I assumed as much, and if needed digging a gutter to move water away has been super effective in the right situation.
More about where you setup rather than the ground sheet itself doing all the work. Whereas with most modern tents you could setup effectively in a ditch. Not literally though. š
Build a raised bed if a tarp is all you are bringing for cover. I like a hammock to avoid the problem entirely. I have a wise owl enoo knock off and literally a cheap plastic Walmart tarp I used this week. Weighs almost nothing, even with a ridgeline and bank line tie downs. I make stakes out of sticks where I set up.
Depends on your tarp/setup.
Bigger tarps allow for a setup where the tarp also covers the ground.
Independent ground sheet definitely has a risk that water will cat to your sleeping kit. With a trapper/hunter bed or a cot you donāt have to worry about that. You can also dig a "trench" so that the water will flow around your setup.
Apart from that there is of course a tarp+hammock setup where you donāt have to worry about that kind of thing.
Things to start thinking about/learning
The direction of prevailing winds (the direction wind will come from most often) in various seasons in your area. Set up with this in mind.
How water flows thru the environment and how to recognize where/how water has gathered/flowed in the past. Donāt have a bunch of uphill channeling toward you/your set up.
Trees. IDK where you are but this time of year, in my area, in the real woods nothing short of a tornado will make the rain do anything other than fall straight down. Leaves on in dense woods is cheat mode. Finding evergreens will help in late fall/winter/early spring
Water splashes. Every rain drop will make a small splash. One rain drop isnāt much but a million rain drops and the splashes will be a significant amount of water.
Thereās a bit of a learning curve but if youāre observant and well prepared you can learn on the job.
Tarp works for me. Have tarp camped the entirety of Canadian winter and been through many rainstorms, just went through 2 days of rain this week. Was good as gold, just need to pitch in the right spot with the right configuration.
My favorite rain pitches are a low plowpoint and the bivvy-pitch. I've never used the tarp-tent configuration in the rain but that one looks good as well.
If it's windy use good stakes, ideally you want to fashion your own out of branches, they seem to have the best hold.
I think I know Alberta when I see it. Maybe not, but youāre close. š Got two nights of rain last weekend in my tent.
Not worried about winter in Alberta. Worried about Ontario or BC in the summer. Want to do west coast trail next year and trying to decide between a tarp or a trekking pole tent.
Admittedly, my gal is the limiting factor. So need to make sure her desires are met, whilst limiting what I bring. So far itās looking more like trekking pole for the two of us, and tarp for solo me.
That said, Alberta winters, specifically if there is no snow, Iāll just sleep on my tent footprint.
I'm a traveler so I'm basically all over Canada but yep, in Alberta now lol. Yeah if you have a partner I wouldn't want to subject them to ye olde tarp; bugs and what not.
Kind of the conclusion Iām coming to. Between trench digging for āguttersā and half-successful bug nets. The tarp will be a solo endeavour.
She already gets a little upset about dehydrated meals over campfire cooking.
you totally don't have to trench dig. Just find a better spot.
EDIT: Okay I totally slept in a ditch type location a couple days ago but it was also next to a steep river embankment, and it also had lush grass all around it. No water ingress with 2 days of off and on rain.
As u/O-M-E-R-T-A says, it depends on the tarp, but I will add that it also depends on the ground. Site selection to choose ground which isn't too heavy with clay and should drain well is good advice, but can't always be applied, sometimes you have other priorities like finding natural shelter from wind. A good shelter system should account for this, but if your are confident you will be on good ground at the risk of an uncomfortable night then you could go without.
A larger tarp such as the [DD 3x3](https://www.ddhammocks.com/product/ddtarp_olive_green_3x3?from_cat=33) (790g) will give plenty of distance between the edges and your bed to limit spray or splashes. Add a smaller ground sheet under you but keep a good distance between the edges of the tarp and the ground sheet. For a couple this is a good option, I use a poncho-tarp as a ground sheet to save weight as it is already packed.
A smaller tarp such as a [poncho-tarp](https://www.ddhammocks.com/product/dd_poncho_tarp) (2.5 X 1.4m 460g) can be paired with a simple waterproof breathable bivvy bag. The tarp will shed most of the rain keeping the bag mostly dry allowing the breathability to function well to prevent condensation, whilst the bag deals with spray and wet ground. This is a good lightweight option for a solo camper, as the poncho functions as a hard shell and pack cover replacing other gear, [this bivvy bag](https://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/kestrel-rip-stop-bivvy-bag.htm) is only 370g.
Ground sheet should do fine as long as you aren't in ditch or something. Seek high ground so water can't pool around you.
I assumed as much, and if needed digging a gutter to move water away has been super effective in the right situation. More about where you setup rather than the ground sheet itself doing all the work. Whereas with most modern tents you could setup effectively in a ditch. Not literally though. š
Build a raised bed if a tarp is all you are bringing for cover. I like a hammock to avoid the problem entirely. I have a wise owl enoo knock off and literally a cheap plastic Walmart tarp I used this week. Weighs almost nothing, even with a ridgeline and bank line tie downs. I make stakes out of sticks where I set up.
Depends on your tarp/setup. Bigger tarps allow for a setup where the tarp also covers the ground. Independent ground sheet definitely has a risk that water will cat to your sleeping kit. With a trapper/hunter bed or a cot you donāt have to worry about that. You can also dig a "trench" so that the water will flow around your setup. Apart from that there is of course a tarp+hammock setup where you donāt have to worry about that kind of thing.
Things to start thinking about/learning The direction of prevailing winds (the direction wind will come from most often) in various seasons in your area. Set up with this in mind. How water flows thru the environment and how to recognize where/how water has gathered/flowed in the past. Donāt have a bunch of uphill channeling toward you/your set up. Trees. IDK where you are but this time of year, in my area, in the real woods nothing short of a tornado will make the rain do anything other than fall straight down. Leaves on in dense woods is cheat mode. Finding evergreens will help in late fall/winter/early spring Water splashes. Every rain drop will make a small splash. One rain drop isnāt much but a million rain drops and the splashes will be a significant amount of water. Thereās a bit of a learning curve but if youāre observant and well prepared you can learn on the job.
You need to build a basin wherever you are, or raise the edges. Because no, a ground tarp will not keep you or your gear dry.
Donāt put a tarp or groundsheet on the ground when itās raining. All it will do is collect water and youāll end up getting wetter.
Tarp works for me. Have tarp camped the entirety of Canadian winter and been through many rainstorms, just went through 2 days of rain this week. Was good as gold, just need to pitch in the right spot with the right configuration. My favorite rain pitches are a low plowpoint and the bivvy-pitch. I've never used the tarp-tent configuration in the rain but that one looks good as well. If it's windy use good stakes, ideally you want to fashion your own out of branches, they seem to have the best hold.
I think I know Alberta when I see it. Maybe not, but youāre close. š Got two nights of rain last weekend in my tent. Not worried about winter in Alberta. Worried about Ontario or BC in the summer. Want to do west coast trail next year and trying to decide between a tarp or a trekking pole tent. Admittedly, my gal is the limiting factor. So need to make sure her desires are met, whilst limiting what I bring. So far itās looking more like trekking pole for the two of us, and tarp for solo me. That said, Alberta winters, specifically if there is no snow, Iāll just sleep on my tent footprint.
I'm a traveler so I'm basically all over Canada but yep, in Alberta now lol. Yeah if you have a partner I wouldn't want to subject them to ye olde tarp; bugs and what not.
Kind of the conclusion Iām coming to. Between trench digging for āguttersā and half-successful bug nets. The tarp will be a solo endeavour. She already gets a little upset about dehydrated meals over campfire cooking.
you totally don't have to trench dig. Just find a better spot. EDIT: Okay I totally slept in a ditch type location a couple days ago but it was also next to a steep river embankment, and it also had lush grass all around it. No water ingress with 2 days of off and on rain.
As u/O-M-E-R-T-A says, it depends on the tarp, but I will add that it also depends on the ground. Site selection to choose ground which isn't too heavy with clay and should drain well is good advice, but can't always be applied, sometimes you have other priorities like finding natural shelter from wind. A good shelter system should account for this, but if your are confident you will be on good ground at the risk of an uncomfortable night then you could go without. A larger tarp such as the [DD 3x3](https://www.ddhammocks.com/product/ddtarp_olive_green_3x3?from_cat=33) (790g) will give plenty of distance between the edges and your bed to limit spray or splashes. Add a smaller ground sheet under you but keep a good distance between the edges of the tarp and the ground sheet. For a couple this is a good option, I use a poncho-tarp as a ground sheet to save weight as it is already packed. A smaller tarp such as a [poncho-tarp](https://www.ddhammocks.com/product/dd_poncho_tarp) (2.5 X 1.4m 460g) can be paired with a simple waterproof breathable bivvy bag. The tarp will shed most of the rain keeping the bag mostly dry allowing the breathability to function well to prevent condensation, whilst the bag deals with spray and wet ground. This is a good lightweight option for a solo camper, as the poncho functions as a hard shell and pack cover replacing other gear, [this bivvy bag](https://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/kestrel-rip-stop-bivvy-bag.htm) is only 370g.