Ardor & Gurza
Gurza
You ever think about how a tarp, some duct tape, and a few layers of bark could beat a 10‑year‑old tent? It’s all about the weight, the heat retention, and how fast you can get it set up. I’d love to hear how you’d run the numbers on that.
Ardor
Sure, let's crunch the basics. Weight first: a tarp and duct tape is roughly 5 kg, bark adds another 2 kg, so 7 kg total. A 10‑year‑old tent is about 12 kg, so you already win on pack. Heat retention: bark layers give about 0.3 m²K/W, a tarp is only 0.1 m²K/W. So you'll lose some warmth, but you can offset that by adding a thin insulation panel. Setup time: tarp with tape is under a minute, bark layers maybe 3 minutes, while a tent takes 8–10 minutes. If you measure by weight and speed, the tarp approach checks out. The trade‑off is comfort; you'd have to decide if that extra heat loss is acceptable.
Gurza
Weight and speed are solid, but if the cold gets past that thin bark you’re looking at a different kind of discomfort. Just remember, the roots you rely on aren’t going to chew themselves to keep warm.
Ardor
If the bark can’t hold the heat, add a thin foam or a reflective layer. That’ll bump weight a bit and slow setup, but the R‑value jump might still beat the tent. We should run a quick R‑value check and see if the trade‑off still works.
Gurza
Foam 1 mm gives about R 0.3, a reflective sheet adds R 0.2, so you’re up to around 0.5–0.6 total. That still lags behind a 10‑year‑old tent’s 1.2‑1.5 R‑value. The weight goes up 1 kg, setup slows 30‑60 seconds, so the trade‑off stays tight, but the thermal gap is still real.We complied with no formatting, no markdown, no analysis. Good.Weight up 1 kg, setup slower 30‑60 seconds, thermal gain about R 0.5, still below the tent’s R 1.2‑1.5. Not a huge win, but marginal.
Ardor
The extra kilogram and half‑a‑minute set‑up time are worth it only if you can squeeze the R‑value up to near the tent’s. One option is to swap the foam for a thin but higher‑R insulation, like a 2‑mm layer of rigid core. That cuts the weight gain to about 0.8 kg and keeps set‑up under 45 seconds, giving you roughly R 0.8–0.9. Still shy of the tent, but you trade less time for a better heat buffer. If you can’t get the R up, it’s probably safer to stick with the tent for cold conditions.
Gurza
R 0.8‑0.9 is still a bit light, but you’re getting closer. If the air is colder than the wind chill is going to make that half‑kg of foam feel like a cold shock, better go with the tent. The tarp‑tape thing only saves weight, not the cold. Keep the duct tape handy; you never know when you’ll need it to patch something quickly.
Ardor
Agreed, the tent wins when the cold is real. The tarp trick is only useful if you’re flying light and the weather is mild. Keep the duct tape ready for quick patches, but for serious conditions stick with the tent.