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trapper
10-14-2012, 07:22
kinda started looking at tarps to try one as a shelter...does anyone else think the the prices are a little exessive for what you get? i know some of this material is pretty expensive but dam its not that expensive..i have no problem paying for quality gear but i want to feel i get some value for the money i spent..does any one have any suggestions for a reasonably priced light weight treking pole set up tarp? im 6'2" and would like to have one long enough that i have a little room on the end so i have some dew protection on the ends. thanks in advance for the suggestions.
trapper

coach lou
10-14-2012, 08:08
kinda started looking at tarps to try one as a shelter...does anyone else think the the prices are a little exessive for what you get? i know some of this material is pretty expensive but dam its not that expensive..i have no problem paying for quality gear but i want to feel i get some value for the money i spent..does any one have any suggestions for a reasonably priced light weight treking pole set up tarp? im 6'2" and would like to have one long enough that i have a little room on the end so i have some dew protection on the ends. thanks in advance for the suggestions.
trapper

Heavy duty plastic or that tyvec stuff only needs to work a few times. I've used good tarps, cheap tarps, and afew different plastic sheet configurations. You just have to be creative.

Rocket Jones
10-14-2012, 08:13
Keep an eye out here and on the hammock forums for folks selling used tarps. Campmor also had some decent prices as I recall. Or, to get an appreciation for why things cost what they do, price out the materials and construct your own.

I agree that tarps *seem* overpriced, but in reality there's more to it than just a flat piece of material.

The Cleaner
10-14-2012, 08:48
Kelty Noah's Tarp 9....not too heavy or to pricey....with many tie-out points you can set up in several ways,,,

Wise Old Owl
10-14-2012, 11:30
Bought that and sold it... too big and odd.

Yea ya need to shop for best price and to be honest - the lighter you go the more "cottage" the maker. So yes you may spend a few more bucks... On the other hand DIY removes the labor and time spent by another...

In the exstream UL tarp is Polycro and this will cost about $14 to get the right size. It might take you a few tries to get it right.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?85924-Intesting-threads-on-Polycro-Tarps-%28-Window-Insulation%29-DIY&p=1306284&viewfull=1#post1306284

I also have tried tarps made from sea to summit poncho's and Leki poles... get what you can afford wear it out and buy something a little better next time. See my gallery for additional Ideas.

Feral Bill
10-14-2012, 13:59
A good tarp casts about the same as a couple nights in a cheap motel. A usable tarp, just a few bucks. Experiment with plastic or the ubiquitous blue tarps to see what suits you.

Altarboy
10-14-2012, 15:52
Yeah I've looked at tarps and recoiled at the price of many of them. Guess i will hook up eventually, but for now it's gonna be the Kelty Salida for me. I have had a lean-to tarp near the back of my property for years and still get under it if I'm cought out in the rain.

Slo-go'en
10-14-2012, 15:52
Walmart sells a cheap nylon tarp, but being only 5X7, you'd really need to sew two together to make it a usable shelter.

Wise Old Owl
10-14-2012, 16:26
Good lightweight tarps if taken care of will provide years of service unlike some tents

Dogwood
10-14-2012, 17:44
I don't know exactly what you consider reasonably priced but an excellent UL tarp, although certainly not the lightest, made of 30 denier siliconized nylon(silny) with decent durability that will give you OK coverage can be had for about $98 from Oware. The CatBird TM 1 tarp from Oware weighs in at just about 7 oz in 30d for the tarp alone before adding in the wt of set-up poles or trekking poles, although the wt of trekking poles aren't typically added to your shelter wt, seam sealing, guy lines, and stakes. You would get OK coverage with this cantenary(curved ridgeline) tarp with beaks on each end. It's sized at 8.5 ft along the ridgeline and tapers from 5 ft at the entrance to 4.3 ft at the foot end. Or, for $109 you could order the 30d Cattarp TM 1.5 weighing in at about 9 oz with greater coverage which is what I'd recommend to you since you are new to tarping and are a rather tall hiker. Take the 2 oz wt hit and get the greater coverage! It will make a difference in your case and you will not need to add a bivy even under nasty rainy weather conditions once you learn how and where to set-up your tarp to avoid unnesssary exposure. I'm 6'4" and the Cattarp TM 1.5 that is 9 ft long along the ridgeline and tapers from 7 ft at the entrance to 5.6 ft at the tail end covers me and all my spread put gear just fine. The added square footage of the Cattarp TM 1.5 will also allow you to pitch the tarp slightly higher in decent weather for added head room so you can sit up underneath the tarp and get under/out from under the tarp without having to crawl on your belly or knees. This tarp doen't come with beaks but I'm sure Dave at Oware can add them on if you want the added protection. Both tarps with their Cantenary cut ridgelines are typicaly set up in the A-frame configuration. The cantenary cut, although limiting your set-up configuartions, makes it easier, especially for tarp newbies, to get a taught pitch which is what you want.

When you start ordering tarps in Cuben fiber and spinnaker fabrics the cost rises substantially and the wt savings aren't all that spectacular unless you are a gram counting weenie like me. The Cattarp TM 1.5 is an excellent UL entry level tarp to see if tarps are to your liking withouit breaking the bank. If you want an even lighter wt tarp in the future at least you'll be in a better position to exactly know what you want and possibly even order a customized size to fit your desires.

Wanderlost
10-14-2012, 18:09
On the other hand DIY removes the labor and time spent by another...


Just Google for materials and eyelets.... 'specially if you've access to a sewing m/c...:cool:

trapper
10-14-2012, 20:08
just got home from walmart and an 8x10 blue poly tarp weighs 1.5# on there produce scale seems kinda heavy so i didn't buy it..i did buy some 5/8" nylon strip and nylon thread and i think im going to make a tyvek tarp. anyone ever made one?

Half Note
10-14-2012, 22:21
I have the same issues with tarps being so freaking expensive, it's nuts. I made one that is super light weight with a window insulation kit - $7 bucks. Got the idea from a link that Wise Old Owl posted some time ago:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=59450

I used this same idea only I didn't do the washer thing as mentioned in that thread. I decided to use a cheap plastic pen cut to size with the tape wrapping all the way around from top to bottom:

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/3/0/1/8/6/img_2943_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=53790)

Darwin13
10-14-2012, 22:27
if you thik of it as your entire shelter than a tarp (quality one at that) can cost you a little under $100. (see OES Maccat Standard) Its a great tarp

snifur
10-14-2012, 22:44
yes, i have done the tyvek just messing around with it since i had plenty extra. here is what i did: measured out what size i wanted leaving an extra 4 inches all the way around for stitching. cut it and put it through a couple wash cycles to soften it making it not crunchy noisy. fabric softener helps. then took my torch and heated thee entire edge to prevent fraying. stitched all edging to prevent fraying. then i marked and punched eyelets in various locations around it for different setups. when i punched it i used rubber cement when doing the eyelets to really firm it up. then i used masons line to tie it out. once i liked what i had i filled a bucket with water and coloring and stained it so it was not the bright white. came out pretty nice. took a weekend to do. been a few years but it still holds together and it is light but i am also not a gram counter so i dont know how much it weighs. much much less than my 2 pound tent tho.

Violent Green
10-14-2012, 23:31
Just get an MLD Grace tarp in single or duo and call it a day. Best tarps in silnylon that can be found. Not that pricey in the grand scheme of things.

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=85

Ryan

Slo-go'en
10-15-2012, 00:03
just got home from walmart and an 8x10 blue poly tarp weighs 1.5# on there produce scale seems kinda heavy so i didn't buy it..i did buy some 5/8" nylon strip and nylon thread and i think im going to make a tyvek tarp. anyone ever made one?

I put some eyelets into the corners of my tyvek ground cloth so I can string it up as a tarp if I so desire. I just folded the corners over so the eyelet goes into a double layer of matterial.

The walmart nylon tarp is in the camping supply section, at least in my local store. Although it seems that not all stores carry the same stuff.

daddytwosticks
10-15-2012, 07:03
I bought a regular 8X10 silnylon tarp (w/gromments) from Campmor years ago for cheap - maybe 60-70 bucks? Good service. :)

trapper
10-15-2012, 07:26
thanks for all the input guys...