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I'm looking for a light wieght,4 season,solo setup and trying to decide between a Clark,North American hammock or a Kifaru Super tarp.Feedback on either of these would be great.

Lots of information in this section on the tarp setup and much info on using a Tipi style tarp or tent set-up, floorless, some even use a small woodstove. Check out some of the other threads for some good info. Good luck.

I'm mostly looking for feedback on the Clark Hammock,I'm pretty familiar with Kifaru gear as I already have a 6 man Tipi and stove.It's a great setup if you can spread the weight over a couple of packs.It's great to walk into a floorless shelter.but I'm not sure how nice it would be to crawl over wet ground to get into a smaller floorless shelter

I have the Kifaru Paratipi and crawling into it is not so bad even with snow etc. Also own a Hennessey Hammock with supershelter system. This is their 4-season setup. I like camping in the hammock and have done down to the single digits however after dealing this a few nasty winter storms in a hammock even mine setup for colder weather decided that this is not for me. So I use the hammock from later April though late September and heated shelter for the remainder.

I'm sorta with WoodsWalker here. I have the Clark N.A. and while I really like it for bivy type hunting and summer backpacking I think I would rather have a floorless shelter with a stove when things get miserable. At least that is what I'm looking into right now.
I have stayed in my hammock in temps as low as the 20's with a 1/4 pad and have been fine. Rain no problem. Wet & heavy September snow wasn't real fun as I didn't have my rain fly tight enough and it sagged and condensation was pretty bad. I stayed dry through it all though.

Woodswalker'I get how nice it is to walk into a floorless shelter.But how do you keep your gear realatively clean and dry when you have to get down on your knees,crawl through the mud to get into a super tarp ,than turn around and look for a dry spot to sit or lay wthout trashing your gear?

Ground pad and small tarp.

Can't speak for the ST but when using the paratipi I hang out on a closed cell pad and use a small ground cloth for the sleeping area.





Often pack an open cell/closed cell combo for sleeping so if using a thinner pad like in the photo I just shift the open cell under it when turning in. The ground cloth has grommets so acts as a backup shelter/tarp for the daypack when I leave the camp for fishing or a day hike. I tend to hunt from a tree stand etc so don't need to setup a camp for that.

Personally I lay out my ground cloth before I pitch my tent. Especially the shorter Mark III. Then I have a dry area to set equipment and kneel on...

When using ground cloths and expecting rain, I take a straight stick and place it under the groundcloth next to the tent edge on the uphill side. This creates enough of a bump to force water to trikle UNDER the groundcloth, not over it. You can plan for this by cutting a footprint just a little bit large, and roll the uphill edge under the stick.

On the florrless options, how do you contend with bugs, mice, snakes, etc?

Thanks Woodswalker,by the way I enjoy yor write ups.Tim

If you have ever slept in a trail shelter, then you have had a lot more experience with mice, bugs, snakes etc. than you will ever have in a tent. I grew up in an age before tents had floors. Not a problem, then.

Mice, "mini-bears", racoons... if they want in bad enough they will rip a hole in your tent. Bugs... don't pitch your tent over any active nests, and it's not a problem. Ants and bees are kind enough to go home at night, and won't bother you. Now mosquitoes are a different story... lots of DEET, and keep the door closed.

Snakes are an almost mythical danger. It's not always just in the head. But it's largely psychological. I ran into a guy that told me of finding a snake in his tent in the daytime on one trip... turned out it was 45 years ago, but he still tells the story. He recalls how nervous he was sleeping that night.

Anyway, use a tent that pegs tight to the ground all the way around. Not one that floats.

I remember an old western where the Good Guy is settling the Sweet Young Thing into a sleeping spot, and he gets out his larriot and circles her bed area with it. She says "Will that work?" and he says "If it makes you feel better, it's working."

Some floorless shelters have bug netting at the doors. This is the zippered netting on my Kifaru 4-man.



The paratipi comes with Velcro bug netting.





Sure some critters can crawl under the gaps on the base however some leaf litter will keep most of the flying blood suckers out. The snakes and mice well I never got any. This is not to say it can�t happen. Once a big fat nasty spider dropped on my eye. It had horrible yellow banded legs and a fat body. Took the monstrosity and impaled it on my green stove poking stick and into the fire box it went. There was this crazy fox that ran into my shelter and made off with some food right in front of my however the door was open. Often I air the shelter out after cooking and leave the door open with the hopes nothing chews its way in when out of camp. So far so good.

Overall these are colder weather shelters for me so during the height of bug season I am using something else. Too darn hot to use the woodstove and that is what a floorless tipi is all about.



But as SamB stated if anyone wants mice, critters and bugs spend some time in a few AT lean-to shelters.





Timat46.

Thanks.

I gotta tell you, I am not so concerned about mice and snakes but spiders just unnerve me. Those brown recluse spiders are bad news. I have done a lot of 18th century style camping which consists of using a single wool blanket and maybe a small canvas tarp (lean-to style), depending on weather. Little protection from flying/crawling invaders.I must say I have enjoyed this type of camping more than any enclosed tent camping. A fire with a wall behind to reflect heat back into the lean-to is sweet. The usual sleeping method is to pull two manageable downed trees along side each other about shoulder width apart, then fill the gap with leaves, cut pine boughs, dried grass, rhododendron or what ever can be filled for an insulation from the cold and possibly damp ground. I have slept on wet ground with enough cut pine limbs layered like roof shingles that I stayed dry. Back on point, I have had bugs, mice and spiders crawl around and on me. It's not always pleasant but it can be done. It's not for everyone but just wanted to share another way...you can get by with less than you think.

I'm a big fan of my Clark, and have had it into the low 20's on several occasions (A Claytor Jungle Hammock is a cheaper, close second). I do not own, nor have used, a floorless shelter with a stove, but would have to say the idea of the heat only a wood stove can provide sounds good.

As for staying dry, and keeping bugs out, I think it's hard to beat the hammock. They're not for spending waking hours in, but I use a second tarp and make a lean-to for that. For comfortable sleep, it's not even close. You'll sleep better in the hammock, but it's limitations may not be for everyone. I'm also a big fan of having a VERY over-sized tarp for the hammock. Makes 'hanging' around a bit easier.

I have the Supertarp/Annex/small stove. For 4 season use, I'd have to agree with WW that the Paratipi is a better choice for a UL do-it-all shelter.

Nothing wrong with the ST combo, but the netting and fixed front of the PT has it's advantages for buggy summers and true winter camping.

I'm kicking myself now.I sold a very little used para-tipi last fall to raise cash for gas on last years elk hunting trip