How's a Speer Winter Tarp stack up to the newer offerings?
How's a Speer Winter Tarp stack up to the newer offerings?
Just fine.
I'm not totally convinced it would hold in a bad wind storm as well as others, but I've been in some pretty good winds with that tarp and not had issue. I've never been fond of the seam used to create the doors, but I also don't have any reason to gritch about it after a couple of years of ownership and use. Basically, all the things I thought were lesser than other options, have proven themselves to be perfectly able to get the job done. Plus, for what they are, they're lightweight. Lots of good coverage and the ability to block wind; that's all a winter tarp needs and the SWT has it all. Maybe not as shiny and flashy as others, but still solid.
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From a couple of pics I saw the doors don't seem to close completely. Is that the way it's built of just how it was pitched at the time?
The steeper it's pitched, the closer the doors come to closing. The way I use a winter tarp is more about wind deflection than blocking. The doors on the SWT are easily used for that purpose. No, it won't be as roomy as other options if you want to get it sealed up, but it came with an excellent price and a low weight. I find it to be a good value and a good performer.
Keep in mind, the SWT was one of the original tarps designed specifically with winter in mind. I believe it and the JRB Hut gained traction around the same time. There have been refinements made to the other tarps over the past couple of years while the SWT sits in, what is hopefully temporary, retirement. It is what it is, simple and effective.
Trust nobody!
If you were buying today would a Superfly make more sense if prices were close to equal?
I'm thinking 'yes' but like to explore options.
Or a Maccat with added doors?
Not a fair question. I'm very biased towards the SuperFly tarps since I was the Guinea Pig for them. But yes, the SuperFly is my winter tarp of choice. I haven't used a MacCat with doors, but I'm sure they are every bit the quality of the SuperFly.
Trust nobody!
I love my SWT - it is my goto tarp for most every condition I camp. In warmer weather I can pitch it porch style. Winter I can pinch the doors in and block the wind nicely. I added tie-out to the sides to increase the interior space and I added closure loops on the ends to help close it down in really cold conditions. I have enough room to hang 2 hammocks under when I camp w/ my son.
Like Cannibal I hope the SWT is only in a temporary retirement.
For a winter tarp I highly recommend the Superfly as well. It's longer sides are nice in being able to pitch all the way to the ground. You could get a custom made MacCat tarp with longer sides too but it might cost more than a stock Superfly would. I have a MacCat Deluxe with 2Q/ZQ doors and used it on the MN Winter Hang last weekend because my Superfly wasn't back from 2Q/ZQ in time for the trip. My Superfly had removable doors and I had 2Q/ZQ sew them on permanently. The new Superfly tarps come standard now with permanent doors. The MC Deluxe worked for me in the winter conditions just fine although I built snow walls up from the ground to the tarp to fully block the wind from coming underneath the tarp. Had I had my Superfly that wouldn't have been necessary.
I'm not really looking for a pure winter tarp but a 'do it all, master of none' type of tarp.
- MacEntyre
"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
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