Tent for the Continental Divide Trail

When I needed to choose a shelter for my thru-hike of the CDT, I never even stopped to consider a tarp, although I do actually think it’s a trail that would be pretty manageable with a tarp setup.

As someone who had only ever camped with a tent, I didn’t want to risk something new when contending with high-altitude exposure, strong winds, below-freezing temperatures, and monsoon season in the Rocky Mountains. I wanted all the benefits you get from a tent: reliable pitching, protection from insects, a barrier from blowing dust and grit, splashback prevention during strong storms, and my own personal space I could go to when I needed some privacy.

Most nights, when the weather looked clear, I would choose to cowboy camp alongside my tramily. Photo via Katie Jackson

I loved my tent on that trail. While I tried to cowboy camp more than not, I appreciated having a more robust shelter when the Rockies threw some truly heinous weather my way. Personally, the additional weight and bulk in my pack was worth it for the weather protection alone, though I wonder how I would have felt with a tarp.

Carrying a Tarp on a Thru-Hike

The Long Trail — especially in the fall — does not pose the same challenges as the CDT. For almost the entire trail, you’re in the woods, sheltered by a tree canopy, and rarely more than 10 miles away from a wooden shelter. My hope for this trail was to set up my own shelter zero times and instead rely on cowboy camping and the shelters already in place on the trail.

When I’m worried about popping my sleeping pad, I lay down my poncho to use as a groundsheet. Photo via Katie Jackson

While my Durston tent is objectively a light option, I didn’t love the idea of carrying over a pound of shelter as a backup option that I hoped to never use on the trail. So I reached for a tarp instead, fully knowing that I may have signed myself up for a miserable experience if the trail proved to be rainier or buggier than I’d been expecting. Luckily, I didn’t regret my decision a single time.

Of my 13 nights on trail, I cowboy camped twice, slept in an on-trail shelter ten times, and set up the tarp zero times. Even without sleeping in it, I reaped the primary benefits of bringing a tarp: weight and volume savings. Sure, I saved almost 12 ounces, but the real win came from the reduced volume of the shelter. Compared to the X-Mid’s packed size of around 3.5L, the tarp took up just 0.7L in my pack.

My tarp packs down into such a tiny little stuff sack. Photo via Katie Jackson

All this extra space gave me a little more room for food and snacks while still carrying a small pack. Each morning, when I’d pack up my pack, I got a little bit of satisfaction with how little room my shelter took up. Even now, after hundreds of miles of actually sleeping in and using the tarp, I still think the volume saving is my favorite benefit when choosing a tarp over a tent.

Following the Long Trail, where I—admittedly—didn’t even use the tarp, I took the tarp on a handful of new backpacking trips to actually sleep in it and decide if the swap would be permanent for me moving forward. 

Risks of Tarp Camping

In the nights following the Long Trail, I’ve experienced the best and worst parts of sleeping in a tarp.

Outside the things we’ve already covered (lack of bug protection and privacy), tarps do come with some pretty serious considerations. While the bug netting on a tent may not look very protective, I was surprised by how much wind protection I lost when switching to a shelter without that netting. On particularly cold or windy nights, I notice way more wind coming into my shelter than with a traditional tent.

When temperatures dip below freezing, every extra degree of heat a tent keeps inside is welcomed. Photo via Katie Jackson

Not only can this lower the temperature inside my shelter significantly, but it also has left me covered in sand and grit by morning if I’m camping in a particularly dusty spot. Good site selection will help to mitigate this, as well as pitching the tarp such that the open wall doesn’t face into the wind. However, I have come to expect slightly less warmth and slightly more grime when using a tarp.

Additionally, taking out the floor leaves you a bit more susceptible to rain and wetness. Drops of water hitting compact soil bounce back higher than one may predict; without a raised floor, more of that water is likely to land on your face and gear. And, without any fabric below you, still water in the ground is more likely to soak into all of your stuff. Once again, site selection is key to preventing a wet wake-up.

Benefits of Tarp Camping

The trade-offs sound intimidating, and I won’t pretend that a tarp is the most comfortable option. However, there are some pretty great benefits outside of just the weight and volume savings.

The early morning view I had from a tarp, with no fabric or netting blocking my view. Photo via Katie Jackson

A common complaint with tents is the condensation buildup on the interior wall. A tarp, which allows for much more airflow, dramatically reduces the moisture inside the shelter. This makes packing up on a cold morning a lot more pleasant: my hands don’t get as wet stuffing my tarp into a stuff sack as they do with my tent. Since DCF is a fabric with virtually zero moisture absorption, it dries completely in the sun in just a few minutes following a rainy night.

I also love the openness of the tarp, especially as a fan of cowboy camping. With one door rolled open, I can feel protected from any overnight weather while still being able to open my eyes and see all the stars. A few weeks ago, I opened my eyes at night to see a mountain lion just a few feet from me under the light of the full moon. It was making no noise, and I certainly would have missed out on that experience if enclosed in a tent. (Let’s also all agree to pretend that I handled the experience calmly and acted really cool about the whole thing).

Finally, having fewer parts in a shelter means there are fewer things to break. On my tarp, there are no zippers or bug netting to tear, no floors to rip, and it only requires one pole to set up. I always carry a patch with me in case the waterproof fabric rips, but other than that, I have complete faith in my shelter’s ability to do its job.

This tarp doesn’t use a zipper on the door. Instead, the doors clip to this part of the guy line, giving you the vestibule space without introducing the weight of a zipper. Photo via Katie Jackson

Considerations Before Making the Switch From a Tent to a Tarp

So, will I always reach for a tarp over a tent? Certainly not.

Deciding which type of shelter to use involves being realistic about your specific trip, plans, and personal comfort. If I’m headed out to an extremely wet, busy, or buggy trail, I’d rather just carry a full tent. Your threshold for each of those factors may be completely different from mine, but it’s important to expect cooler nights and more bug exposure if you’re planning to make the switch.

On the CDT, at the start of an 8-day food carry. Having a reduced shelter volume would have been quite nice for this stretch. Photo via Katie Jackson

If you are hoping to try out a tarp, I do think a hex tarp like the Hexamid Pocket Tarp is a great beginner option. Since it pitches just like a tent, you eliminate the learning curve associated with flat tarp. 

As always, the best gear will be the gear that gets you outside and keeps you comfortable!

Featured image: Photo via Katie Jackson. Graphic design by Mackenzie Fischer.