Blanket and tarp or sleeping bag?

D

doublepiedavid

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Jun 1, 2017
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So, I live in a swamp in south Massachusetts and am planning an overnight trip sometime in the spring. I have a 6x8 foot Walmart tarp, a twin sized wool blanket leftover from USSR Kazakhstan (nothing fancy), and a large mummy sleeping bag. My goal for this trip is not to bring a backpack, I have managed to keep most of my gear on a USGI pistol belt, and now all that is left is my shelter system. Anyway, I have a stuff sack ment for the sleeping bag that fits the tarp and woolly with room for an extra pair of pants.

So, is a sleeping bag valuable enough to take the place of a tarp and extra pair of pants?
 
Depends on the possibility of rain, mostly and secondly the ability to have fire. I prefer wool and tarp myself, but one twin might not cover it.
 
Have you thought about buying some Alice pack straps and attaching them and the pistol belt to the tarp to make a pack? I'm sure I have instructions for this somewhere. We used to do it leading treatment groups in Moab. Basically you put your stuff in the tarp, roll it up with the belt folded in the bottom, munter hitch the whole thing with some para cord, and tie in the pack straps. Instant backpack.
 
Expected temps and use of a fire? Likelyhood of rain? overall carry weight and distance covered? LNT or building a shelter? All these things are going to start to play more into it than just a simple blanket/bag question.
Without ground insulation, the bag will be better, in general, but not always. How big are you? That tarp seems pretty small, will it be a roof or a burrito roll? Why the extra pants? Do they do something that the other pants do not? Probably wasted weight.
Wool blanket, obviously can take advantage of a fire, tarp and bag less so, so that will play into the math. Are you a cold or warm sleeper? I'm going to assume you are trying to get out early enough to avoid bugs.
In anycase, go do, learn, figure it out, some of this is just personal preference.
 
OP, I don’t know exactly what you are playing at, but I’d recommend a Goretex bivvy bag. I have a couple that I bought from army surplus here in the UK. They are absolute bomber kit. I will be bivvying with a tarp roof in December, sleeping bag in the bivvy bag. You can dispense with the tarp if you like, the bivvy bag is properly waterproof. In the spring in MA? Well, I’m from old England so dunno. But I’ll tell you this: watch out for ground chill. Take a couple of space blankets whatever road you take. They might save your life. (Lining)
 
Pilsner said:
OP, I don’t know exactly what you are playing at, but I’d recommend a Goretex bivvy bag. I have a couple that I bought from army surplus here in the UK. They are absolute bomber kit. I will be bivvying with a tarp roof in December, sleeping bag in the bivvy bag. You can dispense with the tarp if you like, the bivvy bag is properly waterproof. In the spring in MA? Well, I’m from old England so dunno. But I’ll tell you this: watch out for ground chill. Take a couple of space blankets whatever road you take. They might save your life. (Lining)
Click to expand...

This is what I was going to recommend. I have a military surplus one that has 3-layers (2 different sleeping bag plus the gortex outer) that I snagged on amazon and it's pretty sweet. I used it a fair number of times when I was traveling for bicycle races on the cheap in the midwest. Can't say I've used it in a heavy downpour but it keeps the dew and lighter mists off pretty well. I suppose if the rain is heavy further shelter would be a good idea.

I think mine came with a cheap foam sleeping pad that has been nice.
 
How tall are you?
Are you a side sleeper?
Do you toss n turn?
Do you sleep hot or cold? Warm?
Legs straight, leg out?
Foghorn Leghorn?
Commie canvas?
British or other?
How long is your hair?
Neck girth?
Chicken calves or proper ankle?
SAK only cus Gran'pa Tim did it?
Scream endlessly into the night?
Personable or eternally projected displeasure?
LOL thought I'd contribute to the 'Help'.
:rolleyes:
 
doublepiedavid said:
So, I live in a swamp in south Massachusetts and am planning an overnight trip sometime in the spring. I have a 6x8 foot Walmart tarp, a twin sized wool blanket leftover from USSR Kazakhstan (nothing fancy), and a large mummy sleeping bag. My goal for this trip is not to bring a backpack, I have managed to keep most of my gear on a USGI pistol belt, and now all that is left is my shelter system. Anyway, I have a stuff sack ment for the sleeping bag that fits the tarp and woolly with room for an extra pair of pants.

So, is a sleeping bag valuable enough to take the place of a tarp and extra pair of pants?
Click to expand...
If you can't come up with and carry a system both waterproof and warm , best just stay home . o_O
 
A blanket is good to 50 F, if the ground is not still winter cold
Blanket will keep you warm in the evening as a wrap
Blanket, tarp, and groundsheet in a roll over your shoulder and tied at the bottom

Colder, then a sleeping bag and sleeping mat
 
I almost always carry a tarp with a tyvek ground cloth and a sleeping bag (either a 40 degree Marmot or a North Face Cat's Meow, depending on temps.
 
It all depends on night time temps. I would have both options available and choose just before the camp out based on weather conditions. You going to have a sleeping pad? The ground is still pretty chilly in the spring. Spring here is Mid-February-March or I guess April. But in April, I'm already typically putting out a garden.

With the blanket. I think you're probably setting yourself up for a night huddled around a fire wrapped in the blanket.
 
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