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Cheap tarp ripped on my third trip so I went with a poly-cotton blend instead
Last year I bought a $20 tarp from a big box store and it tore right down the middle during a windy night at a spot near Lake Tahoe. Spent the whole next morning patching it with duct tape just to get through the weekend. That killed any trust I had in those budget sil-nylon sheets. Picked up a simple poly-cotton tarp from a local surplus shop for around $40 and it's been solid through rain and gusts for 8 months now. It's heavier for sure, but I don't worry about waking up soaked. Anyone else switch away from those ultralight tarps for something more durable?
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ramirez.daniel4d ago
Dude, the poly cotton tarps are where it's at for real world use lol. I went through three of those cheap silnylon ones before I wised up, had one delaminate on a humid night and the other just shredded at the tie outs. The weight trade off is totally worth it when you're not waking up in a puddle or chasing your shelter across a field at 2am. My surplus tarp is like 4 pounds but I can beat the hell out of it and it just keeps going, no weird sticky coatings or fragile seams to worry about.
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nancy_owens4d ago
You ever get any mildew issues with that poly cotton?
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