I've never bothered with a tarp  my self, but on a couple of group trips (5 day trips with our churhes youth group) folks brought large plastic tarps, & with the group they were trip savers when (not if) it rained so I decided to get my own for my personal trips.
I know CCS makes a great tarp ( :)), but I had some points to burn at Cabelas & they had the Kelty Noaks Tarps on sale so I grabbed the 12'x12'.
It arrived yesterday, & I have to say it looks really good.  Anybody else using one?

I can't say I use that particular brand (I have an Integral Designs Siltarp 10x12) but I wouldn't ever consider heading out without a good lightweight tarp.  The idea of sitting in a tent for a day or two waiting for the weather to clear is definitely not my idea of good time.  Every time I pitch hoist my tarp (because it feels more like hoisting a sail then pitching a tent) I can't help but feel what a clever lad I am.  Very fulfilling!  Seriously though, learning how to rig a tarp is well worth the time and practice to perfect.

I agree with Kerry. 

A tarp is required gear for my trips.  In fact, on some trips I pack a 10X10 to cover gear, and a 12X15 for us to sit under during inclement weather.  I bought both tarps from the BWJ store. I have no idea if they're a good deal or not, but both are lightweight and keep the rain off us and our gear.

On June trips I pack a CCS screen tent.    (You need to Login or Register

This has been one of those few "game changer" purchases, making June trips "civilized."  We cook, eat, play games, read, nap, etc, in this tarp, all the while listening to the droning of millions of mosquitos on the outside.  It makes camping pleasurable.   

prouboy

I'm with Kerry and prouboy, I wouldn't go without at least one lightweight tarp.

Pat

I've actually been paring down what's important to me for solo trips. A tarp was a welcome addition at one time. I've been considering leaving my tent at home in favor of the tarp and a bivy sack but having a tent lets me sleep oh so soundly so...

The one thing I've never understood is a tarp for gear. The first time I brought a tarp someone volunteered to set it up for the first time ever at our second campsite. Cool! Go for it.

She rigged it so low to the ground the first comment I recall was where's the Mazola®? She was a backpacker so it made a little sense to some of us.

Never underestimate comfort and security.

A tarp along with a good saw/hatchet-small axe/rain suit are items I wouldn't go without anytime of the year.
Weather can change so fast.
I have a Dry-Fly tarp. With the ability to close it down on 3 sides, you can adjust it for any rain/wind condition.
I'd seal the seams first thing and make sure you dry it completely before you pack it away at home.
I used to take the time to fold mine in camp, but now just stuff into a appropriate size sack and lay on top of pack on closed plastic liner bag.
I tried using all styles of guy-line adjusters but found that when I pulled tarp out packed either way, the lines would still get tangled around them.
I have all the guy-lines pre-rigged at about  10'.
I use a trucker hitch and this allows me to use whatever is handy to loop a line around and secure  I bring good stakes too.
When I break camp, I don't tie up the guy-lines, I just leave them alone. I drop tarp and just stuff into sack. Lines don't tangle or should I say they come apart easily the next time up.
I pitch/takedown my tent under tarp so I don't have to worry about packing a tent/fly away wet.

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Vance......I am a big believer in learning from others. I have neither the time nor inclination to learn by trial and error and will initially see what more learned people have to say. Then I will adapt to what suits me.

Do yourself a big favor and get Cliff Jacobs DVD "Forgotten Skills". You will be setting up a tarp in fine style quickly and efficiently.
You will learn the advantage of using a "ridgeline" rope to provide a stable and solid start. You will learn the art of using ropes and lines, quick release knots, sheet bends and truckers hitches. You will also learn how to store your ropes for quick and easy use.

I like a dedicated center pole to prevent sagging and pooling in inclement weather. REI has a fine collapsible model which I like very much.......all this talk has me ready to go!

CCS has a nice link to setting up a tarp on his website.

Vance, Sorry to say I got 2 Kelty Tarps, a 9/9 1st, and it didn't seem to have great coverage so I got the 12/12. I wasn't very satisfied with it either. They are parabolic and it looks like you can put two opposite corners high and the other two low and it'll be nice and tight. It is tight. But it doesn't really protect you much in camp.

When I really want a tarp up, it always seems I want one long edge down to the ground to block the wind, a ridge line to make a wall, and the rest stretched out about head high for the roof.

I finally got a CCS. Works great using the info he has on his website.

I don't think the weight of the tarp is that great. I think I actually pack more weight in ropes than tarp. I like having a decent sized rope I can work with cold fingers, not parachute cord. And I leave them long enough to reach a long ways..

P.S. Please don't burn the tarp poles at camp. You'll usually find them leaning up against a tree so they don't rot on the wet ground.  :dankk2

One other thing about tarps. I got a light colored one. It's brighter under them and that helps when your digging into food barrels and packs on those dark gloomy days. Also nice in the dark with a small lantern under them reflecting a warm glow on the ground.

I've used a 10' X 14' CCS ultra-light tarp for years.  Occasionally I'll leave that at home & use my CCS Lean Three Shelter (also ultra-light sil-nylon), especially in the late summer or fall when I can also use it as a tent.

Jimbo  8-)

Although   (You need to Login or Register does tend to make one look a little jaundiced when the sunlight hits it (here rigged as a combo rain fly and wind break).

dd

I'll agree with JimJS on KNT12.  I have one as well and initially it was the lower cost the drew me to it.  It's decent material, but it is designed to pitch on the diagonal, making it a bit funky and it just feels smaller to operate under.  It is great to pitch your tent under though.  I seldom use it anymore and like the majority here, prefer a flat rectangular tarp. 

I always take one or two depending on group size.  More than 4 under a 10x12 starts feeling crowded, especially if you're cooking under it.  I picked up a Crazy Creek sil-nylon 10x12 a few years ago and it's my go to tarp.  It's not 'quite' flat, as it has somewhat gabled ends, but I like it.  The Sil-nylon is the only way to go IMO.  Water beads off it it like a freshly waxed car and if you bring along a synthetic car shammy (can you say Sham-Wow!) it dries it off super fast and you don't end up packing a soaking wet tarp when you move on.  That shammy is also my go-to camp towel - no waiting for a soggy wet cotton one to dry out.  Forget trying to roll up a sil-nylon tarp too - way to slippery - just stuff it in the bag! 

pd

     Hope I'm not getting off topic (again),   but , has anyone tried using a homemade Tyvek tarp? They're light and strong (and cheap) and present a problem only in the strenghth they might lack at the tie down points.  I think twisting the corners to become 'cord like' and then bending the corner cord around to tie a double loop sheep shank with,makes a pretty strong attachment while the intermitent attachment points could be done with a 'pebble and loop' cord attachment.

Actually, Tyvek, relative to silnylon, is pretty heavy and bulky (you can't just compress and stuff it into a small sack like you can with silnylon.  I also understand that it breaks down fairly quickly when exposed to sunlight.  It is more useful to go under you (tent footprint) than over you (tarp.)

thanks. I'm glad to know that.

I have used the same shape of tarp for years.  The 12' is tight for 4 adults in a driving rain storm but it works.  If you get a really bad storm put your canoe on its side on one side to block the wind and rain, it ialso make a great place to store your gear.  If it does not have one glue a small loop in the middle so you can hang a candle lantern.  If you get Eureka's 8 foot 4 piece poles (very light) you can use 3 sections to keep the tarp low in a storm the 8' works great otherwise.