View Full Version : More on tarps (Oware?)
If using a catenary cut tarp, can I get away with using a smaller size? Oware claims that thier 6x8 cat. tarp is for 1.5 people, and that thier 7x9 tarp is for 2 people. They make similair claims for thier flat tarps. Are these assuming experienced use/bivy use?
Does anyone have any experience with golite's Cave? It looks like it is a tarp with beaks. I've read mostly medoicre reviews about Golite's other shelters online.
TwoForty
01-12-2006, 21:25
I would build a rayway tarp (same thing as the cave) before I bought a golite cave.
I have no experience with cat tarps. I know they offer a tighter pitch, less head room, and less versatility. I would think they would be perfect for the AT (windy ridges), but I would feel better in the 2 man cat tarp. Even then, it's a bit short for me.
more coverage is better. larger tarps add more versitility and an 8x10 can weigh as little as 10 oz. with the extra coverage of material you don't need beaks. beaks add weight, and the catenary cut takes material away that is essential for complete coverage in my opinion (ya can't pitch it all the way to the ground). guyouts in the middle of the sides of a rectangle tarp (pitched correctly) eliminates all wind problems.
Whistler
01-13-2006, 22:40
Tarps with a catenary ridgeline, like the models from Oware, Gossamer Gear, Bozeman Mountain Works, Mountain Laurel Designs, etc., can indeed be pitched with their sides directly to the ground.
The Cave can be a bit complex to pitch, with its beaks and assortment of guylines. Just about the simplest model you can find would be the GoLite Lair, which is pretty nice.
I think you'll be better off with a cat tarp or a flat tarp. Catenary ridgeline tarps will be simpler to make a taut pitch, more stable with less work--the cost is less flexibility. Flat tarps will offer you more flexibility in shape and set-up, at the cost of some weight [stakes/ lines] and hassle.
-Mark
Is the lair stormproof? I like the look and setup of it, but I am concerned about water blowing in from the open side.
Tarps with a catenary ridgeline, like the models from Oware, Gossamer Gear, Bozeman Mountain Works, Mountain Laurel Designs, etc., can indeed be pitched with their sides directly to the ground.
The Cave can be a bit complex to pitch, with its beaks and assortment of guylines. Just about the simplest model you can find would be the GoLite Lair, which is pretty nice.
I think you'll be better off with a cat tarp or a flat tarp. Catenary ridgeline tarps will be simpler to make a taut pitch, more stable with less work--the cost is less flexibility. Flat tarps will offer you more flexibility in shape and set-up, at the cost of some weight [stakes/ lines] and hassle.
-Mark
if the edge seam is a catenary cut how could it possibly pitch all the way to the ground? the guyouts could go all the way to the ground, but the material in between would definantly be off the ground. this space would be directly related to the radius of the catenary cut.
TwoForty
01-15-2006, 21:38
Is the lair stormproof? I like the look and setup of it, but I am concerned about water blowing in from the open side.
I can attest that it is not. I used the 2 man and it was a bit too big for finding campsites for it. The 1 man had the foot area too small so my bag touched the tarp and got soaked. Both were too short. Rain blew in even in light wind. It would be nice if it were a foot longer and had a small beak.
They are super simple to adjust and set up, but they flap in the wind and don't have good guy line areas.
I am acutally going to make my own version of it, but longer and with a beak and more foot room.
Whistler
01-15-2006, 22:18
if the edge seam is a catenary cut how could it possibly pitch all the way to the ground? the guyouts could go all the way to the ground, but the material in between would definantly be off the ground. this space would be directly related to the radius of the catenary cut.
I didn't mean to be opaque, but in my earlier post I meant models with a catenary ridgeline, but with straight-cut sides--which can indeed be pitched with sides to the ground. Examples include the BMW Stealth models, GG Spinnshelter, MLD poncho models, etc.
Even in models with cat-cut cut sides, the radius of that cut is small enough that the gap from edge to ground is negligible--easily covered or blocked by local grasses, duff, gear, or whatever if it was that much of a concern. I don't think it is. Examples I'm thinking of would be GG SpinnTwinn, MLD Grace tarps, etc. The gap is pretty small. Even with cat-cut sides, they can be staked to the ground directly through the loops. Instead of placing all side stakes in a straight line, the line of stakes would need to curve inward to account for the cat-cut. That comes at a small sacrifice of width and ridge height, but it can be done.
-Mark
Whistler
01-15-2006, 22:21
I can attest that it is not. I used the 2 man and it was a bit too big for finding campsites for it. The 1 man had the foot area too small so my bag touched the tarp and got soaked. Both were too short. Rain blew in even in light wind. It would be nice if it were a foot longer and had a small beak.
They are super simple to adjust and set up, but they flap in the wind and don't have good guy line areas.
I am acutally going to make my own version of it, but longer and with a beak and more foot room.
Mostly agree here. I didn't have quite those troubles, but the Lair is certainly vulnerable if you can't find a protected area or the weather is particularly ornery. This could be dealt with by adding some combination of beaks, side tie-outs, and tie-outs on the entrance edges. It is a great basic form though.
-Mark
I don't have any experience with this shelter, but I think it addresses any problems of wind driven rain with a completely enclosed vestibule. Only problem I can think of is condensation from the lack of a peak vent.
http://www.golitestore.com/store/NS_proddetail.asp?number=SH6014
Cat cut ridgelines limit you to a specific angle pitch to be taut. I think the one of the best things about tarps is their versatility and you lose a lot of it that way.
Nearly Normal
01-16-2006, 13:31
Granite Gear makes one that pitches very tight. I'd like it better in another color than cloud white. Keeps me awake.
Pete
TwoForty
01-16-2006, 16:10
Mostly agree here. I didn't have quite those troubles, but the Lair is certainly vulnerable if you can't find a protected area or the weather is particularly ornery. This could be dealt with by adding some combination of beaks, side tie-outs, and tie-outs on the entrance edges. It is a great basic form though.
-Mark
I was going to sew on a beak (supersimple, just two triangles) and a couple of side guy lines, but the 2 man was still too big and the 1 man was still too small at the feet.
Too bad, becuase I loved how easy it went up and how one end was closed off .
Here's another small tarp maker whose gear is worth a close look. He sewed me up a silnylon poncho/tarp last year with a standard round hood opening. He now makes them with a center seam slit opening for the hood. Very neat. His workmanship is top-notch. I didn't ask for it when I ordered, but he sewed up a "beak" which snaps to one of the sides of the poncho and allows it to be set up like a "Dancing Light" Tacoma tarp. He even threw in a small ul overnight pack (one of his prototypes) for no charge, since he was moving from N.C. to Maine, and would have had to pack it up otherwise.
Nice stuff. Good guy.
http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/bivys.php