Camping Tarps

[Zack]

I've been interested in natural shelters for camping and "bushcrafting" lately, but building one isn't always practical or possible. So, when a situation like that occurs, where you have to use a tarp rather than a natural shelter or tent, what do you use? I use hardware store tarps frequently, but I'm looking to upgrade. Recommendations?

[kyratshooter]

It all depends on the kind of camping you do, how big the shelter you need is, how much weight you are willing to carry and how much money you have.

I do not backpack any more and the Golden Horde is not coming to Kentucky, so I am no longer with the light weight/high cost tarp crowd. If you are going that way one can actually buy a light weight tent cheaper than a light weight tarp.

I suppose I have used them all. Poly tarps, silk/nylon, home treated canvas, cotton and broadcloth, factory treated oilskins and very expensive commercial made canvas tarps and flys. I even spent a very pleasant weekend under a salvaged shower curtain one time. It was a very high quality vinyl treated fabric in an off-white color and the folks at Fort DeChartes never realized I was polluting the sanctity of their historic site.

I have also spent many nights under a military poncho rigged as a shelter. It used to be one of the favorites around the forum.

Just keep in mind that the common poly tarp is a lot of tarp for the money. We had a tornado here 3 years ago and there are houses that still have those original tarps on their roofs they put on when they lost their shingles.

I keep a half dozen of them around in the vehicles due to the coupons from Harbor Freight where I can get the 7x9 size either free or for $2.99. I use them for ground cloths, something to lay on when I am working under the car, for emergency shelters or in case I need to dispose of something big and bulky that needs to be well wrapped. I can do anything from build an Alaska pack or raft to making a shelter with $3 worth of tarp. Patch it with duct tape as long as needed and throw it away when I am finished without a regret.

[Zack]

It all depends on the kind of camping you do, how big the shelter you need is, how much weight you are willing to carry and how much money you have.

I do not backpack any more and the Golden Horde is not coming to Kentucky, so I am no longer with the light weight/high cost tarp crowd. If you are going that way one can actually buy a light weight tent cheaper than a light weight tarp.

I suppose I have used them all. Poly tarps, silk/nylon, home treated canvas, cotton and broadcloth, factory treated oilskins and very expensive commercial made canvas tarps and flys. I even spent a very pleasant weekend under a salvaged shower curtain one time. It was a very high quality vinyl treated fabric in an off-white color and the folks at Fort DeChartes never realized I was polluting the sanctity of their historic site.

I have also spent many nights under a military poncho rigged as a shelter. It used to be one of the favorites around the forum.

Just keep in mind that the common poly tarp is a lot of tarp for the money. We had a tornado here 3 years ago and there are houses that still have those original tarps on their roofs they put on when they lost their shingles.

I keep a half dozen of them around in the vehicles due to the coupons from Harbor Freight where I can get the 7x9 size either free or for $2.99. I use them for ground cloths, something to lay on when I am working under the car, for emergency shelters or in case I need to dispose of something big and bulky that needs to be well wrapped. I can do anything from build an Alaska pack or raft to making a shelter with $3 worth of tarp. Patch it with duct tape as long as needed and throw it away when I am finished without a regret.

I've got a couple of those $2 HFT tarps as well. I also have a couple $0.99 tarps from Ollie's that I keep in various places (hunting bag for emergency repairs on blind or stand, hiking day bag, loaner equipment, etc.).

[madmax]

Rendevous tarp (treated Lowes tarp)

002-37_zps68cb7510.jpg

5'X7" natural insulation bed shelter.

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WNC Camp

http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a...xx3/003-18.jpg

Another WNC camp in hot weather.

http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a...axx3/010-7.jpg

Tarp fail

http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a...axx3/005-3.jpg

[Rick]

I have tarps as well and I like them but use them most often as additional cover over a tent. Look at something like the Eureka Solitaire. It's lightweight and keeps the skeeters and no seeums at bay. I have the Solitaire and it has plenty of room in it.

Here's my Solitaire next to my pack so you can see the size.

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Here's my two man tent set up with a tarp. Rain was in the forecast. This gave me more dry area and let me get out of the tent when it rained.

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But tarps are versatile. You can choose a lot of different configurations.

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[Enigma]

An 80 cent large plastic paint drip sheet will do a great job for a night at keeping the rain at bay. However, I'd recommend investing in something that will last you 20 years, so you can count each evening you use it, as an 80 cent night. So an $80 tarp, will be 100 nights rained out or hit by the crappy dew point.
A good investment if you spend a lot of nights under a tarp. I use a 10 foot x10 foot BCUSA tarp, I was given, but before that (and sometimes I still combine the two) a Vietnam era Aussie Army Hootchie, circa 1968. (still does a great job, albeit, on the small side compared to modern ultralight weight tarps).
My Bro uses some super lightweight rectangular tarp, with individual pockets for the guy lines, and it works quite well. Dunno the company who makes it, it it's a great idea.

[hunter63]

Haven't really been into carrying a camp on my back.......for some time.
Do have a dome tent carry camp....been around since they came out or at least when I found them....and used several different tarps......
Mostly use the HF brown, for cover/awning....visqueen ground cover (small).

The big camps over the years have been a 10X10 Baker Lean-to, lone pole Tipi, 16 ft. tipi .....12 X13' wall tent, and a 10 x 10' wall tent that I'm using now......and a LOT of extra canvas fly's.
Over the years I have purchased camps for friends that have gotten out of mountain man re-enactment camping and hunting camping.
Change the name for the tent for "Lodge" to Outfitters tent.....same thing.

In those purchases was a 13X 13 Baker Lean-to with awning and floor.....
A guy had set the corner of his lodge on fire (hard to do on fire retardant canvas), but had gotten discouraged, was quitting the camping part.........so bought every thing for pennies on a dollar.....Giving me a LOT of tarps (called flys), throws (wood pile), bags for stakes, poles, tents and just bags of all sizes.
One of the best deals I ever made.

As I store and keep dry, all this canvas had been around for 25 plus years, still as water proof and looking good as it was new.

If you are gonna carry it, use a lot..... a more expensive and better made tarp is worth the money......I have a small BSUSA tarp rolled up on the bottom of the big "Go Bag" as well a GI poncho rolled up on the top.

BTW, Good canvas doesn't need water proofing....it just shrinks and locks the threads.
I have never water proofed any canvas except on a old pop up camper in 35 years.

You get what you pay for.........

BTW2 Harbor Freight painted drop clothes are just that.......they will not keep you dry no matter how much goop, Kerosene/bees wax, silicone, or old Chickasaw magic water proofing formula......You use.
Go ahead a try it.....LOL....You CAN make the same mistakes I made.......LOL
It's not cheaper and stinks......Just saying....

[kyratshooter]

Problem with the HF canvas drop cloths is that they are 8oz canvas and the weave is not tight enough to stop rain from turning into a vapor when it hits the cloth and shooting a heavy mist through the fabric and inside the tent, and it happens no matter how much "goop" you put on them just like Hunter said. It is one of the reasons that many people will tell you that various waterproofing agents will not work, they are using open weave canvas

I have set inside a well made, well treated painters tarp tent and watched the process in broad daylight and know exactly what happens.

If you use the 12oz canvas and wash it in hot water before you treat it the water will bead up and roll off just like a commercial canvas tent. However, the tarp will weigh 1/3 more. A 6x9 12oz trap would close in on 4.5 pounds.

I love my reenactment tarps but they were never intended to be carried as backpacking gear. They were more suited as gear covers for packhorse, canoe or boat.

Our pioneer forefathers were no more interested in tromping around on foot carrying heavy gear than we are. There is an old saying that a Virginia pioneer would chase a horse for a mile so he could ride a hundred yards.

It is only the "21st Century Longhunter" that worries about the weight of the tarp. The original ones came into the forest in groups of 25 men with pack strings of 200 horses. Some even floated down the rivers in 20 foot boats. They had all the oilcloth they needed.

[randyt]

I use a cheap poly tarp, just can't bring myself to pay the money for a fancy tarp. In addition I'm hard on gear in fact if the manufacturers knew about me they would send me gear to test. If it's still good when I got done with it it's tough stuff....LOL

[finallyME]

All the tarps I have used have been homemade. I sew me up some ripstop nylon. Sometimes the nylon was not waterproofed, so I siliconized it myself, and sometimes all I needed to do was siliconize the seams. I just bought some more fabric to make another tarp. This one is silpoly. The "poly" part is polyester, not to be confused with polyethylene. Generally, the big plastic blue tarps are woven polyethylene. A silnylon or silpoly tarp will pack a lot smaller, weight a lot less, cost more, and last longer. There are lots of companies that make them, but the cheapest is probably the campmor ones. It is hard to buy the material cheaper than those tarps. Of course, buying the material and sewing it yourself is fun as well. Then you get the color and size and style you want.

[RangerXanatos]

I've used this tarp many times and have been pleased with it.
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A bit expensive at over $100 for this particular one. I did have a failure with it as well but just tied the corner into a knot and continued using it. As you can see, it was the tarp itself that tore, not the stitching of the tab.
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But after how the owner of the store to purchase this tarp has treated others, I have to recommend other places as well. Many seem to like the Etowah Outfitters tarps, and I I've heard that the above tarp was made by them to the owners specs.

And though I haven't used it yet, I bought three of the Guide Gear tarps from Sportsmans Guide and they seem to be decently made. I just wish they had a different tab layout. And you never know when they will have them back in stock. http://www.sportsmansguide.com/produ...reen?a=1148204

[crashdive123]

I like my Grand Trunk Funky Forest tarp (pictured here with my hammock setup).

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[Antonyraison]

I too use an ex-military grade Tarp and or a military puncho for shelter :
2 Tarps lashed together for a large group.