thinking of upgrading tarp

**twsmith001** · 04-02-2011, 03:18

so i have a ulba and the ss is on the way....what i was wandering is if i should get a bigger tarp....i want to use it for a thru hike of the at starting next march.....what would you guys recomend and why?

**Bubba** · 04-02-2011, 06:23

From personal experience I can recommend OES and Warbonnet. Both make great tarps IMO and in most if not all other members opinions. I'm guessing you're going to be weight conscious so the OES McCat Standard or Warbonnet Edge both would provide good coverage but are small enough for being weight conscious. There are other good tarps out there but I only have experience with these two manufacturers.

**Chattooga** · 04-02-2011, 06:51

It rains in the Smokies even when there is a zero percent chance of rain in the forecast, so good coverage is important. I don't think you could go wrong with any of the HF listed vendors. I love my big JRB Cat, but it is on the heavier side of what is available. On the other hand, nothing adds weight to a pack like wet gear.

**Oxblood** · 04-02-2011, 11:09

A larger tarp is a must. The stock Hennessy tarp will protect you if you button down, but it doesn't do much else. You have no space to sit back, relax, etc. I went with their silnylon tarp (I actually have two now, as I set up one for my living space, and the other for the hammock when I go on motorcycle tours). The newer version is much improved, with grosgrain all around the edges and for the tie outs.

There are other tarps available as well, like OES, Warbonnet, JRB, etc. Any would make a huge improvement over the asym diamond that comes with the HH. While fractionally heavier, the larger tarp more than makes up for it in comfort alone.