tl;dr: I scraped around 300 lighterpack posts from this sub and the subreddit's example lists in the wiki. In posts from the UL subreddit's members, only 19% used tarps as their primary shelter, and around 80% used tents. Even in the wiki's "optimized" reference pack lists, only ~25% used tarps. Median tent weight from the data was 24.2 oz, while the median tarp weighed 9.6 oz. That's almost a pound that people are leaving on the table because they're afraid(?) of tarps! Other than leaving electronics at home, this is likely the easiest, lowest-cost option to reduce weight while gaining numerous benefits for most people. It's also the budget solution for UL Backpacking compared to how expensive tents (and even backpacks) are.

A Call to Evangelize Tarps

I guess I kinda get it? Tarps aren't popular because they have a reputation of being kinda janky or extreme. Maybe on par with cutting a toothbrush handle?

Or maybe there's just not much glamour for capitalistic forces to push a basic rectangular sheet of waterproof material. A tarp is just so damn simple (and really hasn't evolved much in many, many decades). There's little opportunity for brand differentiation or innovation that's needed when you sell a tarp. I mean, I guess HMG has tried to push the "high tech, innovative solution" angle to folks swinging by their gear store, but that's pretty hard to do when all you have to show for it is something that largely amounts to a basic tent footprint.

Whatever the case, I think the UL community could really do a better job evangelizing tarp camping like we did for frameless backpacks and trail runners (which are effectively ubiquitous, although we sometimes still hear about the need for hiking boots for ankle support).

My first exposure to tarps as actual backpacking shelters (not just a skytarp) was on my first thru-hike of the Colorado Trail. I hiked with a guy using one that was trying to convince me to make the switch. Unfortunately for him, somewhere in the middle of the night he rolled right out from under his tarp and got pretty drenched in the rain. That's the kind of tarp story that sticks in your head, and because of that I was pretty convinced that #NeverTarp was the way to go, and I kept tent camping for several more seasons after that.

At some point, I ended up switching to a tarp because of the allure of the weight savings! With around 10,000 miles of tarp use since I've made the switch, tents just have so little appeal to me for solo trips. My tarp has kept me dry and comfortable through atmospheric rivers and snowstorms, which is more than I can say for a variety of tents I've used that hemorrhage water through seams that need to be seam sealed again and again.

Why I think people avoid tarps

The perception seems to be:

1. Harder to set up correctly
2. Less weather protection
3. More exposure to bugs/storms
4. Overall less comfortable

Yet, in my experience, none of these fearmongered concerns really hold up, and I think the reverse is true.

Are Tarps Harder to Setup?

The only pitch you're really ever going to use with a tarp is an A-frame. Anything else is unnecessary for meeting your basic shelter needs. Sure, you might learn some different pitches to add versatility, but that's just added utility and benefit compared to the single pitch option you get with a tent.

It's stupid easy and quick to set up an A-frame. You set it up a couple times in your backyard to get the guyouts pre-configured, and you then have a quick, ready-to-deploy, reliable shelter.

It's as simple as two trekking poles, 8 shepherd hook stakes, and 8 pre-cut guylines with defined, fixed point bowline knots. You just pull the tarp from your pack, stake it out, and you're done. My setup time is under five minutes from the time my pack hits the ground. No messing around with piecing freestanding rods together and threading them through grommets, let alone getting a rain fly oriented correctly if you're not using a single wall tent.

Tarp packup times are even quicker, and also more convenient for keeping the rest of your gear dry if it DID rain (you just store the tarp in an outside pocket, and dry it during a period of afternoon sun in a few minutes).

Weather protection is inadequate?

I've pitched my basic flat tarp in sideways rain with zero issues (apart from the trees wanting to come down around me), and I'm not running a large tarp. Just your standard Borah Tarp (6' x 9'). The A-frame sheds water and snow if it's tensioned correctly. Even poor pitches do fine! The main decision point is to pitch the A-frame a little lower to the ground if the rain and wind are fierce, and to chuck on as many large rocks as you can find to keep those stakes in the ground during hellish gusts.

Meanwhile, I've had wind snap rods on freestanding tents, and seam sealed rain flies fail. That's not to mention zipper failures on both the rain fly and inner sections of the tent, which definitely destroy the "bug proof" nature of a tent (I still have flashbacks to that zipper failure on the PCT in Oregon).

What about bugs?

I'm a magnet for mosquitoes, which is the only reason I run a bivy rather than cowbow camping. I think we all know the Borah Bivy is a seriously good piece of kit for exactly this reason.

If you're spending a full rest day in camp during mosquito season, a bivy is not the most pleasant place to hang out, and I guess that's the rare occasion a tent does better than a tarp+bivy option. But even then, you can rock a headnet plus rain layers if you want to spend some time in camp playing guitar and roasting smores around a fire without getting eaten alive by mosquitos. But with tent camping, I've also had zippers fail, throwing me into bug hell (the worst kind of bug hell, as mosquitoes tend to get trapped in inner sections of a tent and then freak out all night)

Tarps are less comfortable?

I've dealt with condensation dripping down on my face in numerous tents, but not often in a tarp. I've had to pitch my tents on weird slopey terrain (getting a terrible night's sleep) because the necessary footprint to pitch it was larger than the perfectly flat bivy-available space off to the side. I've had tents collapse on my face with large gusts of wind.

All in all, I think the tarp wins for comfort. If the weather is fine, you get to sleep outside the tarp, having a nice visible view of the stars! If the weather might turn shitty, you pitch the tarp, and hang out under it, on top of your ground sheet, where you can more easily do some cooking (if you're into that sort of thing) without ventilation concerns. If the weather is seriously shit, you pitch a low A-frame, and crawl in cozy to a sleeping bag with solid heat retention, knowing that in the morning you can pack everything up without getting your gear soaked in the process.

I'd say unless you're setting up a pretty long-lived basecamp where you want most of you gear to be stashed in a well-contained space, the tarp beats a tent every time (I do not hold these views for winter season camping).

The weight and cost case

From the scraped reddit posts, the median tent weight recorded was 24.2 oz. The median tarp weight was 9.6 oz. That 14-oz difference! Assuming you're actually running the Borah Tarp at 7.8 oz, you're realistically going to be over a pound of weight savings! And that's not even considering weight savings if you do a dyneema tarp...

Even when you add a bivy (42% of tarp users in the dataset listed one) you're still well under the median tent weight. The other 58% of tarp users didn't list a bivy at all, so plenty of people are cowboy camping out there!

The Borah system -- silpoly tarp ($68), cuben bivy ($192), Frost King polycryo sheet (~$3) -- is 13.4 oz and ~$263. Cheaper than any DCF tent on that list and lighter than most. If you want to go lighter, DCF tarps exist. The Zpacks Hexamid Solo with a polycryo sheet gets you to ~10.8 oz for ~$502, or 12.4 oz and $638 if you use the purpose-made hexamid ground sheet. You're paying roughly $100/oz to save weight over the silpoly system, and you lose tarp shade opportunities and some other utility. DCF also pinholes faster over time, and takes up more volume in your pack.

When a tent actually wins

• Extended time in camp during mosquito season (a bivy is miserable to hangout in if you want to do antything other than read a book on your phone)
• Basecamping, when you're leaving gear and want a zippered space that feels secure
• Two-person trips where shared shelter beats each person carrying a solo system (although a larger tarp and Sea to Summit Bug Net may be the better option)

Those are real tradeoffs. For most thru-hiking and solo trips though, they don't come up enough to justify an extra pound for a shelter system or the fear of tarps that folks seem to have.

I put together a full comprehensive guide for falling in love with tarps, which includes getting guylines setup and alternative pitches (although you'll rarely, if ever, use them). I also have a more detailed shelter comparisons and tarp cost comparison.

Howdy homies. Curious if anybody has recs for a bivy to handle 2-5hr of sleep in the Whites. I’m going to be doing another Direttissima albeit a bit faster this time around. Is it worth it to buy a waterproof one, or one that isn’t but pairs with a rain shell? I’m going to go for it in a couple of weeks, so temps could get to around 40s at night, and definitely high chance of rain. I figure I’ll forego a sleeping bag/ quilt, and just sleep in an alpha hoodie, puffy and rain shell. Interested to hear what you have to say! Thanks.

I'm looking for advice for a sleep situation for my dog when backpacking. He is a whippet, so he likes to be warm (often sleeps under the covers or a blanket even at home) and I often end up just dealing with him in my sleeping bag at some point when backpacking which will maybe always be the case but I think much less if I can find him a sleep situation he is ok with.

I have him on his own z-lite pad, and have tried his own sleeping bag (Whyld River) which he refused to stay in and would often end up trying to make a nest in unsuccessfully (meaning he just tries to paw the blanket into a pile that he can then burrow in) as it was just too small. I've seen the redpaw pack quilt that I could actually strap to him and the ruffwear sleep poncho that's similar that may work to keep him warm but he would still need a blanket to lie on. I think he'd probably do best with his own small human sized blanket but figured there may be someone out there who also has a princess dog who has dealt with this before.

TL;DR - I drag my princess dog backpacking and need to find him an ultralight sleeping blankie that will stand up to his pawing at it so he's not crowding me out of mine lol

Got into the whole ultralight thing recently after falling down this rabbit hole. I get the core idea and I just want to be smarter about what I bring.

This weekend was my first real test: 25km, almost 3000m of elevation, up the Zugspitze, split over two days with a night in a hut. Used gear I already had. Weighed my pack just to get a baseline — without sleeping bag, tent, or pad (since we slept in a hut), I was carrying around 7kg with food and water.

A few things I learned:

• Shoes: I hiked in Zephyr MK2 GTX Hi boots. They did the job but were probably overkill for a summer trail like this. Not going to buy new shoes just to replace something that already works, but I get now why people go lighter on dry trail days.
• Backpack: My shoulders were wrecked by the end. Pretty sure it's the hip belt — it's just not doing its job on this pack.
• Layering: Picked up a merino wool shirt before the trip and it completely won me over. Held up way better than I expectedand it didn't get gross.

But here's the actual thing I wanted to ask about: on the whole trail, I didn't see a single UL backpack. Just big, heavy-looking packs everywhere, pretty much across the board.(is it bc its germany ?)

So now I'm wondering — is the UL movement just not really a thing here yet (Germany/Alps region), or is it more overhyped online than it is in practice? Like once you're doing "real" hiking with real elevation and real conditions, does the UL approach just kind of fall apart and people default back to heavier, more bomb-proof gear?

Also trying to figure out if it's actually worth putting real money into a better pack, tent, etc. — or if I'd just be buying into a consumerism cycle

Context for why I'm asking: my partner and I are heading to Ecuador in December for a month, camping and hiking. I want to actually be prepared this time instead of winging it with whatever I already own. We got engaged on the Top and my family gifted us some money to get ourself something nice ;D. Advices would be lovely

Hey and thanks in advance…

I was eyeballing with the Sea to Summit Spark or the spark pro both -01*C for a year or so but was wondering wether you have any suggestions for alternatives, i have a bit of respect for quilts since i have never tried one but would be open for it… When doing my research I didn‘t really come across something that really beat the spark or the pro in terms of weight, packed size or better temperature rating with same weight or size. Prize is not that important, of course i don‘t want to spent two grand… So yeah hope that was at least a bit understandable and looking forward to your suggenstions

Edit: since im based in the EU, i would be interested in products that arent exclusively sold in the US

I'm interested to know other people's philosophies on what units of measurement they use for gear weights.

I'm in the U.S., but I despise ounces. At the same time, it seems counterintuitive to measure individual gear in grams if you'll be using pounds to measure total pack weight. My solution was to buy a scale that measures pounds to the thousandths place (0.000). This way my unit is the same throughout without needing to convert grams, ounces, etc. I find this is also more accurate than ounces. This is scientifically better as well since every additional conversion equation introduces a risk of error & decreases accuracy. I'm curious to know if anybody else is doing something like this.

The post title is basically the gist of it. I've been looking for something for a while, slightly larger than a bivy so that my pack and boots can fit under the fly but otherwise small and wind-resistant. Needs to take up not too much extra room/weight on solo splitmo touring trips. Something like a BD Spotlight bivy with a little extra fly is what I've got in my mind. I think the attributes in order of priority are:

• Robust - but NOT full necessarily Artic expedition robust
• Wind resistant - see above but also preferably not a silhouette that catches the wind badly
• Compact - space is really at a premium
• Single solution rather than a tarp and bivy arrangement
• Space above my face rather than a mountaineering bivy sack - not desirable for multiple days!
• Light
• Freestanding - pulling the tent down when bagging lines for a day or two is undesirable and freestanding is easier to deal with on snow
• Good ventilation - I think this is unlikely to happen but who knows...
• Cheap! Of course I want it cheap - I just don't think I'll get it cheap along with the rest of the preferences.

Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this!

I've loved hiking for a while and want to make the jump into multi-day trips through varying terrain, temps, and weather. I served in the military for a few years, so I'm used to bivvying with a bivy bag, tarp, a shitty air mat, and a sleeping bag. I don't have any of that gear anymore.

I don't want to drop a ton of money right away, so my plan is to find what I can around the house and grab cheap stuff from Decathlon to figure out what actually works for me. At the same time, I do believe good gear, while pricier, often lasts longer, weighs less, and pays for itself in comfort and experience. So I'm trying to figure out where that extra cost is actually worth it. 

I want to go lightweight enough to make the trips enjoyable, but I also subscribe to the idea that broadening your shoulders will lighten your load more than shedding weight from your pack and cutting your toothbrush in half. Plus, lighter pack = more room for food and beer.

Current list / gaps:

Big 3 + pack:

• Tent: ?
• Sleeping bag: ?
• Sleeping mat: ?
• Pack: Osprey Atmos 50 (Vinted, ~100-150€)

Cooking:

• BRS-3000T or Pocket Rocket 2?
• Small gas canister + flip fuel valve (stays home)
• Spork, some kind of lightweight pan?, Bic lighter

Clothes (already have):

• Rain jacket: Patagonia Granite Crest
• Insulation: Patagonia Nano Puff
• Boots: Columbia hiking boots. Is it worth switching to lighter, more breathable trail shoes?
• Cotton seamless socks (held up fine so far) — are merino socks actually worth the upgrade?
• Synthetic shirts, fleece hoodie as midlayer
• Mammut hiking pants (love these, keeping them)

Misc:

• Headlamp, powerbank
• Sawyer Squeeze + flexible filter bag
• Bottle
• trekking poles

Questions:

Tents — everyone raves about Durston. Is it actually worth the price for a beginner, or more of an enthusiast/veteran-hiker thing?

Sleeping mats/bags — total mystery to me. Do I need both a foldable foam mat and an inflatable one, or is one enough? Also worth adding a separate floor protector for the mat?

Packs — how many liters do I actually need for multi-day trips (guessing 40-60L)? And where's the sweet spot between price, comfort, sustainability, and weight? Leaning toward the Osprey Atmos 50 — thoughts?

Trekking poles — necessary? Recommended for a beginner? I know I'd need them anyway for a trekking-pole-supported tent like the Durston, which honestly sounds efficient and appealing to me.

Sleeping bag vs. quilt —
Bag pros: fully sealed at the bottom (better insulation), hood/zipper blocks wind better, foolproof, seems better at very low temps.
Bag cons vs quilt: heavier/bulkier, bottom insulation is basically wasted since you compress it by lying on it, less freedom of movement if you turn/side-sleep, less ventilation in warm weather.
Quilt pros: no bottom insulation to carry, pairs nicely with a bivy for a very light sleep system.
Quilt cons: needs a better sleeping mat since it doesn't insulate the bottom at all, seems less foolproof (attaching it to the mat?), less forgiving in cold temps.
For starting out, which would you go with and why?

Tent vs. bivy + tarp —
Bivy pros: lighter, more compact, faster/more flexible on where you camp, lower profile (leave no trace), probably cheaper.
Bivy cons: no real space to sit up (bad in rough weather when you need to sort gear or cook), needs anchor points which is tricky above the treeline, my old military bivy was sturdy/waterproof but not very breathable, unsure how much a premium one improves that, and tarps give poor coverage when its raining sideways.
My guess: bivy + cowboy camping is great in good weather and honestly more of an experience, but miserable when it rains sideways. Looking at weight, price, flexibility, and overall experience. Which would you pick, and why?

Water system — I'm leaning toward a flexible bottle for filtering combined with a harder bottle (Nalgene or aluminium) for storage. A thermos feels too heavy/bulky to be worth it. I liked using a Camelbak in the military, but the pace doesn't need to be as fast anymore, and never knowing exactly how much water I have left was always annoying. Good approach, or is there something better?

If you've got any follow-up questions that'd help you give me better advice, feel free to ask, im happy to share more details. Thanks for reading and for any help, really appreciate it!

I'm 6'2". I have an old Ozark Trail Ultralight 1P tent that I've been using for ~10 years. It's been great, especially for the price, but it's always been too small for me. I'm looking for something that fits me better.

I'm open to trekking pole tents as I do use poles for hiking; however, probably 75% of the camping trips I do are bikepacking trips, so I'm not sure how practical it is to get a trekking pole tent if I also need to get and carry poles separately most of the time.

Looking to spend about $300.

Okay, folks. I am back seeking more sun shirt advice. I bought an OR echo in black on eBay. Yeah, I already regret the choice of black, but when these things come used online for a cheap price they get snatched up and I’d never tried one before so I impulsively bought it. It’s nice, but black is a horrible color for a sun hoodie. I also am not sure I am in love with the fabric. I like the trim fit, though. My issue is I don’t want to buy a hoodie based on pure technical specs alone like weight. I want something a least somewhat stylish for hiking but also for travel. The OR seems decent but looks pretty technical.

I really like the buttery softness and fit of a free fly bamboo hoodie, but it breathes poorly. I haven’t yet tried the “elevate lightweight” hoodie they now sell. I am guessing at 145g it’s not overly breathable.

Are there any nice, trim or form fitting men’s sun shirts (don’t care about upf as much but anything that might be over 20 work even if unadvertised) that you know that have that same sort of buttery soft feel, but aren’t overly shiny or overly technical looking, if that makes sense? The bamboo from free fly has this tshirt like quality to it. I don’t love the shiny technical look of many sun shirts.

I tried the bass pro shop ascend aerotrek and it was too big and too shiny. It was affordable, though. I’ve got a Ketl nofry on order. I just want a basic sun hoodie that feels like jersey sheets, but is breathable, light and wicks moisture. Again, cheap price is great and any Amazon knockoffs that might fit this bill are appreciated. Thanks.

How on earth has Sawyer not been able to find a way to keep that O-ring inside the Squeeze after all these years? The Squeeze has been my go-to since 2016 and it's the main fault it has, the other is the cap sucks. In recent years it's gotten worse, if you thread it on too tight the O-ring will not thread properly and you will get major leakage. I am pretty sure that's how I got sick last year on the AT, I remember filtering water into my Jetboil and there was some leakage from the screw-on point and dripped down the outside of the filter and into the Jetboil. It was only a couple drops so I was like "whatever," the very next day I'm going to the ER due to insane diarrhea and vomiting

Edit: everyone saying to carry extras is further proving the point. You shouldn't have to carry extras because Sawyer should've solved this problem years ago

Need a light tent, preferably sub 4lb that can still fit two larger pads or also one big pad. Need good vestibule or room at feet for two 60L packs. Any insight helps. I've heard Big Agnus copper spur ul2 xl is great, also thinking REI flash 3 for more size? Scared a 2p tent will be too crammed. Also any idea on REI flash 2?

Hey there, I am looking for an insulation layer to wear both for thruhiking but also in the city. I was thinking of purchasing an Arcteryx atom hoodie as it fits me well and seems to be great when I am biking around town. However I need a jacket that I can bring on thruhikes, mainly to keep me warm at camp, the Atom Hoodie seems to be designed for active use. Most down and synthetic puffer jackets I have looked at are either too heavy or not warm enough, the ones that are great are mostly out of my price range (max. 300€).

I would love some advice, or tips at what jackets I could have a look. And if someone has experience with the Atom hoodie.

The jacket must be purchasable in europe.

Looking for a new UL tent to join me on my Round the World Trip to go trekking through Central Asia (the Stan countries), Africa (Sahara region + Eastern region (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania etc) and Latin America, as well as home (Australia; Victoria + Tassie)

Considering between the following, but need some input on whether freestanding vs trekking pole tents are more suitable?

- Nemo Dragonfly 1p or 2p
- Durston X-Mid / Mid Pro 1p or 2p
- Durston Dome 1+

Anyone had any strong positive/negative experiences with those or the style of tent?
Thanks!

My trusted Big Agnes has started leaking. I love how comfortable it is and it’s the pad I’ve used the most. Primarily a side sleeper. However I had to wake up 4-5 times every night to blow it back up in the backcountry recently. It’s leaking on top in the recesses of the baffles. I found five leaks and tried to patch it but it’s still leaking. I’m gonna try to get it repaired with Big Agnes customer service… but I think I’ll retire it from the backcountry, don’t want it to fail on me again. I also have a Nemo tensor that I got for cheap on FB but I don’t find it very comfortable. Just wondering what you guys recommend, just know I’m a big dude so I need a wide pad. I’ve looked at the BA Rapide, the Exped ultra, and Nemo eclipse so far. I like the baffles the long way like that. The SLX was 792 grams so I’m willing to sacrifice weight for a more comfortable pad. Thank you!!

My Torso is 22" and I have broad shoulders. I'm looking at the Durston kakwa 40L for Alpine hut to hut .... but concerned about load lifter function. No way to try it locally.

Interesting - sounds like a great new cottage brand!

https://www.backpacker.com/gear/plastic-free-backpacking-kit/

Give me your two cents to help me decide if I should thru hike in the layers I already own, or upgrade to something different! I am not ultralight, my base weight is closer 13 lbs-ish; I honestly don't know exactly. That being said, I want to be as sustainable as possible in making purchasing decisions for thruhiking, AKA not buy stuff I don't need. Would you bring these layers (+ a puffy coat) or is it worth the upgrades I listed? Tell me your thoughts!

• What I own: mtn hardware summit grid hooded fleece
  • Potential alternative: an alpha 90 fleece (senchi or sambob maybe)
• What I own: outdoor research Aspire II gore-tex rain jacket
  • Potential alternative: Montbell versalite

My reasons for potentially upgrading: lighter weight, better packability and materials, the fact that clothes get very worn on long thru hikes and so in that light it makes sense to get new things because they live their life on trail (or in other words, you still have some nice clothes waiting for you upon returning home!)

Reasons I would maybe not upgrade: sustainability, using what I already have, saving money!

Looking at buying my first top quilt for backcountry. Found a used-like new Hammock Gear Burrow premium for sale. It’s a 30 degree, 950fp, with 2oz overfill, for $250.
For those of you with the experience, how cold would you take this down to? I know the general rule is 10 degrees above the temp rating, but I’ve been reading that Hammock gear is more comfort rating instead of a limit rating. Also does the overfill make that much of a difference? Thanks!!
P.S. I’ll have a properly rated sleeping pad.

Looking to get a McHale pack made. Does Dan still make packs? If so what's the best way to contact him?

Deciding between the OR Ferrosi shorts and the Patagonia strider 5”.

I’d love the Patagonia‘s but I’m concerned for durability as most of my hikes have the occasional bush bash and rock scramble. Do they hold up?

I’m leaning more towards the Ferrosi’s atm given the durability. But the striders seem so comfortable and light!

Maybe something in between these?

Thanks :)

https://lighterpack.com/r/rele3n

a 40L bag ends up being quite a tight squeeze when you have to fit roughly 8 days worth of food in it, so anything i can get rid of would be great. not to mention would end up quite a bit heavier with water to last 36hrs in some parts in the heat

i wont be bringing any study notes on my next trip (Skye Trail, UK). i think i could reduce my first aid baggie a bit too, if anyone has recommendations for refining first aid.

i could cut down on undies and toiletries tbh, if anyone also has suggestions for UL toiletries!

thanks people!

Made a short video going over first impressions of the Senchi TurboSheep half-zip in size Medium and Large, since I ordered both. I live in Europe so returns are tricky, so I hope this can help people trying to decide between sizes and avoid returns. Briefly covers how the merino wool and recycled poly blend actually feels and some sizing notes since Senchi's unisex sizing can be hard to judge from product photos alone.

Not affiliated with Senchi, just sharing in case it helps anyone deciding on a size or wondering if it's worth the price. Video linked below/in comments.

Edit to add First Impression: Fabric seems more dense than the synthetic Senchi, so airflow might be a bit reduced compared to the synthetic. Overall, fabrics is soft and comfortable. Very warm and cozy. Zipper is smooth and allows quick venting. Sizing seems to be true to size for European standards.

I have a Six Moon Designs Deschutes Plus and noticed my 7’x3’ groundsheet doesn’t actually cover all of the exposed ground (it covers the backside and a little of the sides, but has a decent amount of exposed ground around the front pole area of the shelter). I know with other shelters like the Meadowphysics Abode your groundsheet covers the ground and slightly overlaps the bug net skirt all around. I’m just wondering if this is something I should do with the Deschutes Plus? Would it aid in keeping crawlers out more or not make much of a difference? Just curious what other Deschutes Plus or similar shelter owners do?