Switched from tarp to a lightweight tent after 5 years of hammock camping

2 comments

2 Comments

Knew a buddy who made the same switch... he spent a whole season trying to dial in his tarp setup in the Pacific Northwest and just got tired of waking up damp all the time. He picked up a used Big Agnes Fly Creek off Craigslist for like eighty bucks and said it changed everything for him. Still sets it up in his backyard some nights just because it's so quick to pitch compared to fiddling with lines and stakes.

beth_patel41d ago

...and that's exactly what happened to me too, the dampness just got to me after a while. I was using a pretty solid tarp setup but in the spring and fall here in the northeast, everything just felt clammy no matter how I pitched it. The Fly Creek is a solid choice for a first tent, especially at that price, but I went with a different brand because I wanted a little more headroom for those rainy mornings when you're stuck inside drinking coffee. The real game changer for me wasn't even the tent itself though, it was not having to worry about my groundsheet getting soaked from below or having to find the perfect spot between two trees. I still miss the simplicity of the hammock sometimes, but waking up dry makes up for it...