You don't NEED doors. It depends on the weather you are willing to experience camping. If you're a fair weather camper then no. If you have down quilts and camp regardless of the weather, doors are almost a necessity. Wind driven rain without doors can soak down quilts and other gear. If you camp in cold weather, doors will keep wind and driven snow out. I personally wouldn't have a tarp without doors now.
“I am losing precious days. I am degenerating into a machine for making money. I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news”
― John Muir
I have never seen the point of overcovers and UQPs if you have a 4-season tarp with doors - seems redundant. However, in really cold temps (below 0*), I might consider using both!Originally Posted by therealbillhoff
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
An over cover won't keep you dry and it won't protect your down UQ or other gear. It'll block some wind and retain a bit of warmth. In cold weather, condensation will freeze inside an over cover. Only in extreme cold would I use an over cover and my tarp.
“I am losing precious days. I am degenerating into a machine for making money. I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news”
― John Muir
Even in extreme cold, all I do is burrito myself in my hammock by pulling the stuff sack side over top. You wouldn't think it would do much, but it's enough to keep some heat in while still allowing condensation to escape, although there were times last winter when I still had condensation around the openings and inside the tarp whatever tricks I tried. I think that's just a reality of camping since the only way to prevent it is to move the Dew Point outside of your tarp by heating the inside, at which point you're completely discarding all pretenses of "ultralight" and switching instead to "hot tent"
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If you get the doors, you can always tie them open. But if you don't get doors you're just out of luck when weather hits. I have a HG standard tarp with doors and I don't ever wonder if I should have gone with no doors. What does go through my mind: "maybe I should have gotten the Winter Palace."
This was on my doorstep tonight. I opted for the 12 ft CF with doors, from Hammock Gear. Camo. You can't even see it, so dang camouflaged..
Currently selling stuff on eBay and Craigslist to make up for my little treat here.
IMG_1395.jpg
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Last edited by deckster; 10-14-2016 at 17:16.
I'm thinking that if you are on a quest for lightness you should not waste your time or money on other stuff - just go straight to Cuben Fiber!
Doors?
Personally I think that they are a good idea for the gain in wind/rain stopping ability. Sometimes wind shifts around and it isn't as easy to move your tarp's orientation to keep the side to the wind, having doors means that you can block the wind from whatever direction it changes to. I've got a diamond tarp, a hex tarp and a Superfly tarp - I'll be sticking to doors from now on, my next tarp will probably be a CF3 Winter Palace 12' (I'm not worried about lightness so much, just need to be willing to part with a heap of money).
I think a Superfly is what I have settled on. I just can't justify the CF tarp right now. The best bang for my buck seems to be the Superfly. I was just worried about the 11' length being too short for my 11' Dutch hammock. But after doing some measuring one--and seeing one in the field--I think it will work fine.
Just got my Superfly today. It is huge. Seam seal drying tonight.
A right goodie it.
Shug
Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven
That was fast...wasn't it just shipped yesterday?
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