TRG - Tarp 2 and Small DCF Tarp

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TRG - Tarp 2 and Small DCF Tarp

Postby James777 » Wed 04 Jan, 2023 10:04 pm

I haven't seen a great deal of reviews of Terra Rosa Gear tarps and now that I own two of them I thought I'd share my experiences. Overall I've been really impressed with both of them and highly recommend them.

TRG Tarp 2
Time Owned:
Approximately 7 years.

Materials and Specs:
The Tarp 2 is a 3x2m flat tarp with 12 triangular plastic tie out rings and I chose the 20D Silpoly. With about 12m of 3mm cord on each of the 12 tie outs, it comes in at 409g on my scales. TRG lists the tarp only at 315g. All TRG gear is made in Melbourne.

Price Paid:
I believe I paid $265.00, which is still the current price - https://terrarosagear.com/collections/trg-tarps/products/zh1s3ajrp4f3339y92x9ugvdypga3q.

Nature of Use:
This tarp has been my go to shelter on the vast majority of overnight/multiday trips for the last 7 years. It's been used roughly 5-20 nights out per year in that time, in what I would consider fairly 'standard' Australian conditions (FNQ, SEQ, Vic Mallee deserts, Grampians, Budawangs, Larapinta Trail etc). Most of this use has been in warmer weather (it's never seen snow) and with relatively careful campsite selection.

Generally I've favoured a standard A-frame pitch for decent rain coverage and good ventilation, but with the ease of dropping it down if the wind picks up. Due to the seam running across it's short length (as opposed to the more common ridge line seams), it doesn't get quite as crisp of a ridge. However, when in pitches that require a ridge along the short length (half pyramid etc) this works well.

The majority of the time it's been just me under the tarp and the size works really well for that. Things are a bit tight with two people, but it can certainly be done. I've also occasionally used it over a hammock and found it gives fairly good cover. When the temps drop and/or the wind picks up and you need it pitched to the ground, things do get a bit tight (I'm 6ft). This is particularly true once condensation forms and causes sagging in the Silpoly. This is just the reality of this size of tarp, but in the majority of situations I've found it to give great cover whilst still giving a wonderful open view.

The stuff sack is just the right size in my opinion, making it easy to roll or stuff the tarp and lines in first go.

Fit and Finish:
Overall I'd say this is a very nicely made tarp. The tie outs are attached with what I'd call a double bar tack, but minus the zig-zag stitch over the top. This is a simple looking tie-out compared to more elaborate box stitches etc, but I've certainly never had any issue s (the owner of TRG uses them in far harsher conditions than I have) and they're holding up great.

It's worth noting that I seam sealed this myself and whilst it's never leaked a drop, I did a terrible looking job. In fact, it was the first siliconised fabric I'd sealed and I think I may have even used some left over Seam Grip by mistake, yikes. At the time of purchase TRG offered to seal it for me (no idea if they still do that, but I'd assume so).

Durability:
At this stage there's nothing about this tarp's condition that would make me question taking it out. The only signs of wear are a few tie-outs where the end of the webbing may not have been sealed off well enough and they've frayed. The Silpoly has held up very nicely and apart from my appalling seam sealant job, the cleaner parts of it still look like new. It's worth noting I've never used it as a ground sheet and have always been careful not to let it rub on trees/rocks etc when possible.

Overall Opinion:
I'd have no reservations at all in recommending this tarp to someone looking for a well made and fairly priced 1 person tarp. I think this size, with the good number of tie outs, offers good cover for one person and a bunch of pitching options. The materials and stitching have held up very well and it still has plenty of life left in it after 7 years of regular use. At this stage it still puts a smile on my face waking up under this thing and I expect to be using it for many more years to come.

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TRG Tarp 2 in a low pitch.

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TRG Tarp 2 nice breezy pitch.

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TRG Tarp 2 hunkered down for a cold night.

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TRG Tarp 2 Tie Out

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TRG Tarp 2 Packed Size


TRG Small DCF Tarp
Time Owned:
Only 5 Months, so this is more of a first impressions review.

Materials and Specs:
The Small DCF Tarp is a 3x1.3m (yep, it's pretty tiny) flat tarp with 12 line lock tie outs and the material is 0.5oz DCF. With 10m of 1.5mm cord, it comes in at 153g on my scales. TRG lists the tarp only at 140g.

It's made from a single sheet of DCF, so there are no seams.

Price Paid:
I paid $295.00, which is still the current price - https://terrarosagear.com/collections/shelter/products/trg-tarp-small-dcf. I had planned to order the materials from the US and make my own, but at that time it worked out about the same to buy a ready made one from TRG. I'm sure that's not always the case though.

Nature of Use:
In the short time I've had this tarp it's been used on 5 overnighters (plus a handful of backyard camp outs). There's no denying that this thing is pretty small, so taking it over the Tarp 2 will always depend on the weather forecast. I've made myself a bug bivy with relatively high DWR sides to deal with the increased risk of rain spray/splash and reduce the need to drop the tarp to an uncomfortably low height.

So far I've had consistent light rain on 3/5 trips I've taken it on and in conjunction with the splash proof sides of my bivy and sheltered site selection, it's kept me dry. I've had it pitched as either a standard A-frame or a half pyramid on these trips. With the latter pitch I've utilised a large tree as the main support to partially block the entry if the wind turns around in the night.

The lack of stretch (in general and when wet) of DCF seems to allow you to get the most out of the small size. Not saying it feels anywhere near roomy under there, but you seem to lose virtually none of the space (apart from guy/ridge line stretch, which can be tightened up) in rain. Also, the small surface area and low stretch makes it shed wind nicely, based on my early experiences.

Fit and Finish:
I'd say this is well made and appears simple and solid, much like the Tarp 2 mentioned above. The tie outs are attached with double bar tacks at the corners and single bar tacks along the edges. The hem is sewn and each tie out is reinforced with a triangular piece of DCF bonded to the main sheet. I didn't specify which tie out style I wanted and it came with line locks, but I believe you can request plastic triangle/D rings.

Durability:
It's far too early for me to comment properly on this, but I can say that so far I've had no issues (as you'd expect). Within a few days of getting it I left it pitched in the yard and my puppy decided to do some puncture and abrasion testing on it... Unfortunately he put a nice little hole in it, but thankfully it was right near the hem and away from the main tie outs. I repaired it with DCF tape and honestly you'd hardly notice it ever happened.

This is my first piece of DCF gear, so to be honest I'm still getting used to the rather alien look and feel of the stuff. I'll report back down the line on how I find the durability.

Overall Opinion:
I love this thing so far, but it's definitely not for everyone. When combined with my bivy and sheltered site selection, it's been enough for me to be comfortable in light rain and wind. That said, I've almost exclusively used tarps for the last 15 years, so the jump to a smaller one isn't as drastic as it would be for someone used to a tent.

The one negative I have is that the stuff sack is a bit tight by my standards (although the tiny form factor is pretty cool) and it took some getting used to. Now that I have the fold/roll process figured out it's not too bad though and I store it loosely rolled in a spare Thermarest pump sack.

I would likely take the larger Tarp 2 if any rougher weather was forecast, but in good conditions the incredibly low weight at the expense of livable space is a trade off I'm happy with.

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TRG Small DCF Tarp half pyramid pitch.

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TRG Small DCF Tarp more open pitch with kayak wind break.

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TRG Small DCF Tarp A Frame

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TRG Small DCF Tarp Corner Tie Out

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TRG Small DCF Tarp Packed Size
James777
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