Choosing a tarp over a tent

A tarp is lighter, dries faster and lets me sleep looking at the sky. It is also a commitment to reading the weather honestly, because there is no inner tent to hide in when you get it wrong.

The skill is in the pitch: low and tight in wind, higher and open on a still night, always with a thought for where water will run if it rains. A groundsheet and a decent bivvy bag cover the gaps.

On the right night it is the best shelter I own. On the wrong night I am glad the tent still exists.