Tarp - Kelty vs. Snow Peak

[Jet111111]

With all these tarps discussed they are very similar in size and all within the same price range excluding the Kelty which is a much lower price point compared with MSR, NSR, or Snow Peak. But what it comes down to is to how much attention is paid to the details. I agree that the NRS tarp is probably a good quality tarp and so is the MSR "Zing". But when we look at the details of specs you can see the difference. There is a significant difference in Materials used as well as coatings and those will make a huge difference in the tarps longevity as well as the tarps ability to provide shade and keep you dry in rainy weather. A PU coating is essential for keeping you dry & shaded. A PU or Polyurethane coating provides that added barrier to give you more water repellency.

Also a big difference in the SP tarp compared to the others is that it comes complete with their Solid Stakes, Hammer & Case. If you haven't seen those they are amazingly strong forged out of a steel rod to go through anything. Snow Peak isn't about a fancy brand it's about paying attention to details and delivery an awesome product. Some of the SP products can be expensive and they may have more features than some users want and that's fine that's why we have tons of brands to choose from and they all make a pretty descent product for the price. But to help you out here are the top tarps discussed in the thread compared. Enjoy!

Note: I did call NSR and ask if they had a PU coating and the lady said they didn't.

 

[refried]

I see that the latest version of the NRS wing is now a light weight design and not the heavy model they made in the past. The model I have is about 10 years old, back then they were made with a 210 denier fabric and a PU coating on the underside (that is still in great shape). The price has also gone up quite a bit, The list price used to be $269, now it's $399, I paid about $100 for mine because NRS used it on one Salmon river trip/catalog shoot.
I'm pretty sure the NRS and MSR wings both still come with stakes, My NRS came with a nice assortment of stakes, extra lines and a rubber mallet (free from NRS), All 3 of my MSR wings each came with very nice Y beam (groundhog?) stakes..

 

[loup407]

As I have a Fiamma awning each on the truck and my Horizon, I don't have need for a stand-alone tarp very much. However, I do have a Kelty Noah. As someone else made reference; the Noah isn't a rectangle and I've found it relatively difficult to use as a wind block or other purpose because of the way the grommets and loops are designed and laid out.
While it works well as advertised, it's not particularly versatile. I've since removed it from my trailer and it sits in the "stuff to sell someday on Criagslist" pile. When buying a tarp, I'd suggest thinking about all the ways you might use it, and make sure the tarp you buy will facilitate those uses. I've since purchased a smaller Snow Peak tarp, which has been great.

 

[Yulli]

Thanks for all the info guys.

I have no idea what all the different ways are of setting up a tarp. There's so many configurations, don't even know where to begin.

 

[GrizAdams]

With all these tarps discussed they are very similar in size and all within the same price range excluding the Kelty which is a much lower price point compared with MSR, NSR, or Snow Peak. But what it comes down to is to how much attention is paid to the details..

The SP Hexa Proset (L) weighs in at 21.6 lbs (according to the SP website). Take out the Copper Head Peg Hammer (1.4 lbs) and you have a package that's comparable (in contents) to what NRS and NSR provide (i.e., tarp, poles and stakes).

The weights then are:
- NRS River Wing: 11.3 lbs (actually includes 1 set of plastic stakes and 1 set of metal stakes)
- MSR Zing: 6.9 lbs*
- SP SP Hexa Proset (L): 20.2 lbs

*REI actually lists more detail on what's included with the MSR Zing.

If you're just throwing that in the back of your vehicle, no problem. But that's a big difference for someone that's trying to minimize weight. Even if you use lightweight stakes on the SP, it's still considerably more heavy.

Can you provide some detail on why the materials and/or coatings on the SP would be superior to what other tarps offer?

 

[Jet111111]

The SP HD Tarps have two coatings on them.

Material:

SP uses a 210 D polyester ox. The 210 Denier is the density of nylon fabric threads. So the higher the number means it's a heavier material. In some applications such as backpacking tents & tarps you have a trade off of lighter material to minimize your weight. All seams are taped & and in the case of the grommets they have a 5 layer structure consisting of joint edging on the inner side of the main body fabric, mutual triangular pieces for reinforcement, one on top of the other to form the lining. Three 210D polyester ox are sandwiched from both sides and held in place with bias tape.

Coatings:

A Teflon Water repellent UV coating provides you with the added UV light protection and gives you water repellancy

SP also uses a PU coating for additional water resistance. The HD series of SP Tarps use a 3,000minimum. The 3,000 mm means that the fabric has been rated to withstand a 3,000mm or 10' column of water for one minute before a single drop penetrates the fabric. number refers to a water column height in millimeters. So this makes the tarp exceptionally water proof and able to withstand nearly hurricane forced water pressure without it leaking.

Also I apologize for leaving off the stakes that came with the NRS & MSR tarps.

 

[GrizAdams]

Awesome, thanks for the additional info.

 

[GrizAdams]

Mods, if this is the wrong area, please delete.

A vendor through Amazon is selling the MSR Zing at $319 (normally $399). There's only a few left in stock, but I'm sure other vendors will price match.

 

[Umnak]

Tarps

I have no idea why the unhappy face is on the top of this post.

We use tarps exclusively for our kayak and backpacking trips in southeast Alaska. I have a number of different types and sizes. Tarps beat tents for room to weight and for less condensation. The flexibility of a tarp and bivy is obvious. We sleep under tarps about 90 nights a year, throughout the year. The conversation about weight and coatings here is something to pay attention to, but more important is what you are going to use the tarp for on your camping trips. Tarp weight and the denier count is relative to the purpose and the use of the tarp. I have a 10x12 tarp for kayaking trips as a shelter that weighs 2lbs, and a 10x10 tarp for backpacking that weighs 15 ounces. They perform the same function and provide the same degree of wind and rain protection. The ultralight tarp (OwareUSA) won't last as long rubbing against a spruce tree as the heavier (WxTex) tarp. We tend to backpack in the fall and winter when it rains more, so its more about what you want to carry than how strong the fabric is, aside from reaching a certain threshold. And I do think that Ketly tarps reach that threshold.

We also carry a "kitchen" tarp. This is a 7x9 WxTex made of heavier fabric that won't get offended by the occasional spark burst hitting it from the fire. These are used for rain here, but in milder climates probably reflect the sun shade purpose that is discussed in this thread.

I have owned a couple of Kelty tarps, and find them a lot more restrictive to setting than a square (best) and a rectangle. We sewed pockets on the ends of the Kelty in order to insert a kayak paddle, which allowed us to have a set that reached from the edge of the alders to the open beach. Works great, but the cut of the tarp is not as efficient in providing dry coverage area than a similarly outfitted sq or rectangle. I still recall a miserable night on a beach in a gale under the 9x9 Kelty Tarp, trying to adjust everything to turn it into a flying wedge -- which if used is bomb proof, but not something you want to hang off a vehicle. I would not purchase another wing style tarp for sleeping, but they are OK and fun to set as a kitchen tarp. Actually, I did have an 18x18 tarp for sleeping and kitchen when I was a kayak guide on Baffin Island, and it worked well, but that was huge.

I am trying to decide what to attach to our 4Runner for a road trip up the Dempster Highway in the Northwest Territories. We won't be sleeping under the tarp (going for in vehicle camping) so this is about rain protection and to play with a tarp on the trip. I tried both the 7x9 and the 9x9 this afternoon in a mild breeze. I'll have a couple of adjustable 8' poles to work with, and that makes me want to go with the 7x9 WxTex. However, the Kelty 9x9 would give us more length and would only require one contact point on the roof rack.I was surprised that the 7x9 didn't win on the first round. I discovered it needs a lot more than the 7.5' of pvc tubing I had around the house. I would need to find a way to extend the length of the roof rack, say by using a 9' length of PVC attached to it in order to use the rectangle (7x9).

So, that being said, what do you use to attach a square or rectangle to your roof? Is there something I can slip under the hood and secure as a short pole to hold one side of the tarp? We won't be taking more than one road trip a year -- there is no road into Juneau so we have to take a ferry to get to the road system. Once a year is enough of that.


For pictures of our tarp camps see http://www.flickr.com/photos/umnak/

a recent set http://www.flickr.com/photos/umnak/7378367198/

 

[Ace Brown]

I have a Kelty Noah's 9x9 that I have used for 12 years and it's still serving me well despite residing on my roof rack inside a dry bag for most of the past four years (heat!). I won't even try to claim its in the same class as MSR, NRS or Snow Peak but at this price point it is just fine.