GEAR REVIEW: SHELTER- Tarp/Bivy/Line/Stakes

Disclaimer- I will never review an item I have not personally used on a trip.

BUSHCRAFT OUTFITTERS SILNYLON TARP

MSR GROUNDHOG STAKES

KELTY TRIPTEASE GUYLINE

MOUNTAIN LAUREL DESIGNS BUG BIVY

Many of these items did not merit their own review, so I simply combined them into one.

DESIGN:

Bushcraft Outfitter’s silnylon tarp is a simple 10’ x 7’ rectangular tarp, sewn on the edges, with small tie out loops at placed throughout. There weren’t any catenary curve designs implemented, just a simple rectangle. And that was fine- that was all I had wanted. When I had called the guy and talked with him, he had done several custom designs, so if there is something specific you want, it wouldn’t hurt to ask. He was a nice fellow, and didn’t rush me at all while I had asked him questions. The tarp was very well made, and pleasantly light. He also makes a variety of tarps made from other material, which are thick durable fabrics that weigh a bit more. Better suited for hunting expeditions, I’d guess.

Mountain Laurel Designs’ Bug Bivy is a glorified bug net with a silnylon (or optional cuben fiber) ground cover. It is suspended by two points- one above the head area, and another above the knees’. The one I had had bungee cord as the attaching lines; I’m unsure if that was a stock feature, but I highly recommend it. There are loops at the corners to stake the bivy down, but I never bothered.

MSR Groundhog stakes are three pointed aluminum stakes, 7.5” long. Cascade Designs refers to them as “Y-Beam” shaped. All the reviews I had read said they were rugged and dependable, which is why I had opted to buy a set. The red glossy finish and reflective loops are definitely useful when trying to find them on the ground.

The Kelty Triptease guyline is a thin 3mm reflective nylon cord- great for tying down tarps.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Tarp:

http://www.bushcraftoutfitters.com/Silnylon-Olive-Brown-Tarp-10x7-tarp-10x7-olive-brown.htm

§  1.3 oz silicon impregnated ripstop nylon

§  Stuff sack included

§  Tabs: 12 perimeter and 1 additional ridge line (3 total with edge tabs)

§  Weight (includes stuff sack): 13 oz

Bivy:

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=55

SilNylon or Cuben Fiber Floor (+$50)

ONE SIZE TO FIT UP TO 6'4" 


• Weight: 5oz Cuben Fiber / 6oz Pro Silnylon- Lightest full body bug and ground protection bivy avialble.

• Length: 7' floor length to to fit up to 6'4" - Custom Longer version possible 

• Floor Width Of Head End: 34"

• Floor Width Of Foot End : 30"

• Suspended height of netting over head: About 30"

• Top Entry- Works well with any size tarp pitched at any height- Very helpful for smaller tarps pitched low for heavy weather.

Stakes:

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/tent-accessories/secure/groundhog-tent-stakes/product

Color	Red
Weight	.6 oz / 16 g
Length	7.5 in / 19 cm
Material(s)	Aluminum 7000 series
Country of Origin	Made in China

Guyline:

http://www.kelty.com/p-136-triptease-lightline.aspx

·     Weight: 1 oz / 0.03 kg

·     Length: 50 ft / 15.2 m

In all of those specifications, only one was off. The Kelty Triptease was listed .03 kg, when in actuality it was .04 kg (10 grams difference). Not too much food lost there.

EXPERIENCE: I took this package, combined with my trekking poles, on my most recent trip to Yosemite. The tarp was great. It held up well in the rain. As with any silnylon, I had to retighten my guylines every so often to pull the tarp taut.

The guylines were great. The reflective cord lights up brightly at night, preventing any tripping hazards. That in itself it why I liked the cord so much- for once, I didn’t wake up at night to someone tripping over my guyline and dragging my tarp along with it. Beside the reflective nature, the 3mm nylon cord held knots very well with little slipping.

The stakes were the disappointment in this setup. I had chosen the heavier aluminum stakes one simple reason- reliability. 7.5” stakes should pound deep enough to grab. The Y-beam construction should bite. Neither of those thing happened though. I inevitably had to place rocks over the stakes to reinforce them, negating any benefit to carrying a heavier stake.

The bug bivy was my favorite piece of gear in the setup. Mountain Laurel Designs really nailed the target with this one. At only 6 ounces, it gives full bug protection and ground cover. The bungee cord attachments allowed me to shift about and not worry about pulling my poles down. The downside is the top entry. By itself, it is actually a nice feature. You can easily slip in and zip up. But for colder nights when you pitch the tarp low, it’s frustrating to fit between the tarp and bivy top- especially when your stakes are pulling up.

Oddly enough, I have since replaced all of these. I was shopping for a cuben fiber tarp when a Six Moon Designs Skyscape X came up for sale. How could I say no? My wallet screamed at me, but it was worth the glimmer in my eyes when it came in the mail. While I was sad to let the MLD bug bivy go, I no longer needed it. The Groundhogs I sold for Ruta Locura Carbon Fiber stakes. The guylines I replaced with Zpacks spectra line and micro line loks- the same line I replaced my backpack’s drawstring with.

All in all, I would recommend this tarp/bivy setup. I had nice airflow, didn’t feel suffocated, and was able to modify it based on weather conditions. Adaptable 3-season shelter, lightweight (26oz total), and relatively inexpensive (compared to a similar Hyperlite Echo I). If you haven’t tried backpacking under a tarp, I recommend trying it.