cheapo tarps [groundsheets?]

[madra]

i just noticed these, while perusing the machine mart catalogue the other day. the blurb says:

...This tarpaulin is manufactured from tough woven polyethylene for a waterproof, mould/mildew proof & tear resistant cover. UV treated for longer life, this Clarke waterproof tarpaulin features reinforced edges & metal grommet eyelets...

i'm wondering how tough they'd actually be. at £5,86 for the 8' x 6' one, they'd make for pretty cheap groundsheets; the camoflage one looks coolest, but the blue/reflective one might be handier for keeping the heat in.

 

[para106]

Looks OK as a groundsheet. Only one way to really find out - buy it, use it then report back

 

[Mesquite]

If it's a groundsheet you're ater I'd go for an IPK sheet.

Similar size, folds up smaller, doesn't rustle and comes with 100ft of strong nylon cord (ok it's white but it's handy for lots of stuff) and some strong pegs. Most army surplus stores have a few knocking round

 

[spiritwalker]

If it's a groundsheet you're ater I'd go for an IPK sheet.

Similar size, folds up smaller, doesn't rustle and comes with 100ft of strong nylon cord (ok it's white but it's handy for lots of stuff) and some strong pegs. Most army surplus stores have a few knocking round

is that water tight? would it be useful as a simple tarp for wildlife watching?

 

[Mesquite]

is that water tight? would it be useful as a simple tarp for wildlife watching?

Yup, it's waterproof as it's designed to be a shelter tarp. Only thing is it doesn't come with any loops or eyelets so you'd have to fit them yourself

 

[spiritwalker]

hmm thats a bugger whats the intended use for them without eyelets? are they supposed to be knotted corners with cordage or something? just curious as they are a great price for making something up with or possibly extending my laavu?

are they canvas they look it from the pic or are they like garage woven tarps / tent groundsheets?

 

[Mesquite]

hmm thats a bugger whats the intended use for them without eyelets? are they supposed to be knotted corners with cordage or something? just curious as they are a great price for making something up with or possibly extending my laavu?

Here's more info about them

 

[spiritwalker]

cheers for that

 

[Paul72]

i just noticed these, while perusing the machine mart catalogue the other day. the blurb says:

i'm wondering how tough they'd actually be. at £5,86 for the 8' x 6' one, they'd make for pretty cheap groundsheets; the camoflage one looks coolest, but the blue/reflective one might be handier for keeping the heat in.

I got one of these from Ebay (looks the same to me going by the camo pattern), they're cheap and cheerful but I haven't actually tested mine yet. Drawbacks are that it's quite thin and rustles a fair bit but would still be okay. Personally though I'd probably fork out a bit extar to get soemthing toughter next time.

 

[Paul_B]

IIRC grip-its are what you need. I think that's what they are called. Basically they are clips that grip tarps either in the middle of the sides for a lifting point where there isn't one or on the edges. They can then take a cord, guyline or elastic loop to peg it out. A ferw of those could work for you. A lot of small scale UL gear manufacturers from USA and even UK might sell them. I suggest Team IO bight sell them or cleats.co.uk might help. Never bought any as Already have a Kathmandu Basha that has all the loops and lifting points I need as a ground dweller.

I have a good source of plastic sheets and bags for groundsheets. My current one is a pallet bag. It is a rather tough, clear plastic bag that can go over a pallet load that is 2m x 1.5m x 2m plus high! I have one that is partly cut down for a two man ground sheet and there is probably enough for another two for when I eventually puncture it. I also have seen some thinner plastic bags that are almost as big but would be lighter. I could probably use them in a double layer two man groundsheet and still it would weigh less than 100g probably much less. Food grade plastic too apparently.

Another way to create guying points on plain plastic sheets is the old wrap a stone and tie a cord around the wrap so the stone stops the cord coming off. I've heard of people doing that with those big two man emergency bivvy bags (the orange poly ones that are double sized).

 

[Paul_B]

You can often buy those blue tarpaulin sheets with eyelets from builders merchants rather cheaply too. I've seen 4m square ones for as little as £6-7. Or if you are friendly with a transport company you can often get something like that quite literally fallen off the back of a lorry. But I never suggested that.

 

[tim_n]

You can get 1m x 2m for £1 at poundland. Though they're not fabulous, but what do you expect for £1

 

[bilmo-p5]

There's some variation in the quality of IPK tarps. Some, like mine are simply a sheet of tough slightly textured plastic. Others I've seen seem to have some sort of wax(?) proofing treatment on them which makes them unpleasant to use. In either case they're about 8' x 4' and I use mine mostly as a g/sheet when I'm under a big tarp.

Here's a couple of pics of an IPK sheet set up as a tarp

Here's a pic of a 3m x 3m woven polythene polytarp which I made up recently.

It has one of the Poundland 2m x 1m polys under it here. I used this tarp last Sat & Sun nights in the Dales and it kept me lovely and dry even if it was abit cramped with 6'6" of me under it. The eyelets that the polytarps come with are absolute sh**e and you can pull them out just by looking hard at them. Clingons are a much better bet and are good value. These are also good, if you can find them.
The polytarps are cheap and cheerful but I don't expect they will last very long.

 

[Paul_B]

Clingons! That was the name I was looking for. I called them Gripits. One's a Star Trek based made up lifeform the others the language of frogs (the amphibian not the European humans).

I miss my tarp. not been out in it since May. Doubt I'll get out again for a few months neither. Tarps are just another way to enjoy the outdoors in a way tents just don't allow. I've kippped in some quite windy weather in open country and when hunkered down tarps are able to handle a lot. Less flappy than a laser comp. Of course being in the Lakes I'm a ground dweller by preference.

Anyone tried making their own tarps up from scratch? What features would you add like paddle pockets or suspension/lifter loops that aren't right on commercial tarps?

I once bought a Lidl or Aldo cover meant for stuff loaded onto roof racks or to cover stuff in the back of an estate. It came with some thick cordage about 15 or 30m IIRC. Weigh too heavy for my liking. Also it had 16 eyelets around the edge. Was like those woven-like plastic tarps builder use but totally waterproof. Used it as a groundsheet once under my Kathmandu basha when I forgot my old groundsheet. Was a lot lighter than my groundsheet (which was thick plastic from yeomans). Reckon it'd make a good tarp shelter at something like 2m to 3m square. Keep an eye out for one, they look like a good option for about £5-6.