thoughts about BCUSA tarps

[dzimm]

Hey guys I recently got a BCUSA 10x12 tarp and was wandering if anyone here had any experience with them. I'm curious about longevity and just over all performance and anything I should be watching out for?

[dkurfiss]

I have the BCUSA 10x10 in camo (got it used) and it is my "go to tarp" for solo camping. I got it last year so have used it about 20 days now. No leaks at all. The previous owner had it for a year but never took it out of the original wrapping.

I love all the various tabs for hanging it since I also use it for a ground camping shelter when trees are not available. Because of the tabs it is highly configurable for ground use. If the seams ever start to leak, I would not hesitate to seal them and continue to use the tarp.

The only down side to it is for backpacking, which I don't do...motorcycle camper here... and that is weight. You can get the same or better coverage in much less weight from many of our vendors on this forum. Can you get the same coverage, configuration, and utility for less or same cost? Maybe not. I know I could not when I was looking.

Just a tip. If your 12x10 hangs like my 10x10 you might want to check out using a ridgeline over the tarp and not under it. One of the guys on BCUSA suggest that because of all the tabs on the ridgeline I might want to try a ridgeline over the tarp and then hang the tarp from it via the tabs and use prussic knots to hold the tarp in place on the ridgeline. I tried that this weekend and it worked much better than placing the ridgeline under the tarp.

[dzimm]

Thanks for the quick review. The weight thing was something I thought about but for the price I didn't mind the extra little weight. That is exactly how I planned on hanging mine with a over the tarp ridgeline with some prusiks with s-biners and a figure 9 to tension the ridgeline. Do you think a set of snack we skins will fit over this tarp?

[dkurfiss]

I gave Mountain Goat, who is a cottage vendor on this forum, the size of my tarp and she made me skins for it. http://www.outdoortrailgear.com/cott...s-goods-store/

She has some good stuff, great turn around, and the finished product is excellent.

[dzimm]

Alright cool thanks I'll check it out