remogami wrote:
thanks steve, ya i've got a couple ccs tarps, i prefer to keep them back for certain trips.
We have a variety of tarps, a large multi-color CCS Tundra Tarp, which is my usual choice favorite, a large Kelty Noah’s tarp, which is my wife’s favorite, a true parawing, and an NRS River Wing, a rafter-type tarp that packs down into a massive and heavy duffle, used mostly for car camping.
https://www.nrs.com/nrs-river-wing/pjwlNote that the River Wing has a curved cat-cut ridgeline, but has flat cut sides. More on that “wing” aspect later.
And of course some smaller/cheaper semi-sacrificial coated nylon tarps or old tent flys, which are often used as a vertical wind break, sometimes in conjunction with the Tundra Tarp.
P1070518 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
That side tarp was employed during a high wind off-season coastal trip; not a lot of brush or low Loblolly branches to break the breeze, the side wind block was appreciated, especially when I just wanted to layabout in the day hammock out of the wind. Constant wind exposure wears me out; I need shelter.
When the front moved past and the wind shifted 180 degrees it was much easier to move the windblock to the other side than to reorient the Tundra Tarp. That sideblock is actually an old Timberline “Annex” door awning, which fortuitously already had clips nicely aligned with the Tundra tarp webbing loops for easy attachment.
Different tarps for different trips and purposes. If you are looking at buying yet another tarp perhaps something different in size, shape or functional use than what you already have. Maybe a spark-resistant campfire tarp made with some newfangled fabric?
I am loath to hazard our sil-nylon or PU coated tarps to campfire sparks, and I’m done toting a heavy duty poly cheapie for that fire’s edge purpose. If such material exists I wouldn’t mind a spark-resistant fire’s edge tarp myself. I’m looking for material suggestions for a fireside tarp.
Maybe a parawing? A true parawing, made with catenary curves on the ridgeline AND sides. There are tarps sold as “wings”, but on many (most) the curve is only along the ridgeline, without the catenary cut curves along the low sides, which provides an airfoil bat-wing shape, making a true parawing essentially windproof, flap-proof and aero lofted reduces stress on the fabric, stitching and corner ties.
Parawings have a couple downsides. No pun intended; the staked-near-the-ground “downsides” reduces the headroom considerably. And the <> shape doesn’t provide as much shade or protection from sideways blowing rain as a flat tarp. All four corners of a true parawing must be set squarely spaced with the fabric bat-wing taut, and one low side should be set facing the wind.
With those notable downsides why would anyone bring a wing tarp? Because a catenary cut parawing, curved at both the ridgeline and low sides, is bombproof when properly erected, even in crazy high winds.
P5061985 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
That was up a high cliff walled, open mouth canyon site, perfectly oriented to funnel intense and sustained winds. There were multiple guy lines off each corner, anchored via buried deadmen with rocks piled atop, but the parawing assumed a true bat-wing shape, with the airfoil aspect keeping it lofted on high, without wind stress on the fabric, and absolutely unflappably quiet.
The harder it blows the more lofted firm an airfoil shape a true wing becomes. It was hard to hear anything over the howling wind, but at least there wasn’t a staccato whap-whap-whap over my head.
In places with a death or absence of trees a wing tarps two-pole set up is likewise handy.
PA170435 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
In tighter spaces with overhung branches the wing’s low sides provide a smaller footprint.
P2180690 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
One final advantage to a parawing; properly erected a wing drains water without any possibility of pooling on the fabric, and drains rain only, and exactly, at the two low corners. That makes orienting the wing to direct run off away from the tent, fire pit or other areas an easy consideration.
That directed drainage is beneficial on coastal or desert trips, where potable water, or even un-silty without alum settling filterable water, is rare or non-existent.
P5132040 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Thank the weather gods, desert rain is acoming. Quick, get the collapsible buckets under the low drainage ends.
P5112025 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
The two collapsible buckets on the rock at the left had already been filled. Fresh, un-silted, easily filtered water for everyone, take as much as you like, we are off the river in a couple days.
Mid way through a long desert river trip a sleet and freezing rain event provided me with a bucket of ice water. I still had a few tepid beers left. Ahhhh, that’s the ticket, a properly chilled ale.
Sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn’t. A week to go, praying for rain that didn’t come, but collection ready just in case. I had to put a rock in the bucket to keep it from blowing away.
P5092008 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Downsides/upsides to a parawing. Downside, the wing shown, IIRC, is 19’ x 19’, but because of the <> shape the coverage is best for two or three people, four in a shoulder-rubbing pinch. Upside, because of the <> shape there is less material (coated nylon) than in a square 19x19 tarp, and the wing packs down surprisingly small. A sil-nylon wing would be smaller still.
One last upside; that wing is 20+ years old, and has endured insane winds on many trip-specific desert and coastal occasions. The only pole or guyline connections are sewn webbing loops at the four corners. Probably due to the wind shedding, lofted unflappable aspect those webbing loops are still sound, and the stitching on the tarp panels still firm.
We had our Tundra Tarp up when the wind speed and direction unexpectedly and radically changed. Sitting under the wind-stressed tarp I freaked out looking up and seeing daylight pinholes opening along the stitching. I bellowed for my tent-bound companion “QUICK, COME HELP ME DROP THE TARP!”.
In the (brief) time it took us to do so the wind shredded a Hennessey Hammock tarp nearby. A tarp with grommets would likely have come to rest somewhere over the State line.
I have no idea who, if anyone, currently makes a bat-wing tarp. That blue one was from Campmor, and not terribly expensive even 20 years ago. I’d love to find another, with the same airfoil bat-wing shape. It could be even smaller, for use as a solo wing, and/or made from better, lighter materials than PU coated nylon.
Any ideas who makes a bat-wing wing from modern materials?