*Proud owner of Protus-made tarp.*

They're very rare and extremely expensive.  You can't tell with the naked eye, but Protus actually sews his tarps with multicam Kifaru-made tactical thread.  

Just don't tell anyone.  You'll ruin his reputation.

I got Spoons tarp in the mail yesterday.

Good product and quick service.

I've owned ALOT of gear over the years, and can say thereisnospoon makes great stuff.

oware tarps are pretty cool. They have a lot of tie outs. You can get them in many fabrics and colors.







they also make a cat cut tarp, which would be great for hammockers.







They make cat tarps with a "beak" for added protection

IM sent. I am impressed with something like this. What is the total weight of this setup?

I work as a wildland firefighter durring the warmer season, and we always have a lightweight blue tarp with us. We call it a "squad tarp" and it's quick to throw up when the rain starts coming down. Works well. If everyone sits near one another it can hold 20 people comfortably enough until the rain passes... It's maybe 12x15. Not sure.

I keep one in my BOB.
Just IM me if you're interested. I can have a look at it and get a mfg for you.

Although you wont find the tarp here, FYI, firecache.com is a good place to find some gear that works just as well for hiking/camping as it does for wildland. We do spend 21 days on assignment, spiked out in the middle of nowhere and living off MRE's, so we know a bit about camping, and even more about hiking.

Has anybody tried the Wal-Mart Backpacking tarp yet? My local store has them for $9.95, mostly wondering about durability.

I found a review on Youtube but it dosent show much.

Spoon, can't ask a question if your IM box is full.

Sorry, box cleaned out.

Well, it is matter of exposure.    From what you have seen, that's all they can do.   In reality, there are all sorts of weights and styles of tarps.  Here are some advantages of tarps.

Most tarps can be set up with at least slight variations, such as how high they are.   That increases air flow and outside viewing.

Tarps weigh far less than any tent.   A solo tarp, with built in netting, can come in under a pound.

Tents are often a nightmare to put in the rain.   Throw up the inner body and let it get wet then the outter fly.  With a tarp, you set up the "fly" and lay down your ground cover.  Also, since they are usually so light, they dry very quickly and are much easier to pack away.

Tarps come in many styles.   Yes, they can do almost anything a tent, including providing protection from multidirectional winds and insects.

What's all the excitement?  Well, if you know about them, tarps provide more flexibility for a lot less weight.

Gaining?  

More room.

Better views.

Better air flow.

Loosing?

A lot of weight.

Some tarps would offer as much protection.  

If you are using a tart over a tent, that tent probably just isn’t up to the task.    I’ve done it.   I’ve put a tarp up over  and old cabin tent.   It helped the old tent out since it wasn’t up to the task.   On the other hand, that tent is almost 30 years old and still going since I take care of it and give it a helping hand when the weather is gets bad for a long time.

Tarps sound good, but I see alot of guys in this thread live in warmer climates than mine.  Think north of the NY state Thruway, in the snowbelt zone of Lake Ontario.  If I have to sleep outside in the cold, this doesn't seem practical for me.  If I wear the right clothes, it seems like waterproof is the most important issue for me.  I can imagine having to tunnel into the snow under a large fallen log, like some damn black bear....

Some tarps can handle those conditions.

Generally, there are only a few things tarps don't do well.

High altitude mountaineering.  Exposed areas with HUGE snows and  winds over 60 mph.     We aren't talking NY here.   There are tarps that should be just fine for NY.  

Sandy deserts.   Fine sand, about like dust, goes everywhere.  We are talking Iraq.  But, in much of the South West deserts, a tarp would be great.

The secret to warmth is NOT a tent, but your sleeping bag.

Right.  Duh on me.    I picked up an EMS Solstice (long) but have not used it yet.  It's been a few years since I went tent camping, and I've never been tarp camping.  Seeing as how the sleeping bag isn't THAT compact, I should look into a tarp.  I'd probably use it more like a soft taco shell than just a wall less tent in cold temps.

with tarps, location and how you set it up will make it work or will make it fail.



tents really dont add warmth, in the sense many think. Your sleep system does.





I'd sleep in my tarp anywhere you dropped me.....well except teh jungle.. i'd want a hammock then...on teh ground here gets kinda buggy as it is ,,let alone there.