Tarp Question

[Bonecollector]

A buddy is asking about the slumberjack roadhouse tarp. I've never used one, but reviews are favorable online.
I told him I would be interested to know how it holds up in the wind. For example if it used in Wyoming where the wind seems to gust to 20 mph on any given calm day. lol
Was hoping someone on the forum has some experience with one that I could pass along.

Thanks guys!

 

[taskswap]

It's all going to come down to how you stake it. Most tarps are good at shedding wind if you get enough "V" in them. But if the wind can pick at the edges at all, the flapping will drag a lot of anchors straight out of the ground. In hard clay soil you can usually get a good bite, but if you're going to be somewhere with soft or sandy soil I'd invest in some good quality, longer stakes than most tarps come with.

 

[tim]

it looks like one of the anchor points is your rig. what if you want to use your rig, or does it come with 2 poles?

 

[conibear]

It's all going to come down to how you stake it. Most tarps are good at shedding wind if you get enough "V" in them. But if the wind can pick at the edges at all, the flapping will drag a lot of anchors straight out of the ground. In hard clay soil you can usually get a good bite, but if you're going to be somewhere with soft or sandy soil I'd invest in some good quality, longer stakes than most tarps come with.

+1

Don't over-think it (or even worse - overpay), focus on grommets and staking/lashing the tarp. A $10 Bi-Mart tarp staked properly will work fine. Also, you can buy grommets at Home Depot/Lowes and many other DIY stores and re-inforce a cheap tarp.

Lastly - you can make a tarp just as good as anything you can buy. You can get tents for super-cheap or free at garage sales and pawn shops, cut the tent into a suitable size, add grommets, and there's your tarp. It's cheap and self-made.

Good Hunting!