I know a lot of people use the SpinnTwinn out west on the PCT. Anyone have experience using this tarp on the AT? A little concerned about the pitching options due to the size (it's huge) on the AT.

Darin,

I've only been out a few times with my SpinnTwinn (it was a christmas gift this past year) on the AT and agree it is sometimes a challenge to find the right spot to set it up.

With a little extra time spent on site selection you can find a good spot.

I have no idea what your experience with tarps is like, but remember, you can set them up OVER vegetation and small trees - one advantage that i really like about tarping.

If i'm in a really tight spot, i'll simply increase the height of my pitch to draw in the wingspan and enjoy the extra headroom. I use a bivy anyway, so unless I have someone else with me, I'm never too concerned about the tarp not being able to cover me or my gear.

Other solutions i've found is to use the trees around as tie off points for the tarp and create a lean-to or some new fun setup i've not thought of before.

I think the variations of setup is why i'm obsessed with tarping. It's so fun to see what you can do with it.

Best of luck!

- Dana

If you're talking specifically the AT, then it isn't a very big problem because there are shelters and stops every so often which are plenty flat, spacious, and accommodating. In these cases, I’d only worry about lack of ground duff for comfort and insulation. Now if you wander off trail, it may be a problem because there aren't as many spots which are as accommodating (for me this usually means the ground is either pitched or rocky).

thank you. I'm going to try the SpinnTwinn/bivy combo on some AT section hikes this year.

James,

Touche. I was just thinking about the trail in general due to the dense trees. You're correct, for longer periods I would encourage shelter utilization when available.

- Dana

How did this work out? I am considering moving from a tent (Big Agnes SL1) to a MLD Serenity Shelter (probably modified to be bigger) and tarp. I have been going back and forth between Sil and Spinnex as well as GG and MLD. I have also worried that the Spintwinn and the Grace Duo might be too big for the southeast's camp sites but also want full coverage for myself and gear. It would be great to hear from someone who has used this set up in the humid wet southeast (I usually hike the southern half of the AT and other trails in the area including the Smokies where we can get 100" of rain per year.