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I second the post that links to Hoop's "Tarpology" post. For years I struggled with setting up a tarp properly but that post helped me immensely. I have all three of the MEC tarps (Scout, Guide and Super) and they are fantastic. I'd recommend running a bead of Seam Sealer along the seams though as they will drip through.
I now keep a bag of cord just for my tarps. In the past I'd get various ropes of different materials and lengths and end up cutting them and stuff. I now have one long (about 50 feet) main line and 6 lengths of 25 foot cord (smaller diameter). I never cut them and always put them away wrapped up neatly. It's made a huge difference in keeping things organized and ensures I always have proper and ample cord each time I go to set up the tarp.
I also attach a small loop of shock-cord to each tie out on the corners and then tie my cord to that. It allows for a bit of give in windy conditions.
Last edited by Steve E (7/06/2017 7:47 am)
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I don't have a tent, so I'm pretty much under a tarp all the time, in one of my hammocks or on the ground in a bivy. I admit it--My name is" Methye" and I'm a Tarpaholic!
I've got 2 silnylon tarps ("Edge" 10.5' x 9' hexagonal and "Cloudburst" 11' x10' rectangular ) from Warbonnet Outdoors in Colorado, 1 silnylon 10 x10' square "Tundra" tarp from Cook County Sewing in Minnesota, and one 11 x 9' silpoly "Razor" hex tarp from Little Shop of Hammocks in Saskatchewan.
I'm also a cordaholic enthusiast. Like Steve E, I take a bit more cordage than necessary. 100 feet minimum (15 feet on 6 tieouts) is a start, but I have a ziplock bag of cordage with about 6 more hanks of 20 feet each. I use Zing-it cord (it's dyneema, I think also known as Lash-it), which is expensive but very light, does not absorb water, is hard to tangle, and floats. Buy it from arborist supply stores or hammock suppliers. I also have some cord from MEC of various diameters, but some of it is made rough to hold knots well, which is great until it catches on the hemlock branches at every opportunity.
I would highly recommend folks get a sil-nylon tarp if you can afford it. It is just so light that you can get a big area covered with little weight. Silnylon will sag a bit as it absorbs little bit of water during the night (still totally waterproof, of course), but by attaching a small loop of shock-cord, pulled fairly taut, and attaching the cord to that, as described by Steve E above, you can avoid the sag to a large extent; as the tarp sags, the shock cord takes up the slack. The newer sil-poly tarps absorb less water and have less stretch than sil-nylon, so less sag.
small Edge tarp, just big enough to cover a 10 foot hammock:
10x10 tundra tarp..good for canoeing, you can attach a paddle or pole to the centre interior tieout.
11X10 square tarp with extra panel pull tie-outs. You can see the shock cord loops on the corner tie-outs.
11x 9 hex cut silpoly tarp for a hammock, or for one guy to cook under
Last edited by Methye (7/09/2017 9:07 pm)
