What's up with these tarps? I got one a couple years ago after more recommendations here than I can remember. I used it a few times, but passed it along to a friend when I decided to make my own.

We've since camped a bunch in the rain and he always gets soaked. He was talking about condensation a bunch, but we just realized the tarp is totally porous. I chalked it up to a dud and told him a million people here loved them.

But we just went on a river trip with another friend who's got one and he got soaked, too. Both of these tarps showed the same behavior after not more than a few nights out. It's definitely leaking and it's not the ridge-line. It's the material itself. Neither tarp was washed or exposed to anything weird. Neither one exhibits anything out of the ordinary. No visible holes, no flaking of the coating.

For this last trip, I made my first friend a sil-nylon tarp. He was amazed that you can actually stay dry camping in the rain and threw his SG out as soon as he got home. My other friend is going to do the same.

So, what's the deal? I've read so many people here liking them that I have a hard time believing they're just worthless, but it seems like shorter odds than us going two-for-two on duds.