Glyn,
Quite a few people have asked the same question!
We’re both using the little UST Base Tarp.
This is only a small tarp (fits in your pocket) and is unusual in that it’s a diamond shaper rather than the more traditional square. It means it can only really be pitched in a diamond fly format but sometimes as a lean-to.
Diamond Fly (single support)
Lean-to (with 2 walking poles)
While it’s not as versatile as a larger square tarp, with multiple attachment points, it does the job for activations. With 6 titanium pegs it weighs in at 250g. I wouldn’t have survived any length of time without it on 001 or 005 unless I used my bothy bag (which is heavier and less convenient and weighs 350g). It pitches in less than a minute, in fact it takes longer to put away than pitch!
Normally pitched using one of my walking poles which I normally always carry.
I like the Tarp because, as long as the visibility is good, you are still sitting outside and have view of the place you’ve made an effort to visit. I also find you tend to get tangled up in a bothy bag and you get a cold back as you are not isolated from the side of the windbreak. They both have their uses however.
I intend to do a real time pitching video to show just how easy it is to deploy. Maybe next week, wx permitting.
I bought mine through Amazon although there are other sellers.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Survival.../dp/B009A2JVFO
UST make several other tarps like the tube and hex which may be better in some cases (and of course there are many other tarps of all sizes available)
Here’s a few seconds of video, both inside and outside the shelter of the tarp.
Audio is raw undoctored from the camera so you can appreciate the calmness out of the wind, in comparison to outside in the wild.
73