I've decided to get a tarp for a newly purchased wild camping/touring tent. I thought a tarp would give us lots of flexibility. Just want to ask a few questions about them: 1. Are they completely waterproof?,
2. Do you need to take them down at night? - basically, will it blow down or blow away?!
Also, any pics would be great!
Thanks
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1) they are like the fly sheet to a tent. Open at the ends and side. There are sun shade type tarps which may not be waterproof. A camping tarp should be waterproof.
2) It might rain at night, if you're camping under it either on the ground or in a hammock, I'd want it to stay up. As they take a couple of minutes to put up and take down the decision is yours. How well is it guyed? How well is the site chosen?
decathlon do a nice one that sheds water well. Buy two then you have the flexibility of joining them together to cover picnic tables etc. A google for tarps will show hundreds out there.
we use our decathalon tarp like this in the rain and then in the sun. Its a brilliant bit of kit. we did tend to take it down at night, but only to the point to droping the poles, we left the guys in , mainly due to the noise it made when the wind got under it.
Liz
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A wee tip if you're thinking of getting a tarp - look out any spare/old tents you have and use the canopy poles for your tarp. The Decathlon tarp comes with 2 poles but if you have 2 or 3 extra it gives you the flexibility of many different configerations, especially if there isn't a spare tree etc around to use LOL
Decathlon tarps ok but for a few quid difference check out a far far superior product from DD hammocks. Hydrostatic Head of 3000 (same as many good quality tents) http://www.ddhammocks.com/products.php?cat=3
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Quote: Originally posted by tightcamper on 05/9/2009
Decathlon tarps ok but for a few quid difference check out a far far superior product from DD hammocks. Hydrostatic Head of 3000 (same as many good quality tents) http://www.ddhammocks.com/products.php?cat=3
I use a canvas tarp and use different combinations of poles and guying points depending on what I want to achieve. I left it standing in back garden for several weeks - all weather from hot sunshine, to strong strong winds and heavy rain, and it stayed up just fine. Kept it up overnight on recent trip with strong winds and rain - again no problem. Just need to make sure it's guyed properly.
I used my tarp. It was great keeping us dry when it rained. Definitley need extra poles for more configeration or height. left it up only because we were well sheltered. Other wise i would recommend to take it down. In my own experience camping in Beddgelert It was really windy through the night plus rain, there was a lot of flapping with the tarp, but i stayed put, eventually it went quiet i thought it properbly flew off or something. Pleasently surprised it did'nt, the poles fell down, but the tarp was still anchored to the ground plus still intact. I thought it was well guyed. Must have done something wrong, maybe try extra guys at the poles or something especially if petemillis tarp stayed up in strong winds and heavy rain which i experienced at the time.
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Heather
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