Tag Info

A poor tarp pitch can lead itself to condensation. Did you use a plastic ground sheet? Water running under the tarp when it's raining can cause a lot of humidity inside the tarp. Were you pitched on long grass? Plant life can increase condensation under a tarp. This can also be alleviated by a plastic ground sheet. How close to the ground was your tarp ...

I would say... never. What is a tarp but something that keeps precipitation off of you. In humid summer months, sure, condensation can cause precipitation under the tarp, but in winter, this is not so much a concern, and you can pitch it lower to the ground. You might get frost inside - but just shake it off when you pack up. Tents provide a few degrees ...

There are a few common measures that I've seen: Full Skin Out - we're talking everything you're wearing, everything in your pack, food, water, fuel Base Weight - everything in your pack, minus "consumables" like food, water, fuel Worn Weight - stuff on you, like clothes, shoes, hiking poles, whistle around your neck, etc

First, consider if you have the right backpack. If you're considering chopping off all sorts of parts, you might be using a pack that isn't designed for you. You could sell it off and buy a more minimalist pack, such as one from GoLite (I say GoLite because I'm unfamiliar with other lightweight packs). With that out of the way, consider what you want to use ...

Gelled alcohol has problems even in its "native" setting of a Sterno can. Gelled alcohol burns at a lower temperature. A standard Sterno can take 20 minutes or longer to boil water and is typically more expensive than liquid alcohol fuel. Some good information on different fuel sources for alcohol stoves. Information on Sterno.

This happened to me too - once we took a plastic tarp with us instead of a tent. Terrible storm catched us. But we sweated under the plastic tarp so horrible that we preferred to stay out on the rain and kept only our bags under it. Condensation occurs when humidity meets cold - where humidity is so high (or the temperature is so low) that it cannot remain ...

The key differentiator between tarps and more modern tent material is the breathability and wicking you get from modern materials. Modern tents are very effective at passing moisture outside, but even then, you still see the recommendation that you don't let anything touch the inside of the tent during the night as moisture will take the easiest route. ...

From Hikingwebsite.com: Base Pack Weight - Weight of pack and gear carried in the pack, but no consumables Total Base Weight - Base pack weight plus weight of clothes worn and gear not carried in the pack Total Pack Weight - Base pack weight plus the weight of consumables (food, water, and fuel) Total Weight - Weight of everything, ...

Builders typically get Tyvek in 9' rolls instead of 4' and 5' sheets. You may be able to buy a small piece off of the roll from your local building supply store or find some waste at a local construction site so that you don't have any seams to join. If you do need to join two sheets of Tyvek, Tyvek Tape is specifically designed for sealing the joints when ...

Let's look at the physics behind where all the condensation came from. At night the air gets colder, but the ground has a lot of "thermal mass", so stays much closer to the average day/night temperature. This means at night the moisture from the ground will be entering the air at the ground, but that air will cool as it rises. That increases the water ...

I don't get condensation under my tarp, not in general, even after several hours in a heavy downpour. I don't pitch it over vegetation, in general. I did have condensation one time when I had it pitched close to the ground, just enough for me to lay under, and it rained heavy all night, perhaps 1-1/2 inches or more. If the rain's coming straight down, I ...