Deluxe or 8x10?

**weaver2469** · 03-15-2011, 19:04

I was reading a post by Dutins about his setup. He had the 8x10 cat cut, and had angled the first tie outs inward and clipped them together with a single s-biner to form a door. (sort of). He then used the second set of tie outs to actually stake the tarp. It really interested me. I am looking to upgrade my stock Hennessy to a bigger tarp and really like the craftsmanship of OES stuff. The MacCat standard or deluxe seems to be the overwhelming favorite, but now the 8x10 idea has me thinking. What do you all think of the idea? It seems like it covers and carries similar to the MacCat deluxe, but has a little more versatility if bad weather blows in, at least from one side. Thoughts? BTW, I am a long time lurker here and have learned a lot. Thanks.

**RWillieK** · 03-15-2011, 19:16

You could also look at the 4-season tarp - a little larger, but has purpose built doors. If you talk to Brian, he can leave some extra fabric to make sure the doors close all the way.

(BTW, I'll be in Dayton in a few weeks for some work!)

**Cranky Bear** · 03-15-2011, 19:29

I have a MCD and a Speer 8x10 love both, but primarily use the 8x10! Both have kept me dry in some real nasty storms!

Here are a couple pic's!

**Oms** · 03-15-2011, 20:02

Here are shots of both. I prefer using the MacCat Deluxe in the summer, but other then that I like the versatility of an 8x10. Closing the ends really make a huge difference. If I had to picked one tarp it would be an 8x10 in spinn. I am in the process of ordering a 10x10 spinn for winter. OES tarps are awesome.

**pig.slayer** · 03-16-2011, 00:37

I have a standard for most of my use, Love the little thing and if pitched right the weather would have to be pretty feral to bother it.
I also ordered a 11x10 cat cut in spinn from brian, before he intro'd the new website with this tarp included I thought mine was a custom....... This will be my winter and bad weather tarp, Should only be 14-15oz and have a heap of pitch options with the ability to close the ends in too.

Brian makes great gear !!

**Oms** · 03-16-2011, 05:41

You know PS I was thinking about ordering a 11x10 for the extra end coverage. That is actually why I haven't placed the order yet. Just keep kicking it back and forth. Last night I finally decided on just a regular 10x10 and here you post this. Now you have me thinking again

**weaver2469** · 03-16-2011, 20:27

Thanks for all the input. Sounds like the 8x10 has more love than I thought and I really like the versatility. Your pics raise a couple of more questions. With a rectangle, do you always need to stake out the middle spots? It seems like they might be tough to get taught if you just left them, especially with a cat cut. (seems like the "tails" would flap) I know you would stake them if you wanted to pull the sides in, but what about for regular use? I guess that is why the MacCat gets so much talk, because they achieve tight pitch with two stakes per side. Would the ultimate in versatility be a Standard or Deluxe (for ease of pitching) with a Grizzbeak or sewn in door mod? Just kicking around ideas for an all in one answer. I guess the best answer would be a standard for summer, and something with built in doors for winter, but I don't have the coin or commitment yet.

By the way, the response to my question was awesome. I dabble in some other hobbys and check out other forums, and have never seen such a helpful or interested community. Fantastic.

**Oms** · 03-16-2011, 21:46

If you take a look at the center picture only the ends are staked out. In the first one the middle cords are tied to the end stakes. Depends on wind, weather, etc. The bigger the tarp, the more surface area you have to catch wind and the more stakes needed. There is no one tarp that is perfect for all seasons. Let say you go with a smaller tarp. When cold weather camping you will need something to cut the wind from stealing heat from the underquilt. You could hang windblock material under the quilt, but that also has some weight and bulk. If you are weight conscience and a warm weather camper the MacCats are the way to go. One other thing that I do when weather is threatening is to hang closer to the tarp when using the MacCat. The problem with that is when entering or exiting your back tends to rub the tarp making it wet. I think you will find, most of us have more then one tarp. It takes time to collect all the different gear. I don't mean to steer you away from the MacCats, many folks use them full time. The type of camping and skills will dictate your comfort. Site selection can make a huge difference, but keep in mind your experience and skill in doing so.

**pig.slayer** · 03-16-2011, 22:55

Originally Posted by Oms

The problem with that is when entering or exiting your back tends to rub the tarp making it wet. .

If you have a tarp made from Spinn this doesn't occur, One of the big ++'s for me in spinn, other than the lighter weight over sil

**Oms** · 03-17-2011, 05:46

I saw it first hand on a trip once. My MacCat is sil and a friends spinn. Side by side mine was soaked, his was dry. This is why I'm buying a spinn tarp too. Eventually I will change all my tarps over if the spinn works out fine.