Woodlife

At last my new tarp has arrived. I decided a few months ago that the 2.50m x 1.50m Katmandu tarp might not be big enough for excursions over a few days. I was in a bit of a dilemma whether to get another one. I finally succumbed and ordered a Tatonka 2 tarp.

Coming in at 3m x 3m this tarp is really the business. This poly version only weighs 93 grams although the poly cotton version is a bit heavier. The tarp is well made as you would expect from a reputable company with reinforced loops on all corners as well as eyelets. There are also loops in the middle and in the centre of the ridge line. They’ve even put a small Velcro loop in the centre underneath the tarp so that you can run a utility line under the tarp. The advantage over the smaller tarp is that apart from more room to stash kit, cook under and cover the hammock or other sleep system, the 3m sides can be pulled almost to the ground in bad weather, and there will still be enough head room to move about comfortably. The smaller tarp certainly won’t be made redundant. I like this tarp because it is small and will be still be used for shorter excursions, use in closed woodland and for daily use.

I use the 10 meters of 7mm paracord for the ridge line and 5meters of 3mm cord for the guy lines. The length of the ridge line allows for a utility line to be rigged underneath the tarp. This is handy for hanging stuff on (like stuff sacks, torch, glasses etc). I took the opportunity of filming setting up and packing away the tarp. There’s definitely a knack to this and I think it’s good to keep practicing. There’s nothing worse than fiddling about when it’s pouring with rain. In inclement weather, the tarp should be first up. I’ve also demonstrated the knots I use. If these aren’t very clear, let me know.

The Evenk and slippery knots work quite well for me, being quite simple and more importantly, quick to set up and easy to release. The slippery knot helps keep the ridge line nice and taut. Since I made the film, I decided not to wrap the ridge line around the folded up tarp, but to fold it separately after the tarp has been put into the stuff sack. This way, when unpacking, time is saved unrolling the line from the tarp and there’s less chance of the line getting tangled.

All in all I’m very pleased with the tarp. I’m now going to experiment with different configurations but I’ll mainly use the ‘open front’ configuration (photo) unless it’s really bad weather when, of course, the whole thing will be closed down.

I must apologise for not posting the promised mid-week post as I had Internet connection problems. I’ll try and post mid week if all goes well.

Thanks for the visit.