Best Tarp for Thruhike?

[OTdarters]

I'm looking at tarps for thruhiking.
What tarp would work best, in your opinion? Any to definitely stay away from?
Thanks for your help!

[Nightwalker]

I'm looking at tarps for thruhiking.
What tarp would work best, in your opinion? Any to definitely stay away from?
Thanks for your help!

Sly has a nice-looking, really light one that he's spent a lot of time in. Ask him what it is.

[BookBurner]

I've really enjoyed my Henry Shires' tarptent. Great for a thru!

[Egads]

The Mountain Laurel Designs Patrol Shelter with beak is very light & protective, although not the cheapest tarp on the market.

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=76&osCsid=b134c03467dc34b80ca15c1097fc9c8d

I ordered mine with the Serenity Shelter to provide bug protection.

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=87&osCsid=b134c03467dc34b80ca15c1097fc9c8d

Patrol & Serenity shelters in use with a Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo at Glacier NP

[bigcranky]

Depends on whether you will use it as a "backup" in case the shelters are full or you want to camp between shelters, or if it will be your home every night.

For backup use, I like my Golite Poncho Tarp. I like a poncho in warmer weather, and all I need to carry is some guy lines and some stakes, and I have a backup shelter too.

For primary use, I carry a homemade 6x10 foot silnylon tarp. I like the extra room, and in fact an 8x10 would be my recommendation. Plenty of coverage even in bad weather. You can easily get an 8x10 tarp under a pound with guy lines and stakes.

In either case I like my homemade sleeping bag cover/bivy. It's mesh and breathable nylon on top, and silnylon on the bottom. Works great under a tarp, in a shelter, or out under the stars.

[slow]

Any from MLD... hands down.

[Jim Adams]

Cheap?...Campmor green urethane coated nylon. 10' x 10', I think $39.95 and 27oz. if I remember correctly.

Better?...Campmor green silnylon. 10' x 10', $89.00 and 16oz. if I remember that correctly.
Either has LOTS of room which is nice in a bad storm. The sil is alittle more "fragile" than the regular nylon but almost twice as light.
Try to stick with a square tarp instead of a rectangle...it is easier to learn good, tight set-ups being symetrical.

geek

[slow]

Cheap on a thru is not a good #...with a tarp bottom line.

[Jim Adams]

Cheap on a thru is not a good #...with a tarp bottom line.
I've done 2 thrus with the Campmor urethane coated nylon tarps. never had a problem with durability or the 27oz. weight of the 10 x 10 in 2002.
I think the 12' x 16' in 1990 was a bit heavy at something like 2lbs. 12oz. but still lighter than most tents back then and it also became known as club geek since anyone that needed shelter for the night was welcome under it. Had 7 hikers in an outragous rainstorm one night...everyone stayed dry and happy.

geek

[Tinker]

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=48

Hard to beat this for the weight. It also comes in poncho form without the netting, and you can get an insert with netting and a floor for the poncho - the "Gatewood Cape" named after Grandma Gatewood who hiked the Trail several times in her sixties and seventies and carried a shower curtain liner as her only rain shelter.

[Pokey2006]

Cheap doesn't necessarily mean the worst option. Sometimes cheap stuff works better than more expensive equipment.

If you're really going for cheap, you could make a tarp out of Tyvek. I've had good luck with mine so far, though I'll admit I haven't been out in it during a downpour yet. It did do well under heavy winds. But it is a little bulkier than silnylon, if that matters to you. Just sayin' it's an option.

[OTdarters]

Hmmm . . . the MLD ones look good. I'm uncomfortable with the campmor tarps because of a disclaimer: "not intended for long-term, intensive use."
I've read lots of good things about the GoLite Cave tarps, but haven't found them anywhere. Are they still being made?
Also, what size would be best for every-night use? (as in, the tarp will be my primary shelter)

[JAK]

I have a rather small poncho/tarp from the days before they got bigger.
8-9oz and comfortable as a rain poncho and reasonable as a small tarp.
4'x'8 roughly. I only use it to keep most of the rain off.

I just got a new one for $30. 5'x9' roughly. 12-13oz.
There are lighter options but I am going to try this for size mostly.

[Jim Adams]

Hmmm . . . the MLD ones look good. I'm uncomfortable with the campmor tarps because of a disclaimer: "not intended for long-term, intensive use."
I've read lots of good things about the GoLite Cave tarps, but haven't found them anywhere. Are they still being made?
Also, what size would be best for every-night use? (as in, the tarp will be my primary shelter)
First, have you ever used a tarp as your primary shelter? It takes some learning and practice and even then you may not like it. If you have never tried a tarp, go to Wal-Mart and buy a cheap $10 polyethlyne tarp and try camping under it in your yard for a week. I certainly would not invest any money into a tarp and then find that you hate it.

I use a tarp year round as my primary shelter.
I would never pay more for a tarp than what will work good for the situation. Campmor has to make that disclaimer because they are not the manufacturer but they are made for campmor. I have thru hiked the AT twice with the urethane coated nylon and been doing northern Canadian canoe trips with them for 23 years. I am still using the second one that I purchased in 1996.
I used the silnylon tarp for multiple local backpacking trips, alot of weekends on the AT, afew canoe trips and 1,000 miles of the PCT and after 5 years, it is still going strong.
You can buy more expensive tarps and lighter tarps but none including the cubin fiber tarps will last longer in day to day use. The urethane coated are heavier but they hold up better than sil in long term use so I still use them for canoeing but I hike with the sil due to weight.

As far as size, why even consider anything less than 10' x 10' in silnylon at 15oz. or 16oz. weight. In a horrible nasty all night and all day storm, do you want to lay on your mat for hours under a 6' x 8' elevated bivi or sit up or even stand under your 10' x 10' shelter?

Don't waste your money and don't be cramped.

geek
I would try tyvek before purchasing an expensive, fragile light weight tarp that may only last you 1 or 2 long distance trips.:-?

[JAK]

It didn't take me much practice. It's pretty simple and straight forward really.
Basically, it goes between you and the sky. I agree some people may not like it however.

[Jim Adams]

It didn't take me much practice. It's pretty simple and straight forward really.
Basically, it goes between you and the sky. I agree some people may not like it however.

It's not nearly that simple!

How does it drain?
What set-up should I use? Drain on one side, two sides or three?
Does water run back under the tarp when it drains?
Will it still protect you if the wind shifts?
Is it pitched tight or will it flap and awake you in mild wind?
Is it tight and EVERY grommet tied off so that it won't flap and shred itself in hard wind?
Is it pitched low enough on the windward sides to keep blowing rain out?
Do you still have enough tarp left to make the leeward side usable?
Will you be getting rain or snow load?

I have actually tarped in the aftermath of 2 hurricanes(not on purpose) and was dry, wind free and comfortable STANDING under my tarp both times. The first time lasted about 28 hours, the second time was 2 days.
One of the coolest things that I have ever done was to stand in the totally calm air at the edge of my tarp and pee out into the sideways 70mph wind. The stream goes out and suddenly makes a 90* turn. Call me sick but it made me giggle!
Sorry if I was too graphic!:o

geek

[OTdarters]

Yeah, I've used tarps on several trips before (borrowed from friends)

Thanks for all your help!