Mal Grey wrote:Tarping is fun as you can get shelter whilst still feeling "outside", though you don't save as much weight as you might think by the time you've got lots of pegs and guylines involved, and you will need them. Trekking poles are great to use with tarps too.
I'd heartily second this. Any weight saving is minimal. The point of a tarp/bivvy set up is that when the weather's decent and you're not worried about midges, it's simply better. Less faff getting in and out through your inner and outer tent doors, better views, more space, more versatility, no worries about getting mud from your boots all over the tent floor.
Weight's not a consideration when I'm deciding to take tent or tarp, it's all about wind, rain and midges. Sometimes, you want cocooned.
I've got the Alptkit Rig 7 - does the job nicely, but have never tried any others.