Unigear Tarp Rain Fly Tarp Waterproof Tent Cover Hiking Shelter Foldable Lightweight Waterproof for Camping and Protection Against Rain, Snow and Sun

Update December 2019: -Having used my tarps for over 18 months I can happily report that they have far exceeded my expectations.No leaks, no tears, no problems in the varied Irish outdoor environment where every type of weather is encountered.The attachment points have held up very well and show no signs of stress yet. Pegs are as good as they day they were received. I've replaced a number of the guy lines due to wear and tear but this is entirely acceptable as I've really put these tarps through their paces on both open land and in forestry. The tarp tent is my favourite configuration with the 3x3m size as it lends itself well to this set up. I've other configurations tried too but the tarp tent is probably the most versatile, especially in poor weather.I try to fold the tarps slightly differently after each use so as to avoid creasing repeatedly along the same lines. When they are dirty I simply wash them with clean water and NO detergent. Absolutely no sign of mould on any of them but I do always take the time to ensure that I unpack and dry them properly after each trip if they are damp or wet.The silver side when turned outwards during sunny weather was really brilliant when draped over my vehicle, especially the windscreen. It actually kept the inside of the car comfortably cool. I was surprised at the difference it made.Overall I cannot in any way fault these tarps and am putting my money where my mouth is and ordering more for my outdoor activities.Original Review: May 2018: -This is not what you would expect for the price you pay, it's way better!The tarp is extremely good quality with 8 decent attachment points that when used properly will not cause any issue. The eyelets are properly inserted and it's great that they are in the tapes rather than through the tarp itself. The tapes of a thick material that seems to be hard wearing and are very well attached with excellent stitching.The 6 supplied guy lines are ok, one I received had a frayed guy line but its no big deal. The 6 pegs supplied are sturdy but lightweight aluminium round pegs. A little on the short side but adequate in "normal" ground conditions, There is little danger of bending them as they are a decent diameter. The hook is good in that it is well formed and continues around in a proper semi-circle unlike most pegs that simply have a right angle bend on the end.The tarp being two sided (one silver and the other green in my case) offers the advantage of being able to turn the silver side outwards to reflect sunlight so as to offer decent shade. Turn the silver side inwards to reflect heat from fire or to reflect light from a lantern etc... I can testify to this from experience.It comes in an appropriately sized bag of the same material with a drawstring. The pegs and guy lines supplied are packed in with the tarp further contained in a smaller but suitably sized bag of the same material again with a drawstring. Due to the adequate sizing of both storage bags the tarp is easy to pack away again with ease.If this tarp is used and maintained properly then I would expect it to last as well as any of the more expensive tarps of a similar size. Mine will see much use in various configurations from family camping, Scout activities and wild camping so I do expect them to wear out with use but no more than any of the more expensive ones would for the same use.As I can afford more, I'll buy some extra ones to have for when I need them in the future. They are so affordable it is justifiable to keep one in our family vehicles as an emergency shelter, blanket, (these have a silver reflective side remember). They can have multiple uses and due to the compact packing and light weight I'd highly recommend they be carried for outdoor activities and can even be used as an emergency stretcher if the need arises (don't do this without the proper training and experience though...!)

The media could not be loaded. A well made well thought out tarp with a mixture of good and less good points and some features none of my other ones have. The main drawback of this one is that it only has the tie off and peg points at each corner and the mid point of each side. It pretty much makes up for this though by putting the eyelets in the tie off loops rather that in the tarp itself. This should greatly improve the durability of the tarp. Some tarps also have tie off loops in the middle which does certainly make them even more flexible in application but must surely leave more chances of leaking in the middle which will not do if you are using them to sleep under. This one has no such flaws. I have included a close up of the tie offs for this tarp as well as one of the accessories supplied.For most uses you will need tie off points in the middle of the sides and at the corners which is what you get here and each tie off point also has a hole which will serve for a peg or the pin on the end of a pole. In wild camping many of us prefer a rope between two trees as the 'Ridge' of our shelter and on the recent bushcraft weekend I attended that is certainly how the shelters were made. The quick demo windbreak shelter I made in the garden did use poles and was due to lack of space not as 'tight' as I would have liked.I do like the two colours of this tarp because in hot sunny weather you can use it silver side up to reflect the heat; in cooler weather the dark brown not only blends in with natural colours but will also absorb heat a little better.These tarps are really very useful for expeditions, wild camping and survival. You can make a shelter or windbreak, make a hammock or use one as a ground sheet, wrap one around dried grasses or leaves to make a mattress, stretch one out over suitable supports to catch rain water for drinking. You can also use them to improvise a sail for rafted canoes.I have included some photos of various tarps in use on our bushcraft weekend, this one can also be used for making the same things, I just did not have one of my own when I went!A quick good search for Tarp folding or Tarp uses will find many sites with some detailed ideas that you can steal, I mean adapt!

Once in a while you buy a product that is really satisfying to own and use. This for me is one of those products. I bought the largest of the sizes on offer and I’m glad I did as it allows a number of varying uses. With a couple of poles it can be attached to a tent as a generous covered area, useful in rain and sun. Alternatively it can be set up like an A frame tent and with two more poles it is a superb and lightweight event shelter. The whole thing is well made with lots of well reinforced loops and eyelets for attaching the numerous guy lines and pegs (8 of each in my set). Although I’ve yet to fully test it, it seems to be very waterproof and strong enough to resist moderate wind (depending on how you have it set up). Great for camping, picnics and even setting up in the garden if the weather looks iffy. The whole thing comes with a lovey peg bag and a stuff sack that is just big enough to get the whole lot into without too much compression. I’m now left wondering why I didn’t get one of these before.