Tarps and Shelters

Recent Tarp/Shelter Reviews

Kelty Noah's Tarp 16

Years ago, my wife and another couple ran the Green River with a commercial rafting company. I brought this tarp with two poles and during a Colorado cloud burst I pitched it over both our tents and had room for the whole party to hunker under down and stay dry, including the guides. It’s sheltered many a campground picnic table and never failed. Never trust tent rain flys. Pitch the tarp first and then your tent and rain-fly. I use the 9 ft Kelty tarp for camping—both tarp only shelters but… Full review

DIY: Cuben Fiber DIY tarp

DIY, Install small grommets.   Get some cord, line, rope bigger than the grommets.  Tie a large knot in both ends, cut to the length of a side. . Place this on the inside of the tarp, loop ground tie cording from the outside, in, through the grommets, around this rope.   This rope will spread the stress across the fabric, helping to stop tear outs at the grommets, the 2 knots keeps the rope/line from pulling out sideways under the end tie loops. This is how the old navy ship canvas hammocks… Full review

DIY: Cuben Fiber DIY tarp

Cuben fiber is so light I carry one (same size as Wallace reviewed) to function as a dining fly to hang out under during sustained rain. Beats being pent up in a tiny tent for hours. Mine is the lightweight fabric option. Had no problems when used as a tarp. I also own a cuben pyramid tarp. Full review

DIY: Cuben Fiber DIY tarp

Incredibly light; packs crazy small. Great coverage Folds smaller than a 1L bottle (22-oz insulated mug shown) Specs: Primary Material: 0.51 oz sq yd (17.4 g sq m) Cuben fiber Secondary Materials: nylon taffeta, double-sided tape, thread, grommets Cut length: 10 ft (3.05 m) Cut width: 9 ft (2.74 m) Finished weight: 7.6 oz (215 g) Shown folded to: 9 x 4 1/2 x 2 in (23 x 11 x 5 cm) Tools: Sewing machine Grommet kit Scissors    Cost: about $250 US Description: This multi-purpose tarp was made to… Full review

Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape

The Gatewood Cape from Six Moon Designs is a minimalist's dream that can serve as rain gear, pack cover, and shelter, among a few other things. Others dealing with harsh conditions or preferring more comfort will find it useful in addition to their regular kit.   Laraway Mountain summit on the Long Trail in Vermont As part of my continuing search for an improved long-distance experience I am always trying out new things. This year I tried out a couple of things from Six Moon Designs that aren't… Full review

Hilleberg Tarp 5

The Goldilocks of tarps—not too big, and definitely not too small—it's just right!! Having bought my Snugpak 3m tarp around 20 years ago I honestly didn't expect it to be still going strong, but there it is, some things are just made to last! However, it's not small, and it's not particularly light, exacerbated by the additional rings/carabiners and cords that I have attached, but it's certainly been a trusty bit of kit. However, as I've moved toward lightweight camping, and having owned a couple… Full review

PahaQue Rpod shelter

Read the reviews—shoddy product and poor customer service! Read all PahaQue product reviews—they all have a common theme. Terrible product (usually poles) and very poor customer service. That is exactly what I experienced. The pole fell apart right out of the box. The vendor I purchased through was great and apologetic but the PahaQue rep I eventually spoke with never apologized and became combatant and rude. At one point he insisted that no one ever complained about the poles (obviously not… Full review

Hummingbird Hammocks Pelican SilPoly Rain Tarp

A rather large yet relatively lightweight (and definitely expensive) winter-style rain tarp from the purveyors of some of the finest minimalist hammocks around. The Pelican is a house-style SilPoly tarp, with lots of space and some clever features to reduce weight and increase functionality. It doesn’t come seam-sealed at the ridgeline, but at least Hummingbird provides a tube of sealant. Introduction Hummingbird  is known for its minimalist hammocks made with certified parachute fabric and manufacturing… Full review

Tarptent ProTrail Li

An excellent ultralight shelter.     This is a bittersweet review. On the one hand I love this tent and the idea behind it. In real world use though (and understand this is mostly just me) it leaves a lot to be desired. I'll go over the cons first. Firstly, in real world use I found this tent to be annoying to get out of. Not necessarily in, but out. I am getting up there in years and occasionally nature will come calling unexpectedly. When this happens, you must move quickly and having to move… Full review