Did 3 different set ups of tarp protection for the bug tent; here is one using the Bat Wing tarp; rotated 90 degrees from the usual, giving it a sort of cartwheeling star shape……
it provides more protection on the sides than the previous set up; but not by much; as seen below…
if I attached “beaks” of some sort from where the pole stakes are to where the side stakes are; then possibly one would have more coverage there…but then again, it might be better without the bug tent itself…
One or two people could lay at a diagonal in this shelter without the bug netting; and that would be more effective.
Without the bug tent underneath, there is quite a lot of room underneath for two people laying side by side or slightly diagonally.
SO I decided to do a set up with the 9×12 poly tarp;
It gives the bug tent so much more room; and is very breezy..
completely covered; and with space enough to hang items off a ridge line above the tent such as a lamp or boots or clothes; however it is heavy due to being poly plastic.
view from the back; I didn’t line up the bug tent perfectly but oh well. Note that the bug tent’s side pull outs aren’t utilized here, its more to do with time…
another view looking into the door; the door panels are tied to the tarp grommets so that its easy to let air in, and easy to find in the dark.
And here is the final set up, one I probably would use more often…I just need to get the thing waterproofed; my DIY asymmetric Hex tarp;
It looks like the corners of the bug tent are exposed, but that is a trick of the eye, looking directly above, the bug tent is completely covered.
view from the front with doors closed; there is not much of a gap between the bug netting and the tarp; this is due to the tarp being an odd shape and due to my not so perfect seam sewing on the center seam of the tarp. The pull outs are utilized here, with cord running to the tarp’s stakes, so that I do not need to pack 4 more stakes. 10 stakes overall for each of the three set ups.
View from the back; there is ample room on each side for gear and various items, and the poles are around 48 inches tall I think, so a couple trekking poles at that length would do very well to reduce weight of set up, OR two trees conveniently located in a straight line with a flat surface in between (ha ha ha ha not likely) OR one tree and a car with a roof rack (more likely); Although it would be nice to have a pick up truck or a flatbed truck on which I can simply tie down the bug tent and suspend a tarp over it; that is not going to happen any time soon.
I believe this hex tarp, while normally for the two hammocks, would do great as a ground shelter for this bug tent 🙂
Cascade Tactical 