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  1. #1
    Member jraffini's Avatar
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    True weight of poly tarp

    A lot of times when I read about cheap tarp options, people say they don't want to go with a cheap WW tarp for the weight penalty. I just wanted to put it out there that I picked up a poly tarp from ****'s a couple of years ago. It's an 8x10. It tips the scale at 22 oz. To me, that's not so bad considering that they're readily available in stock for less than $10. That's actually lighter that most of the budget PU coated nylon tarps that I've seen. To top it off, it's also a dark brown color, not blue like what most people have from WW. I know it's not perfect, but since most people seem to stray away from WW tarps and how heavy they are, I wanted to put it out there for everybody that there are options out there that aren't too bad on weight. I attached a picture of it in use. It's not the prettiest, but it kept me dry. Hope it helps!!
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    around here the brown is a bit heaver gauge than the blue. It should hold up and block the sun better.

  3. #3
    Senior Member exup's Avatar
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    They deffiently work. I used a blue one for my first trip. The thing with me is, ill pay the extra for the few ounce savings, just like a hammock. I could use a $16 grtnad trunk, but I use a $175 blackbird, and feel its worth it if you can afford it.

    Also, the blue poly tarps are very weak, tear easy and are a challenge to get truly taut. Eyelets will tear and sew tie outs to them doesn't work well.

  4. #4
    Senior Member BrianWillan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by thexuprising View Post
    Also, the blue poly tarps are very weak, tear easy and are a challenge to get truly taut. Eyelets will tear and sew tie outs to them doesn't work well.
    The other main knock against the poly tarps is their bulk when packed down for back packing purposes. As a result of being hard to pitch tight is that these tarps also tend to be noisy due to flapping in the breeze.

    Someone posted recently a diy Hex cat cut tarp that was made by cutting them out from a larger poly tarp. Webbing tie outs were installed and the edges were rolled and sewn. I don't have the link off had, but it should be easily found.

    Also keep in mind that your tarp is your actual shelter while hammock camping. So the question becomes would trust your safety and well being to a very low cost and low quality tarp? Only you can answer that for yourself.

    Cheers

    Brian

  5. #5
    Senior Member Steve D's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BrianWillan View Post
    Someone posted recently a diy Hex cat cut tarp that was made by cutting them out from a larger poly tarp. Webbing tie outs were installed and the edges were rolled and sewn. I don't have the link off had, but it should be easily found.

    Also keep in mind that your tarp is your actual shelter while hammock camping. So the question becomes would trust your safety and well being to a very low cost and low quality tarp? Only you can answer that for yourself.
    That would have been me. Yeah, it was a blue tarp that had been upgraded just a bit...cut off the edges including the grommets, reshaped it to a cat cut hex, added reinforcement patches at the corners, roll hemmed the edges and added webbing tie out tabs. Here's a link to the thread:

    http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=29919

    Would I trust it for camping or riding out a storm? You bet...been there, done that. There was a follow up post a couple of weeks later about riding out a particularly nasty early spring thunderstorm with some pretty high winds. Two of my stakes pulled out but the tarp itself held up well.

    http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=31162

    I'm in the process of making 5 8x10 rectangle tarps (just finished #2 a few minutes ago) with the same mods for my kids and a friend's kids (OK, and one for me too). They're 5 mil poly so the weight isn't too bad but they definitely don't pack small but at the moment thats not a huge issue.

    Will I use 'em forever...probably not, I already have my eye on a WL Big Daddy...
    Last edited by Steve D; 06-05-2011 at 00:02.

  6. #6
    Senior Member wisenber's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BrianWillan View Post

    Also keep in mind that your tarp is your actual shelter while hammock camping. So the question becomes would trust your safety and well being to a very low cost and low quality tarp? Only you can answer that for yourself.

    Cheers

    Brian
    I use those tarps to tie out over a load on a truck driving 70 mph. I would never do that with a silnylon tarp. I would think that they are more durable rather than less. Heavy? Sure! Bulky? You bet! Weak? Absolutely not!

    If a full ridgeline and four sheetbends are used, those cheap tarps will probably withstand more than the pricier ones. That being said, I prefer my more compact, lighter and more expensive tarps.

  7. #7
    Senior Member mophead's Avatar
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    Nothing at all wrong with a poly tarp. I used one for almost a year no problems. The packed size wasn't a problem; I strapped it to the outside of my pack rolled up. You do have to do some searching for the lightest weight though as not all polytarps are created equal.

    A price difference of $110+ for a weight difference of sometimes only ~6oz is quite a lot of money to throw down.

  8. #8
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    Cool My response to this post!

    Quote Originally Posted by BrianWillan View Post
    The other main knock against the poly tarps is their bulk when packed down for back packing purposes. As a result of being hard to pitch tight is that these tarps also tend to be noisy due to flapping in the breeze.

    Someone posted recently a diy Hex cat cut tarp that was made by cutting them out from a larger poly tarp. Webbing tie outs were installed and the edges were rolled and sewn. I don't have the link off had, but it should be easily found.

    Also keep in mind that your tarp is your actual shelter while hammock camping. So the question becomes would trust your safety and well being to a very low cost and low quality tarp? Only you can answer that for yourself.

    Cheers

    Brian

    I agree, I wouldn't trust a low quality tarp to protect me while I am hammock camping! I recently wanted to go out hammock camping, so I went to Wal-mart to pick up a tarp, when i got home, it was pretty much already falling apart. I looked online and found www.tarpsplus.com . I ordered a 10x10 ( I know it's a little larger but I like to be fully covered!) and it actually got here before I went camping a week later. No problems with the tarp when it arrived and I also like the camo color that I bought. I've had it for about 4 months and it's still going strong

  9. #9
    Senior Member Hiknhanger's Avatar
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    My biggest problems with the poly tarps are bulk and noise. I am a pretty light sleeper, especially in the woods. When the wind flexes that tarp and it crackles, I flinch. I just got a relatively cheap replacement Chinook 12 x 9.6 tarp that I am looking forward to using...quietly.

  10. #10
    Senior Member angrysparrow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MissHailey View Post
    I agree, I wouldn't trust a low quality tarp to protect me while I am hammock camping! I recently wanted to go out hammock camping, so I went to Wal-mart to pick up a tarp, when i got home, it was pretty much already falling apart. I looked online and found www.tarpsplus.com . I ordered a 10x10 ( I know it's a little larger but I like to be fully covered!) and it actually got here before I went camping a week later. No problems with the tarp when it arrived and I also like the camo color that I bought. I've had it for about 4 months and it's still going strong
    Hey look everybody... A one-post member, advertising a sales-site, with a sig-line for the same business. No introduction, no following the rules (especially the vendor rules), no questions...just spam. And this is actually the second time this week a brand new member has tried advertising for this same site.

    I urge everyone to avoid the linked site, as well as other businesses that would engage in this kind of spam. Bad press is deserved.
    “I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy

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