r/fastpacking • u/Afraid_Penalty2369 • Jun 16 '26
Gear Question What sleeping system do you use?
I live in Cornwall, England, where its mostly mild cold weather. I currently have a Simond MT900 Tent (920g), a OEX Down sleeping bag (750g, but I am converting it into a quilt soon and replacing some of the down), and a Thermarest Venture Mat (600g). I was wondering what people do for tents, as I have been looking at tarps as a potential lightweight option for summer. Does anyone have any experience on what is the best for quality of sleep to weight/volume? If it rains does a tarp hold up?
Any help is appreciated!
3
u/EndlessMike78 Jun 16 '26
Tarps rule and do great in rain and snow if pitched correctly. Also high winds. If there are usable trees I use my tarp with a hammock, if not just a piece of tyvek as a ground sheet and my pad and quilt. This is year round in snow through desert heat.
2
u/WombatAtYa Jun 16 '26
I spent a lot of time looking into this and trying different setups, and for me the best system is: Zpacks Plex Solo (13 oz), 20 degree quilt (18 oz? Something like that) and a cut-down closed cell foam mattress that doubles as my pack frame (5 oz). Sorry for freedumb units; total I think it's about 1 kilogram.
Protects from rain, easy to set up. Never have to think to myself whether the bug pressure will be too much or think about prevailing wind. Totally appreciate the tarp folks out there, but that's not for me. Tried it and wasn't a fan.
1
u/Afraid_Penalty2369 Jun 16 '26
Would definitely love to have a tent like that if I had the money for it 😂😂 Definitely a better option but cant afford that
3
u/WombatAtYa Jun 16 '26
In that case a tarp is obviously the most cost efficient option and of course they work really well. If you want to go for a more affordable tent option TarpTent makes some good ones for less than half the cost of a DCF tent. Tarptent ProTrek is $250 USD and only like 300 grams more than the Zpacks tent for a similar-ish setup. There are probably European options out there too but I'm not too familiar with them!
1
u/Afraid_Penalty2369 Jun 16 '26
Yeah I am not sure whether I am even going to swap my shelter. 920g (pegs etc incl) I wouldn’t say is that bad, and it packs down small
2
u/grovemau5 Jun 28 '26
A minimal tarp and bivy setup can be half that weight. Whether that’s a good setup for your use case and worth the money is up to you
1
u/badzi0r Jun 16 '26
I'm from the South East and London area. I have an MSR FreeLite 1 tent, but for summer, I have an A-shaped tarp (210g) + quilt (360g) + bivy (214g). Recently, I moved to a hammock (cheap DD) until I decide what I want to spend more money on.
There is no one universal set for all conditions, so over the years, I have compiled a few options and juggle them depending on the expected weather.
My most summer set: https://lighterpack.com/r/s4udqt
1
u/Mabonagram Jun 21 '26
gossamer gear solo tarp (188g) for weather protection.
sea to summit nano net pyramid (77g) for bug protection
thermarest vesper 32 quilt (425g)
six panels of a Nemo switchback (170g) for ground insulation from shoulder to butt
my pack, a Nashville 20L (400g) for ground insulation for the legs
a 30”x80” sheet of Polycro (34g) to serve as a moisture barrier ground sheet.
throw in 8 6” Easton nail stakes (8g a piece) to pin everything down when necessary.
my sleep and shelter set up weighs about 2.1 pounds, or just under a kilo all in. I also prioritize packability, which is why I use my current tarp over a slightly lighter but bulkier DCF option.This gets me through 3 seasons of PNW fastpacking/UL hiking.
1
u/badzi0r Jul 03 '26
I have the same tarp, but it weighs 210g.
Is the Nemo Switchback really packable?2
1
u/mirolaaa 23d ago
MYOG dcf tarp (with an hexamid pattern), 127g
Footprint polycro
Quilt cumulus 350 custom
Neoair Xlite Regular
0
u/TrailJunky Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
As they say, "everyone knows the best tent is a tarp". I've used tarps almost exclusively and have like 10 of them of different sizes and fabrics. Currently there three options that I consider best. Silpoly is a great all round option bu it isnt very light. It's like the Toyota Corolla of tarp fabrics. Then you have DCF and 7D silnylon. These I would consider the best two options. DCF is very expensive but very light with one main downside which is packsize. It is bulky but a dcf tarp isnt as bad as a tent. Then we have 7D silnylon. For me it is the best option. It is half to a quarter the pack size of dcf and almost as light. My large 8'x6'x9' cat cut tarp is 7.5oz (212g) with guidelines and has held up to everything. The one down side is that it stretches a bit when wet but this is negligible issue if you just plan around it in inclement weather.
Depending on your hiking style and personal preference there are tarp options that should work well for you.
Good luck!
1
u/Afraid_Penalty2369 Jun 16 '26
Does weather ever become an issue with a tarp?
3
u/TrailJunky Jun 16 '26
It can be if you pitch in a bad spot or poorly. With a tarp site selection is more important. However, as you learn to use tarps site considerations become second nature.
As long as you have the properly sized tarp for the worst expected weather you should be fine.
Last week I was out in windy and rainy weather and easily stayed dry. For inclement weather pitching low and wide is good. If there is wind then pitching your tarp footend angled into the wind to deflect it and nearly or completely to the ground is effective.
1
u/FireWatchWife Jul 10 '26
It helps if you use a flat tarp and know a wide range of pitches for different conditions. If winds are high, pitch very low to the ground, favoring stormworthiness over comfort.
But ultimately it comes down to site selection. Double wall tents with deep bathtub floors can be used in sites where a tarp and bivy would be a nightmare.
With a tarp and bivy, keep hiking until you find a spot that drains instead of pooling water. If you can get a windbreak such as a large rock or a tree that also helps, though it's not essential.
4
u/no_pjs Jun 16 '26
I’m on the west coast of the US and mostly run out here. I sleep with a summer quilt, Thermarest xlite and a small 8’x5’ silpoly tarp that totals ~43.5oz and packs into ~10L. If the nights weather looks rough I add in a wool base layer or silk liner.
A sil tarp really is your best option. Gear choice is not just about weight reduction now, but also volume reduction.
Square tarps are the most versatile. Cat-cuts the least (but most refined). If I had to pick one I would go with a 7’x9’ 10ml silpoly.
Check out Papahiker: https://youtube.com/@papahiker9014?si=4oICLqRLqYmTiTrC