Tarps and Shelters

Recent Tarp/Shelter Reviews

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

Hammock Gear Journey

A SilPoly tarp with built in doors, the Journey is one of Hammock Gear's best kept secrets. Well designed, reasonably priced, very durable, and built by an Ohio-based company. Great shelter for hammock or ground sleeping.   Fall on the GLT I recently realized that I have neglected to share Hammock Gear's Journey tarp here on Trailspace despite the fact that I have been using one for years and bought a second one last year for family trips. While most of the talk about tarps involves DCF and high… Full review

DD Hammocks DD Tarp 3x3 MC

The best purchase I made in years... DD tarp MC from DD Hammocks I’ve owned several tents, from a heavy duty Albatros, a durable Dutch cotton tent to super lightweight one-roofed fancy but expensive hiking gear from MSR—until I came upon some YouTube videos about tarps and a huge amount of different ways to set them up. Some hilariously difficult, but most of them super fast, versatile, and handy. I fell in love with the idea, so the Big Search began. Reading reviews, learning about materials,… Full review

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Flat Tarp

Huge Dyneema tarp with tons of tie-out points. Can go into lots of configurations. Heavier weight Dyneema that has been durable. Perfect for the Pacific Northwest—can make a great big rain shelter, can be pitched in c-configuration which provides ground cover, can pitch beaks or flaps for privacy. I have been using this tarp for several seasons for solo backpacking in the Pacific Northwest, including the Olympic and Cascade mountains and section hiking the Pacific Coast Trail. The tarp is showing… Full review

Paria Sanctuary SilTarp

This is a review of the Sanctuary 12'x10' hex SilTarp, Paria’s lightweight, double-treated and seam-taped 30D ripstop hex-cut tarp with catenary sides and ridgeline that comes as a kit with DCF guylines w/ line locks and alu Y stakes. It’s more suited for hammock camping and backpacking, but Paria also offers the Sanctuary in square/flat and tapered/catenary cuts and various sizes, which provides for all types of campers and backpackers who don’t want to spend a fortune on a good and lightweight… Full review