Ultralight backpacking tarps, especially unshaped flat tarps (those with 90-degree corners or tapered at one end), are still lighter-weight than most ultralight backpacking tents and certainly less bulky, which is almost as important if you're carrying a low-volume ultralight backpack.  So if your goal is to minimize your backpacking gear weight so you can hike farther and faster, you may want to seriously consider using a backpacking tarp by itself or in combination with an ultralight bivy sack for insect and moisture protection.

For example, here is a list of tarp shelters, including their weights. I've also added a column for bivy sacks, since many people use them for insect protection, so you can see what a complete shelter setup might weigh. I'm using 4.3 oz as the bivy weight, which is what a Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy Sack weighs. Its base is waterproof, so you don't need a ground sheet.

Creating a canopy with trees and trekking poles

Wilderness Immersion

While reduced gear weight is an important consideration, experienced tarp users will gush about the increased wilderness immersion that comes with sleeping under a shelter that doesn't have fixed walls. It's like being in a painting as opposed to looking at one on the wall in a museum.

Tarp camping also gives you the opportunity to further hone your outdoor skills, such as:

• Learning different tarp shapes or setups and how they can be used to mitigate different weather conditions.
• Site selection: picking a good place to lay yourself down at night that's not in the path of runoff if it rains at night. Chances are that it will be a pristine wilderness site no one has used before.
• Incorporating organic elements into your tarp pitch, like a downed tree, root ball, or boulder, to provide added protection from wind or rain.
• Knots, if you care to learn them, although line hardware has largely replaced them.

While you might get into tarp camping because of the low gear weight, after a couple of nights you may experience its spiritual side… that's probably the best way to describe it. Being alone in the forest or under the stars, on a scenic, pristine campsite that you chose for the views, under a wall-less shelter that puts you in direct contact with your surroundings, is far more satisfying than using a tent.

An ultralight bivy sack can be hung from a tarp to provide insect, wind, and splash-back protection.

Why do People Still Use Tents?

People who want to slash their gear weight still use ultralight tents instead of tarp shelter systems because they feel that a walled shelter is more comfortable, safe, and private, particularly if you want to camp near other people. I get it. Just be aware that switching to a tarp shelter system can slash a pound or more from your shelter system and even cost less.

SectionHiker never accepts payment for gear reviews or editorial coverage. When you buy through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Help us continue to test and write unsponsored and independent gear reviews, hiking and backpacking FAQs, and free hiking guides.