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Granite Gear White Lightnin’ Tarp
Reviewer Information
Name: Casey Jordan
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Height: 6’2 (1.8 Meters)
Weight: 160 (72.5 Kilograms)
Email address: [email protected]
City, State, Country: Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.
Date: 4th November 2014
Backpacking Background: I started backpacking as soon as I was old enough to drive and go out on my own. I spend most, if not all of my free time exploring Virginia and all it has to offer; I travel rain or shine in all seasons. I like to travel as minimal and as lightweight as possible so that I can enjoy every moment I’m outdoors. I am also a very social hiker and I’ll take in anybody who is willing to tag along.
About
Dimensions- 8x10ft (2.4x3 Meters)
Material- 30D Sil-Nylon Cordura
Color- Blue/White
Features- Catenary cut, Adjustable guy points
Product information
Manufacturer
- Granite Gear
Year of manufacture
- 2012
http://www.granitegear.com http://www.granitegear.com
Listed weight
- 19oz (538.6 grams)
Weight as delivered- 20oz (567 grams)
Required for set up- Rope or 2 trekking poles
Product description. This isn’t your mama’s lightweight shelter; this guy is made for the Spartans. It is very durable and very lightweight, however if you’re looking to be hidden from the outdoors this is NOT the tarp for you. Is sole purpose is to keep you and your gear dry while taking up as little space in your pack as possible. It comes with a sewn in stuff sack and compresses to the size of a soft ball
Field information
Spy Rock- Montebello, Va (2 nights)
-With the summit of this mountain sitting in at just under 4,000 ft (1213.1 meters) this beautiful overlook is Very windy all times of the day. The top of Spy rock is exactly that, rocks. So the challenge was finding a nice patch of grass. When we found a good location the tarp was set up with 2 trekking poles and stood at about 4 ft tall. With about 5 ft of with at the bottom of the tarp it was just enough room for me and my buddy to sleep comfortably without putting either of us in an uncomfortable bromance position. There was no rain on either night we were there but with no trees to block the passing air is became rather windy. I think the tarp did a good job at blocking the wind however there were time when I felt a cold breeze enter my sleeping bag and lets just say I don’t like the cold.
Mt Rogers/ The Grayson Highlands- Marion, Va (4 nights)
-Standing proud and tall Mt. Rogers is the tallest mountain in Va with elevations up to 5,729ft. (1746.2) While I was there it rained 3 of the 4 nights (Lucky me) and the night it didn’t rain it was extremely windy. I kept with the 2 trekking pole set up and Like before the tarp held up good in the wind, it also helped that we were covered by trees, and me and my friend both slept good. The next night we were further up the AT closer to Mt Rogers and that’s when the rain kicked it. We were able to set up the tarp quickly and throw our gear underneath with out getting to wet so I guess the fact that it is so easy to set up is a definite bonus. However one thing I realized is that winds mixed with a down poor of rain makes a soggy camper. I’m not saying I was soaked my any means but I was a little wet because water was slowly dripping through the tarp and it was already windy so being wet is not something I wanted to add on to my list of problems.
Summary- I would recommend this tarp to anybody who truly wants to experience the outdoors in a very authentic way. Its nice feeling like I’m out in nature with out feeling confined to the walls of a tent. However I would not recommend this tarp in extreme storm situations because I just don’t believe it was built to withstand all of that at least from my experience.
Liked
- Durable
- Cool Look
- Light Weight
- Takes up little room
- Easy set up
Didn’t like
- Lets in small amounts of water
- Condensation
- No protection from bugs
- Some wind gets through