HMG Echo II Tarp

The perfect AT section hike shelter

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Echo II Tarp is my shelter of choice on nearly all of my Appalachian Trail section hikes.  Why?

When I section hike the AT, I’m usually planning to stay at the shelters.   I LIKE the shelters- they’re pretty weatherproof, they have flat floors, they often have picnic tables to make cooking easier, and especially I like the social component.  I enjoy meeting my fellow hikers and sharing trail stories.  I like the shelters even in spite of mice, snorers, and the occasional Flatulent Freddie.

Now, when you’re hiking the AT and planning to overnight in the shelters, you still have to carry a backup shelter of your own.  You might not make your destination, or you might arrive to a full shelter, or maybe some nasty weather forces you to seek shelter in the middle of the woods.  You’re a fool if you don’t carry something, but at the same time, I certainly don’t want to lug around a 2+ lb. tent for a week that might only get used once.

With that in mind, the Echo II tarp is perfect FOR ME.  It weighs a mere 9 oz., uses the trekking poles I’m already carrying, and can accomodate a hiking partner if necessary.  I also carry the 3.8 oz. cuben groundcloth to go with it, plus 2 odd ounces of stakes, so the total package is just under a pound.  That saves me just OVER a pound in weight over most 1-person ultralight tents.

I’ve ended up using it on over half of my section hikes so far.  Here it is in action in Georgia:

With proper site selection and shelter orientation, wind-driven rain has never been a problem for me.  And because I’m usually hiking in the winter or shoulder seasons, bugs aren’t either.  If I anticipate bug pressure during a warm weather hike, I’ll ditch the groundcloth for a lightweight bivy at about a 5 oz. penalty.  I will also use the bivy in deep winter if it’s windy, as it prevent drafts (I use a Katabatic Sawatch 15 degree quilt in winter) and adds a little bit of extra warmth.

The tarp, groundcloth and stakes also take up much less room in my pack than a tent.  In addition, I use the groundcloth in shelters to protect my sleeping pad against splinters.

Tarping isn’t for everyone, but then again I’m not Joe Super Hiker either.  Tarping is a mindset.  It’s hard for some people to give up the walls of their tent, but you don’t need them in most circumstances.

Also, if the weather report looks rain-free for a week, the tarp + bivy combo gives you an option to cowboy camp in the bivy, knowing that if unexpected rain showed up you could just move back under your tarp and stay dry.

I’m not quite to the point where I’m willing to use a tarp for a week on trails without shelters, but I may get there.

Anyway, I encourage any fellow AT section hikers to try a tarp.  It’s an easy way to drop at least a pound from your base weight, and when you actually use it I think you’ll enjoy it.

The HMG Echo II tarp is currently $325 and can be found HERE.  It is extremely well made, easy to pitch, and durable.