Tarps and Shelters
The best tarps and shelters, reviewed and curated by the Trailspace community. The latest review was added on April 21, 2022. Stores' prices and availability are updated daily.
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Recent Tarp/Shelter Reviews

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

MSR Thru-Hiker 100 Wing
The MSR Thru-Hiker 100 Wing can be used with a shelter or by itself to create a spacious two-person environment. Two trekking poles or sticks are required to set this product up. The MSR Thru-Hiker 100 Wing is a great tarp option to use by itself or with a shelter like the MSR Thru-Hiker Mesh House 2. This tarp is ideal for arid climates where you won't have to worry about the spitting rain. It's compact, easy to carry, and great in a variety of different setups. Camping with the MSR Thru-Hiker… Full review

Sea to Summit Hammock Tarp
Great tarp. Excellent weight, coverage, and ease of use. Best tarp I have found on the market considering weight and coverage. I’ve had this tarp for three years now and it has held up great. It comes with its own lines and has line tensioners on all lines. This makes it much easier to use with simple knots. It takes three stakes to set up. It can work as a ground tarp in a pinch using two trekking poles, though not ideal without trees. The tarp provides plenty of coverage and I’ve gone through… Full review

MSR Front Range Tarp Shelter
This all-season pyramid tarp shelter is both lightweight and spacious, providing the best of both worlds for weathering a storm, or overnight hiking trips. Just over 1.5 pounds, this shelter uses trekking poles as the center-support which is approximately 5'4" at the apex. MSR's Front Range Tarp Shelter is a floorless design (Bug/Floor Insert available separately, 1lb 15oz) that is ideal for a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts—day hikers that want an emergency shelter, overnight backpackers, or… Full review

Kelty Noah's Tarp 12
Excellent tarp, durable with multiple tie-down loops. I used this tarp in AK to shield meat in game bags and in heavy rain and 40 mph winds it held up on the Tundra. We also used a second one on a Browning Tent because the rain was coming in. It was essential for keeping us dry. Full review