D2 I lived @ 8500ft on the headwaters of the Pecos River in NWNewMexicofrom Aug 86 too May 87 (snow covered the ground from second week of Oct too 1st week of May!) and we hiked and camped nearly every weekend, sometimes above timberline. I HATE tents, I don't know what I hate the most, carrying them on a backpack or just having to jack with the damned things in the first place. If the weather was nice, my FAVORITE "camping arrangement" was sleeping in God's grandeur atop a saddle blanket with only longhandles and a mummybag needed for warmth. Waking up at night with a fullmoon and stars shining in your face is something you just gotta see to understand!!!
So anyway,I had an idea and tried it once. I took a rainfly from a tent that wasn't being used and decided to try it for a weekend. It rained everynight as well so my "plan" was put too the test. As everyone else was pitching tents and settin camp I found a pine/fur tree with low limbs (about 2' off the ground) and rigged the rainfly up on the lowest limb. Basically it was just a little bigger than the surface area my mummybag took up. I "mound up" a pile of pine needles (about2'x6')and laid my foam pad over them (another thing I hated packing) and put my down bag over that.
I was awaken about midnight by thunder and steady rain. I checked everything and to my amazement even the ground around me (under the rainfly) was dry. I went back too sleep. I awoke shortly after daylight and it was still raining. I (as well as the ground under me and my equipment) were bone dry! My plan worked. And after seeing my success several others did as such from then on out.
The rainflies were from 2-3 men dome tents. I would think a 4x8 or 6x8 tarp (or even a simple sheet of plastic) would do the same thing and is MUCH easier to carry than a freakin tent. The only thing I have wondered about was the "mummy tents". Seems they would serve the same purpose but would be better in strong winds which would help insulation in thecoldest of climatesand wouldn't require low branches or external support/framing. I've seen the rolled up into much smaller sacks than traditional tents and they weigh nothing!
Good luck,
RA