In my last trip report I mentioned a few bits of gear that were in need of an upgrade. New rain gear has already been acquired, and I'm making my way through the rest of the list.
One item that I didn't mention was my tarp. It's an Aquaquest tarp and has been wonderfully dry. My issue is not with the tarp, but with the bag.
In theory it's quite well designed. It has a mesh bottom to encourage drying, and is very compact.
However, in practice there's no way a folded up or stuffed in tarp is going to dry much in a bag, no matter how much mesh there is. And being very small is actually quite a nuisance when putting it back into the bag. Even at home, when the tarp is dry and I have all the time in the world to fold it up nicely, I struggle.
Another issue is that when the tarp is soaking wet and is the last piece of kit I out away, it tends to get rather filthy if it touches the ground.
So what about a way to pack it away while the ridgeline is still in place?
As a proof of concept I picked up a 4l stuff sack (probably going to use a slightly larger one, maybe 6l in future) and put a grommet in the bottom. Idea is that I can use the cord bundled up at the bottom to affix one end of the Ridgeline, pull the bundle from the top of the bag (leaving the tarp inside) and affix the other end. Then, once it's off the ground I can take the tarp out and finish setting it up.
The reverse should be possible as well. Stuffing a wet (but clean) tarp into the bag, closing it, taking down the ridgeline and stowing the cord.
I'll give it whirl on my next overnight. Like I mentioned, I think a larger bag would mean easier packing and a more malleable end result, which if slightly larger would probably stuff into available space easier. Ideally I'll find a smaller grommet too.
I am sure there are similar products available, but it's fun poking holes in perfectly good stuff.
One item that I didn't mention was my tarp. It's an Aquaquest tarp and has been wonderfully dry. My issue is not with the tarp, but with the bag.
In theory it's quite well designed. It has a mesh bottom to encourage drying, and is very compact.
However, in practice there's no way a folded up or stuffed in tarp is going to dry much in a bag, no matter how much mesh there is. And being very small is actually quite a nuisance when putting it back into the bag. Even at home, when the tarp is dry and I have all the time in the world to fold it up nicely, I struggle.
Another issue is that when the tarp is soaking wet and is the last piece of kit I out away, it tends to get rather filthy if it touches the ground.
So what about a way to pack it away while the ridgeline is still in place?
As a proof of concept I picked up a 4l stuff sack (probably going to use a slightly larger one, maybe 6l in future) and put a grommet in the bottom. Idea is that I can use the cord bundled up at the bottom to affix one end of the Ridgeline, pull the bundle from the top of the bag (leaving the tarp inside) and affix the other end. Then, once it's off the ground I can take the tarp out and finish setting it up.
The reverse should be possible as well. Stuffing a wet (but clean) tarp into the bag, closing it, taking down the ridgeline and stowing the cord.
I'll give it whirl on my next overnight. Like I mentioned, I think a larger bag would mean easier packing and a more malleable end result, which if slightly larger would probably stuff into available space easier. Ideally I'll find a smaller grommet too.
I am sure there are similar products available, but it's fun poking holes in perfectly good stuff.