Hiking

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Hiking Shelters, Tents, Bivy Sacks, Tarps . . .

Even if you’re only planning on going for a day hike to get some good old fresh air before becoming comatosed in the office again first thing on Monday morning, it’s still a good idea to take some type of hiking shelter with you. You never know when you might need somewhere to:

• get out of the sun
• get out of the rain
• escape from the bugs
• take a well earned rest
• eat lunch in comfort

There isn’t always a nice shady spot available by the side of a babbling stream with fanny shaped rocks offering comfort and no ants . . .  in fact, come to think of it, that sort of thing is very rare indeed, and if you do come across such a place you can guarantee that it’s about half a mile down the hiking trail from where you’ve already stopped, opened up your backpack and eaten your sandwiches, and it’s time to start marching along the trail once more.

Choosing a Hiking Shelter

If you’re one of those hikers who prefers to travel light with nothing more in your pack than a bottle of water and a ham sandwich, don’t worry, many of these hiking shelters are so light you won’t even know that they’re there (well, after you’ve eaten the sandwich anyway). Hiking shelters, if chosen wisely, can offer maximum protection for minimum effort . . . isn’t that what lifes all about? So what type of hiking shelters can we choose from?

• Hiking Tarps – these are the simplest of all hiking shelters, a piece of waterproof fabric which you can string between your trekking poles or the branches of a willing tree (if you happen to be close to a willing tree with branches in the right place when the heavens open). A tarp will fit into the bottom of your back pack without you even knowing it’s there, and can also come in quite handy for sitting on to eat your sandwiches if it feels a bit damp and squidgy.
• Floorless tents – are kind of upmarket tarps really, for those who prefer to hike with a little more style. They are generally in the shape of a pyramid and really do exactly the same job as a tarp but without the need of finding a helpful tree. Neither of these two options are, however, suitable for extremely windy or harsh conditions, and they won’t keep the bugs out either.
• Bug shelters – are like those things you put over the food at a picnic to keep the bugs out . . . only bigger, human sized bug shelters for hikers and campers. These will help to keep the bugs out but not the rain. Maybe you should consider carrying a bug shelter and putting your tarp over the top of it if necessary . . . I suppose that makes it into a tent then!

I think he’s done that before don’t you? Looks a bit like a tepee!

Now, I’m not usually a negative person, but he says that it’s “raining pretty good” . . . I should think that “raining pretty bad” would describe his dilemma a little more accurately. If you’re gonna do that type of hiking and camping I would definitely recommend that you take a bivy sack with you too. I’ve got a hunch that he’ll be pretty damp by morning.