The very first time I went bushcrafting I slept in a debris shelter. Very warm and dry but a bit cramped for longer periods than two nights. Since then camping hasn’t held the same kind of fascination it once used to.
Often I’d leave the inner at home and sleep under the fly sheet on the bare earth. But even that wasn’t enough. I wanted to lose more weight (not off the body, that’s fine thanks). I figured the best thing to do would be to invest in a tarp and bivvi.
I went to Lurch for a bit of advice. As a novice it’s useful having a more experienced kit man available. He suggested the Tatonka Tarp 2 Bazil, the Snugpak SF Bivvi and of course, the ubiquitous paracord.
It's dry now - but wait till later!
This is me in the woods with all my kit for the weekend. The kit mats are standard closed cell foam (about 25 years ols) and the sleeping bag is not the smallest but it’s snug.
Now I’d seen on one of the forums that some people have had problems with the ridgeline eyelets for pulling the tarp taut. I can understand why. I didn’t feel confident tying them to the tree and suspect they are designed more for using with walking poles.
Ridgeline Eyelets look like they are designed to be used with poles
Having said that, even with the wind and rain over the weekend both eyelets held fast and didn’t tear as I expected them to. I would feel more confident if they had something more substantial at these two fixing points though.
The tarp is huge (technical specifications can be seen here).
Big enough for a family of four!
Easily big enough for four adults to squeeze under if set at the right height, or to be used as a kitchen tarp on a longer camp. But with just little ol’ me sleeping under there, there was a significant amount of space. Great for keeping my kit bag dry when the rain came down. And it did. Not just any old rain but lashings of the stuff like God forgot to water the plants and decided to give us an extra dosing. It poured down solidly for 7 hours.
Ready for bed...
When I got back to my basha I was very pleased to see that everything was still in place. My bivvi was dry, the ground was dry and sleeping under the tarp I felt comfortable and draught free. (Read more about the Snugpak SF Bivvi).
I’d set the tarp up with the West fully down to the ground with two small forked sticks, and with the East side raised slightly higher. This meant I could use two of the bright orange cords to bring the ridgeline to tension and the other two to fix the East facing corners.
Strong and strudy corner eyelets
Corner eyelets are strong and sturdy but using bright orange cord bothered me. I understand they are made to be seen and not be a trip hazard but I wanted a bit more “blend”. I shall have to invest in more cordage.
Verdict
This is a perfect beginner’s tarp which would also stand up to more rigorous testing by experienced hammockers/bivouacers. It’s light enough (0.9kg) and small enough (I can fit it into the side pocket of my kit bag) to have as a standby when going out for a day hike, just in case.
It’s strong enough and stable enough to stand up to the very worst of the English weather – God bless the rain. And at £44.95 it isn’t too hard on the pocket either.
The Tatonka Tarp 2 Bazil has changed the way I will spend my time outdoors for a long time to come. In short, I’m one happy bunny! Anyone want to buy a second hand tent?
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