Shelter

So the first thing you need to pack for any overnight adventure is shelter. This is a tricky thing, shelter can range from something extravagant like this bark hut to the right right, and as plane and simple as a sleeping bad and to a sheet of mosquito net for your head.

Shelters need to keep you warm and dry, that is their only function. So when it comes

time to make a shelter choice keep

I stick to the old keep it simple stupid rule.

After your back pack the tent you choose should be the second heaviest thing you'll carry, but we will talk about that later.

The main groups of camping shelters are:

Tents: usually the best option for times when being warm and dry overpower your desire to

carry a light pack. Heavy and

complicated to set up these are pretty much the norm. They come in all ki

nds of shapes and sizes, some have gimmicks like "gear hammocks" unless you look you cant find one that weighs less than 4 pounds.

Tarps: Tarps oh man, what do I say about tarps. Its a sheet of silicone coated nylon stretched

out and held up with ropes or "geuy" lines as their called when their on a tent. These offer great protection and are quiet modular. You can get a poncho that you can turn into a tent and that means less shit to carry but it also means if its raining and your wearing your poncho it will be hard for you set up your shelter without getting soaked. Most of the time the don't have a floor and don't have 4 sides. This set up is definitely useful for people trying to save the ounces, also it helps to be pretty rugged, you'll end up sleeping face in the dirt during a rainstorm at least once. However combined with a "bivy" these tarps can be a great and versatile system.

Bivouac: Some people swear by "bivy" sacks

its basically in impermeable condom for your sleeping bag. It should be bug proof and water proof, but breathable. You don't wanna get the inside all sweaty it will be hard to stay warm if your soaking wet. Waking up right outside, no tent separates you from the sky , the moon, and the incredible view you just hiked to will be waiting for you to simply open your eyes to see it.

These are great for a flash wain storm, keep it stowed in a very accessible location, if it gets shitty out just climb inside and chill out dry and warm.

So there they are the most popular methods of sleeping on the ground during bad weather.

Next post ill show you the options i looked at and show you what i choose for my CDT thru-hike.

Thanks for reading