Episode 021: Alone in the Woods at Night

Many of us have very different ideas of “camping.” For some of us, we may think of jumping in the RV or camper trailer, driving to an organized private “campground,” renting our parking spot for the weekend and grilling burgers. Others may think of packing gear onto a string of horses or into a canoe and really getting into some backcountry wilderness areas. For many of us, our idea of camping may fall somewhere between those two. Some of us think of camping as a social event with family and friends, while others think of camping as time alone in the wilderness. If you’ve never spent a night alone in the woods, I’d encourage you to try it. At the very least, it will push the boundaries of your comfort zone, and make you feel like you’ve accomplished something unique and special. Whatever camping may mean to you, the various skills and gear that are potentially involved in “going camping” are limitless. In this episode, we dive into one specific piece of camping gear, test it out, talk about its pros and cons, and look at a whole variety of ways to use it. I’m talking about the tarp tent. If your idea of camping involves, an RV, a wall tent, or even a dome tent, then the tarp tent may challenge your sensibilities. That said, I believe that tarp camping can be one of the best ways to set up camp regardless of the season or terrain. I hope you enjoy this exploration of this extremely versatile (and lightweight) shelter.