Tarps: what size

Got the same problem use a terra Nova Photon, 2 person weighs 950 gms. (Had the TN Laser competition 1 @ 750gms, but wanted more room for myself) For extended trips, I was an area bigger than the existing tent vestibule. (change clothes in, cook in etc) also help when weather gets really bad Got a Silcon fly from here http://bivy-fly-estore24-7.co.nz/waterproof-fly-tent-camping-fly.php 425gms, cost $90.00 2*3metres wont cover whole tent, but trying figure how to pitch it in way that provides shelter from wind/rain, can be accessed, and minimum of poles/branches needed to pitch it find that if too flat over the tent, wind gusts can flatten the tent all up weight with both is still only 1400 gms or so entry is at the front

Sounds like a good plan madpom. Nothing beats trialing different options if it's viable. Looking forward to reading about your results.

that bivy sounds similar to a Rab Ridge Raider, Outdoor Research bivy's have a hoop in them and are similar.

I bought a cheap tarp from the red store known for ethnically profiled bag checking, and had a play with some pitches whilst up the E Matukituki this week. Can't say I tried out the 'outdoor space' it offered for very long, but the 2bn sandflies seemed to appreciate it. In the end I decided that 8'x10' was the size for me. This gives me two good options (and may others I haven't tried). These are based on the 'bombshetler' as described in the links above (basically a single rope tied high at head end, grounded at the foot end acting as a descending ridgeline down the centre of the tarp, all four corners of the tarp pegged down). 1) Pitch the 'bombshetler' as described above off-centred over my tent inner giving an airy breathable pitch with moderate outdoor space outside the door - great on stinking hot days like this week as the tent fly is not required making it really breathable. 2) Pitch a 'bombshelter on the diagonal' - the same as described above but with the tarp diagonally over the rope with one corner tied high on the rope and all the other three grounded. Pitching this with the long open side parallel to the tent and overlapping the tent door gives me a huge vestibule with plenty of space, but requiring the tent fly to cover the tent. So I've gone and ordered this: https://www.amazon.com/Sanctuary-SilTarp-Ultralight-Waterproof-Backpacking/dp/B01E6454HO for NZ$114 plus whatever NZ Post's YouShop stings me for the freight forwarding from the states to NZ. Will post back on how it goes, and hopefully some pics. First big trip planned for it is over to the coast via Maori Saddle. More sandflies - can't wait.

That's nearly a pound for the tarp so around 450 g, pretty good.

Well worth exploring the idea and I'll be keen to know how well it works in action. Will you take the bag (inner and outer) and the tarp on each trip - to give you the flexibility - or just bag inner and tarp? Looking forward to the pics - I don't follow how you get the tarp higher than the 700mm bag (which seems a bit low to sit under!) ..... and, if it's attached to the bivvy bag, I would think high wind would be a problem (particularly a direction change) - the pitch in the Youtube link would be a funnel if the wind swung around. You mentioned the other 'issue' - sandflies. Not a lot of shelter provided by a tarp :( BTW, you're up to 1.55kg for the lot which is about equal to a good lightweight 1P 4-season tent (although certainly without the cost!).

Charlie Douglas had a batwing set up so there was a high pitch to the front of his tent so he could have a fire. Of course the tents were canvas and sodden a lot of the time. A contributer this site (Matthias), sussed out the bomb shelter pitch independently and used that light garden-grade black polyethylene as a tarp as if it got a bit fried by a fire, it didn't matter cost-wise. Good point about the hazard of a change of wind direction. Sometimes it can be mitigated by knowing which orientation the wind will flow in e.g. if you're pitched in a valley, you could pitch cross-wise to the wind if it's forecasted to change. The forecasts are pretty good these days. The diurnal (inaccurately described as katabatic) wind can flow down the valley in the evening as the air is denser with cooling and that may need to be considered.

Good idea. I once packed my army hoochie http://www.armyandoutdoors.co.nz/collections/tents-bashas/products/woodland-camouflage-basha on a trip where we already had a tent. My friend told me off for bringing it, however it rained the whole time so I strung it up for extra shelter over the tent entrance and as a cooking and general living area. Totally worth bringing, we would have been miserable without it. I note the one I linked is three times the weight of the tarps you are looking at.