Read the tarp tent advice thread ..

Currently I have a small (tiny, 130g) rectangular tarp, a larger rectangular tarp that can go between bike and a removed wheel to make a tunnel tent of sorts (350g I think), and a BNIB Easton kilo 1-man 850g tent. I've not used the tent yet in 6 years .. The small tarp gets most use. The larger tarp isn't ideal in windy spots and I've been thinking of getting something more specific.
The BP Lair looks good. Better coverage, simple, 350g for the silnylon version (plus a BB carbon pole) is around what I'm after - under a pound total.

Any other options I should be comparing it to? No need for midge nets currently. Pole-free would be good ie use a pegged upright bike instead (less to pack/break). Light and simple is what I'm after, with better / easier to get coverage than a std rectangular tarp.

I saw a few aliexpressoptions mentioned on here a while back - I'm happy to pay the original designer for a quality item but also open to an aliexpress job S/H to try out the format.

Thanks ..

I've got a very old Lair and have used it a lot over the years. It's quick / simple to pitch and in most cases provides plenty of coverage. However, over the last couple of years my most used shelter is a SMD Gatewood cape. I've never used it as a cape but as a shelter it's superb. Very similar weight to the Lair but more protection. Again, easy and fast to pitch and plenty stable enough for most conditions.

I'd say Lair or Cape as mentioned by Stu.

Used mine Lair loads and one bit of kit I wouldnt change.
Tried quite a lot of options of pitching and using a pole works a lot better than any methods of trying to involve the bike. You can get much more height to allow you to sit up underneath the shelter.


If you wanted to try before you buy, you could always borrow mine for a couple of weeks?
Just to make sure its long enough for your height, before you play the customs roulette

Chew, Stu - thanks. I'm 6' so expect it'd be ok but will check, thanks for the tip there and the offer of a loan - appreciated. And the cape-tarp, that's a neat option .. for a day on a tour when you have to keep riding nd it's biblical, could be useful. Not sure I should admit to it but I was googling ponchos a while back with a trip coming up.

Zpacks pocket tarp?
All in, tarp, made to suit ground sheet, pole, pegs and small repair kit weighs less than 400gms. What's not to like about cuben?
http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/hexamid_pocket.

Taylor wrote:Zpacks pocket tarp?
All in, tarp, made to suit ground sheet, pole, pegs and small repair kit weighs less than 400gms. What's not to like about cuben?
http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/hexamid_pocket.

Nothing but the cost

Got to admit,i got mine in a sale and paid a lot less than that price.

i just love my bearpaw lair its good for tall people im 6 foot 3,use one of stus carbon poles,i have a INTEGRAL DESIGNS SIL-WING TARP
as well and use the front wheel as the rear pole and a short alluminiun pole at the front but its not good in wind blow rain as it can come in the front.

INTEGRAL DESIGNS SIL-WING TARP
this is a lighter setup but struggle to sit up and cook

In the pic above is that a cuben floor?
I have a cuben bearpaw and an inner net
Although I never needed the inner yet. I find great. It's coming on the Torino nice in a couple of weeks

Taylor wrote:Got to admit,i got mine in a sale and paid a lot less than that price.

I have a beak version with full netting that was a secondhand eBay (relative) bargain. Amazing bits of kit.

jamesatthelodge wrote:In the pic above is that a cuben floor?
I have a cuben bearpaw and an inner net
Although I never needed the inner yet. I find great. It's coming on the Torino nice in a couple of weeks

On the zpacks tarp? Yes it's cuben.

Taylor wrote:Zpacks pocket tarp?

$199 for 4oz /cuben .. that seems like a good buy over the other options at ~12oz / $130ish. BP Lair cuben is 6oz / $230 but looks a bit bigger.

windjammer wrote:i just love my bearpaw lair its good for tall people im 6 foot 3,use one of stus carbon poles,i have a INTEGRAL DESIGNS SIL-WING TARP
as well and use the front wheel as the rear pole and a short alluminiun pole at the front but its not good in wind blow rain as it can come in the front.

Thanks, it was seeing your pic on the other thread that made me think the Lair was ideal. The head height is part of the appeal.

If I'd thought about this more in advance I'd have grabbed something for my next trip in a week or so .. coming up, another tramping ride looking for quiet bus stops or old farm buildings when it's wet at night : ) I've used the same 3-sided hiker's hut 2 years running on top of a big climb in the Vosges The Hotel Schauinsland, drafty but free. And that old 'down by the river' bird watching bivi in a town centre in France. Think of the places of character I'd miss if I had one of these : )