That was when I switched from a tarp to a tent, too, OM. The first solo tent I had, the Hubba, weighed about the same as the 8x10 silnylon tarp, stakes, and Integral Designs Salathe bivy sack I had been using.

The tent was just simpler to use. The connected and tensioned frame also handled wind better than a hiking pole at each end. It also required fewer stakes, and the mesh netting gave me the option of looking at the stars on a clear night. And, when it rained, I didn't have mist blowing in the ends or under the sides. (That was why I used a fairly stormproof bivy.)

I'm sure there are lighter bivies now - but there are also lighter solo tents, so even today I can find a tent that would weigh the same as the tarp-and-bivy rig.

Tarps, with a bivy or groundsheet and bug net, remain viable options, and I still have a bit of nostalgia for mine - but not enough to go back to it. A tent with lots of mesh just works better, for me, where I hike and camp.