Relatively inexpensive flat tarp?

[Guest]

Ok, I will fess up right off the bat. We have a big 6 panel Cooke Custom Sewing Tundra Tarp, about as good a tarp as exists. And a couple of different sized parawings, which equally have their windblown time and place.

I am looking for an acceptable quality flat tarp for the missus to use on both solo trips and occasional ladies group trips. Car camper trips, so SilNylon weight is unimportant. Packing ease and vehicle storage volume are important, so not blue plastic cheapies with prone to failure grommet tie downs.

I could, maybe just should, just buy her a SilNylon Tundra Tarp

https://shop.cookecustomsewing.com/...8.p3plqscsfapp002?productId=175&categoryId=12

But the large Tundra Tarp we already own is somehow not quite wide enough. The missus has, uh, tarp cover peculiarities.

She detests being under a tarp unless it is set max headroom high, even on the sides. Growing up with 12 foot ceilings ruined her for duck under tarp life.

So, eh, maybe longer than 10 x 14, for a quite high apex ceiling with sufficient side drape walk through height even in wind driven rain protection. 12 x 16?

The biggest 15 x 15 CCS Tundra Tarp is getting dang pricey, and I think a longer sided rectangle would be more side wing helpful for her headroom on high preferences.

She prefers to tie guy lines off to trees, so something with an external webbing loop ridgeline would be ideal.

She is fully committed to simplicity and easy of set up. Simplicity as in one ridgeline and no poles and four staked our corner guy lines. See above high center webbing ridgeline.

I am thinking a big, rectangular flat tarp, at least 12 x 16, in coated polyester or urethane nylon, with external webbing loop ridgeline for ease of between trees set up, and durably reinforced corner ties would work best for her preferred set up and use.

I have sheltered under similar tarps on group trips that I know have seen year after year use and abuse, but no not from whence they came.

Ideas or sources?

 

[Kayak_Ken]

Here is something to think about. It is called a MonkeyHut and is popular at Burning Man. It doesn't require trees to set up and has a number of poles to setup but it might be worth the trouble.

 

[sweeper]

We use these heavy Duty Tarps on our Allagash River trips. They are very strong, never had one fail, they come in a variety of colors, but are a bit bulky. We settled in with a 16' x 20' but there's a ridge pole at every site.

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http://www.tarpsplus.com/heavy-duty-poly-tarps.html

 

[yellowcanoe]

Here is something to think about. It is called a MonkeyHut and is popular at Burning Man. It doesn't require trees to set up and has a number of poles to setup but it might be worth the trouble.

And it requires a team to set it up. Even two people aren't enough. At Beans trail maintenance trips we used one that was about 30 feet long.. Required at least four people to set it up and it was not movable. Very good for base camp. We had our three stove kitchen set up inside with enough room for 20 people in their chairs..

You do set it up from top down so you do not need monkey arms. You put the tarp on the roof while the structure is one side pole high.

Now a small canoeing party needs not a thirty foot long structure but I can suggest not losing the bungee balls.

 

[flyingbison]

I am thinking a big, rectangular flat tarp, at least 12 x 16, in coated polyester or urethane nylon, with external webbing loop ridgeline for ease of between trees set up, and durably reinforced corner ties would work best for her preferred set up and use.

Not rectangular, but I like the Kelty Noah's 16:

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/...MIlebNkfiM2wIVWbnACh2dJwhUEAYYAiABEgJjiPD_BwE

 

[Mnoutdoorfunguy]

Equinox tarps?
https://www.equinoxltd.com/

 

[Guest]

Not rectangular, but I like the Kelty Noah's 16

Nope rectangular, but a Noahs 16 might be just the ticket.

The RiverWing is 16 x 17 at its widest points, and as a hexagonal parawing loses some low corner coverage when erected properly with firm catenary cuts, so 16 x 16 square would work. I know Kelty has been making the Noahs Tarp for ages, so I presume they have the bugs worked out.

But mostly the Kelty has external roofline webbing loops along the ridgeline, so I could rig the tarp with an attached HOOP style centerline and prussics and make her preferred no pole betwixt trees set up easier and more efficient.

I have never liked having an undertarp ridgeline potentially sawing away at the fabric in gusty winds. Not good for material waterproofieness or longevity, and her max headroom tarp technique is kinda floppy sloppy.

I wish the Noahs tarp had more than 3 centerline loops along the top, but I think that tarp, with an attached HOOP ridgeline and prussics, and 4 easily adjustable corner ties guylines will do her just fine.

Er, maybe 6 easily adjustable guylines, including one midway along each low side, so the sidewalls can be pulled down into a shallow vee for a predictable drainage point and non puddleage.

Time to think about a quantity of line, both for the Noah and for the missing bits on the RiverWing.

 

[boatstall]

Mike, I have several of the Noah tarps. Two 12's and a 16. They are all from when Amazon runs them as a "lightning deal", and didn't give over $60 for any of them.

For the money they are a great tarp. Plenty of perimeter loop tie outs, as well as various loop points scattered through the tarp; allowing lots of set-up configuration options.
Granted there are lighter cuban fiber tarps, actually way more expensive tarps, but these have proved to be an excellent value for the dollar.

I like the loop combined with grommet perimeter tie outs, as it allows me to use poles when desired with the grommets, but also allowing cordage tie outs onto the loops, which is my preferred method when used cordage. I can have the option of removing the pole when needing to button down in bad weather, buy just dropping it out, and just tighten down on the guyed out tie down attached to the loop. I'm sure this is elementary to someone with your tripping experience level, but might not be to someone new.

Here is a picture of my 16' quickly set up in the yard last weekend for shade during an impromptu crawfish boil.



Here is a picture of one of the 12's set up in porch mode for my hammock on a canoe trip last winter.

 

[Guest]

Mike, I have several of the Noah tarps. Two 12's and a 16. They are all from when Amazon runs them as a "lightning deal", and didn't give over $60 for any of them.

16 x 16 Kelty Noahs tarp for $59 at REI with member 20% off coupon good through May 28.

 

[Guest]

Some thoughts on the Kelty Noahs tarp

For a decently made 16 x 16 tarp, priced under $60, it would be hard to beat.

Coated polyester, which beats coated nylon, but comes in a distant second to sil-nylon for packability.

It came with some curiosities, including a ridiculous zippered polyester suitcase. I imagine that getting the tarp refolded to fit inside that carry bag would be like trying to put a cheap umbrella back in the useless OEM sleeve it came with. Even if that was achievable the suitcase zipper would be the first thing to go.

I did not even try, but instead stuffed the Noahs tarp inside a CCS Ridgeline bag.

The Noahs Tarp also came with 4 hanks of tie down rope. Freaking Black tie down rope; seriously WTF is it with manufacturers and black rope? I used 3mm GloWire instead.

It also came with six Kelty Nobendium stakes. Those are decent stakes, but would not be my choice for battening down a tarp on a windy day. One of the tents surely needs better stakes, so those at least are useful to repurpose.

The black guy lines and silly suitcase bag, not so much.

While I am kvetching I wish there were more ridgeline loops, spaced closer together. And that the closer spaced loops also ran across the 16 foot width for a sturdier vee rectangle set up.

But, meh, for $60 it will do.

 

[NYViking]

Campmor - 10 x 10 tarp. Item #: 22220. $55.00. Had it for years. Chick put additional stitches on the tie-outs, we seam sealed it and put 5 attachment points so we can hang a double mosquito net under it. Have a Eureka No Bug Zone now so I will just use the old one on solo trips. Been very durable.