Previous to buying my Brooks-Range Mountaineering Ultralite Guide+ Tarp I hadn’t owned any Silnylon tarps except for my Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Tarp Poncho.  I really like my tarp poncho but it’s a hair too small for me to consider a seriously protective shelter because I just couldn’t make many configurations except maybe a lean-to configuration.  I also owned an ENO Housefly, a polyester Kelty Noah 9×9 Tarp and a coated nylon Equinox Egret 8′ X 10′ Tarp and they are all great tarps but they just didn’t hit the mark.  Well after seeing lots of youtube videos on tarp configurations; reading about various tarp configurations and hiking with friends who tarp camped I admit I was bitten by the bug.  I still wasn’t quite fully committing myself to tarp camping but I was intrigued by the flexibility and lightness of camping with a tarp and groundsheet.  And from everything that I watched and read a 10’x10′ sil-nylon tarp would be the ideal tarp for my particular needs.

I looked at nearly all of the biggest gear manufacturers like Big Agnes, Sea To Summit, Kelty, MSR, ENO, Exped, Hilleberg, Snow Peak, Crazy Creek, Brooks-Range Mountaineering, Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Mountain Laurel Designs, Bearpaw Wilderness Designs, RAB, Outdoor Equipment Manufacturer and Gossamer Gear.  They all make some incredible tarps of all different shapes and sizes that hit just about every possible type of setup that you could possibly want.  When it finally came down to it I decided on the Brooks Range Mountaineering Ultralite Guide+ Tarp for it’s size, weight and flexibility.  The Retail Price is normally $189.95 but Campsaver had it marked down to $151.96 so I went ahead and made the purchase.

My initial impression upon opening up my new tarp was decent.  The tarp comes in a nylon pouch that feels like the same material as the tarp itself so it’s lightweight and compact.  They also provide a length of nice small diameter cordage which is great because it’s not precut so I can cut the cordage to whatever length I want.  Or, as in my case, I have tons of precut lengths of cordage with line locks already installed so I’ll keep this length of cordage intact to be used as a ridge line to hang the tarp, perfect!

The material has a really nice hand and is very lightweight and flexible so it compacts down small and takes up very little space.  The center seam is taped as well which is a great thing but I sealed it anyway because I don’t like surprises in thunderstorms when I want a dry refuge.

There are numerous tie-outs that are of good solid nylon that are anchored to the tarp at reinforced areas which should provide many years of use.  The Velcro is my favorite part so I hope it proves to be as useful as I’m thinking it will be.

I’m looking forward to putting this thing to the test and see how well it proves itself on future trips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This tarp has everything I’m looking for….

• It’s 10′ x 10′ which is enough for making nearly all tarp configurations
• Mini Velcro is sewn onto the edges so you can fasten it to itself or seal up two sides
• Weighs only 15.5 oz

 

 

 

 

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Here is some information straight from the Brooks-Range Mountaineering website…..

• Dimensions: 10′ x 10′ (3.05 x 3.05 m)
• Surface Area: 100 ft.² (9.3 m²)
• Weight: ~ 15.5 oz. (457 g)

Our ultralight hi-tech fabric, is a 20/20 denier ripstop nylon fabric, It easily shears weather thanks to an impressive strength-to-weight ratio.

We are confident Brooks-Range Ultralite fabric is the lightest water proof fabric available for such heavy duty use.