Tarps

[Goose]

I've been putting together a pack for doing a three days to a week hiking/camping trip. I've got most of the essentials covered (fire, water, knife...) but was wondering about a good tarp for under $50.

I've seen some folks have used plastic sheeting (visqueen). Have any of ya'll used them and what was your experience like? I figure for a starter and week long trip, it might be a good value...

Thanks,
Goose

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[crashdive123]

I just picked up a Kelty 12 x 12 and absolutely love it. The smaller one they sell fits into your price range.

[natertot]

Hi Goose! Welcome aboard here.

I Have used a tarp a handful of times, the longest trip was a five nighter. The silnylon ones are nice from what I can tell, but I have never personally used one. I have always used the regular kind of hardware tarps. They are cheap and at the end of the trip, I just toss it. They work just fine. Only drawback that I see compared to silnylons is that they don't store as compact and they are a little more noisy. However, I am a budget oriented person and $10 is a lot better than $60 in my world.

I typically go with a brown or camo pattern so as not to stick out in the woods. Lowe's, Home Depot, Harbor Freight, Rural King and Sportsman's Guide are all great places to acquire them. Harbor Freight also sells grommet kits for less than $10 allowing you to place additional grommets wherever you like. I usually place some in the middle of the sides which tarp companies never do for some reason. I find that pretty helpful.

You Tube has some great videos for tarp configurations. A google search can also provide some great results. If you use the search feature on this forum, you will find quite a few too. I spent a day in the back yard trying different things with good results and learned a lot. Also with a tarp, I use 550 cord, a half dozen 6" aluminum tent stakes, and a half dozen guy line adjusters. These are the specific ones I use. http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Mounta...line+tensioner

Sorry for the long winded answer, but hope it helps.

[LowKey]

Poly-cover or visqueen use depends on how much you pay. The cheaper stuff is more apt to tear or "break".
If you use it, be sure to recycle it. A lot of places take it now.

[kyratshooter]

I have spent a lot of time under tarps while doing rondys and historic site events over the years.

That was using traditional materials, canvas and oilcloth. I have used vinyl coated fabrics and lightweight rip-stop fabrics.

Packing weight is one aspect of tarp use, the other major factor is how you set the tarp up, and tarp size.

Below 8'x8' a tarp is literally useless for anything but providing shade on a hot day or covering your backpack in a rainstorm. Smaller than that you can not lie down and stay under the shelter.

9'x9' makes an excellent shelter for person and gear even in some pretty severe weather if you use a plough point setup and can get the back of the shelter into the wind.

I have seen 10' and 12' tarps set up like palaces. You can set a 12' tarp up with three corners down and one up and have 18' from front of shelter to the back with the open point 6 feet high.

After 40 years of tarp use I consider the plough point setup superior to any other use of the tarp. You are covered on three sides, protected form the weather and still more open than a tent. I have seen this setup used in snow storms with a small fire just inside the edge of the tarp and the temp inside the shelter was like sitting at home.

[Goose]

Thanks to everyone for all the feedback! Crashdive123, I had actually saved the 9x9 Kelty on my Amazon account and may still get it. I am thinking I may get a roll of visqueen and play around with using different sizes.
Kyratshooter, I saw a youtube demo on the plough point setup and definetely plan on trying that out!
Natertot, I'm with you on the budget orientedness!!
Thanks again for all the help.
--goose

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[Wise Old Owl]

CLICK
Well a little too cheap PU coated sil nylon ....is a few dollars more... I had custom tarps made... these are excellent for the price.

[crashdive123]

Here it the Kelty Noah 12 set up over my hammock. I will probably eventually get the 16.

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[Goose]

I've never slept in a hammock, but that sure looks comfortable!

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[Faiaoga]

Interesting topic. I have used tents, tube tents and tarps, bu the tarp seems most versatile for the weight. REI seems to have a good 12 x 12 tarp with accessories for about 70 dollars. Total weight is less than 3 pounds.

[canid]

I recommend silnylon (just lightweight rip stop nylon treated with silicon for waterproofing). It's available as commercial tarps or reasonably easy to make your own. It can tend, especially in the diy stuff to be a bit heavier than poly tarps but is more durable and folds up smaller.

Visqueen has the benefit of being completely water impermiable, while still new but it is less durable. I used it a ton as a kid, and like a yard size trash bag or a disposable type poncho it never hurts to carry as a back up or emergency measure.

[Goose]

I got a cheap tarp from Walmart and did an overnighter to see how it would do. I made a simple lean to and it worked pretty good. We had light showers and stayed completely dry.
Note to self: don't build the fire wall too close to the fire.

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[Goose]

I think the visqueen would definetely work as a backup or ground cover.

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[natertot]

I have seen 10' and 12' tarps set up like palaces. You can set a 12' tarp up with three corners down and one up and have 18' from front of shelter to the back with the open point 6 feet high.

Not Quite 18' deep. The distance of one corner to the opposite corner of a 10' x 12' tarp is about 15.5'. Placing one corner on the ground and it's opposite corner 6' in the air would give you depth of about 14'. However, about the first three feet or so are going to be nearly useless in that configuration because it is a corner and will be too narrow to provide cover. Likewise with the opposing corner because it will be too narrow and too low to the ground. In all actuality, you will be getting about 11' of depth of usable cover.

I have learned that when setting up a tarp in this fashion that if you average the length of the sides, you will then get a usable depth.

5 x 8 will give 6.5 depth
6 x 9 will give 7.5 depth
8 x 10 will give 9 depth
10 x 12 will give 11 depth
12 x 16 will give 14 depth

[natertot]

Note to self: don't build the fire wall too close to the fire.

Sounds like the voice of experience. Something tells me the fire got a little bigger than planned?

[Goose]

Sounds like the voice of experience. Something tells me the fire got a little bigger than planned?

Yes it did! I over compensated for water-logged firewood.

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[natertot]

Yes it did! I over compensated for water-logged firewood.

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Well, you got out there and learned. Good on ya! Experience truly is the best teacher.

[finallyME]

Did you look at this one?
https://www.campmor.com/c/8-ft-x-10-...lon-tarp-22217

That one is cheap and tough. A little heavier than the 1.3 oz silnylon but generally lighter and stronger than the polyethelene tarps that have a very short lifespan.

8X10 is the smallest that I would go with.

Making your own isn't hard. Tarps are probably one of the simplest things to make. You buy the fabric, and hem the edges, and then sew loops at the corners. Of course, with high quality material, it is hard to beat that campmor tarp price.

[Faiaoga]

How do other people handle insect problems? I have often ha to sleep under a mosquito net, and I wonder how others arrange this - especially with the "plough point" arrangement?

[finallyME]

This is how I manage bugs
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...erson-Net-Tent