Best Camping Tarp For Minimalist Backcountry Adventures

The Escapist is our best overall camping tarp for several reasons, it checks all boxes and has a variety of functions up its sleeve. It can be used to form several different types of A-frame shelters, a standard overhead shelter, tent awning, windshield, or a simple ridgeline fly hammock covering.

Made of 15D, PU-coated nylon and featuring fully taped seams, it provides excellent weather protection in all conditions. The Escapist doesn’t even weigh a pound, and it can pack down to the size of a water bottle in the included stuff sack, so it’s great for backpackers.

With the Escapist, you get eight reinforced anchor or attachment points with adjustable guylines, line-lock tensioners, and reinforced corners, making it easy to set up at a moment’s notice. Combined with the optional Escapist Bug Tent/Net, you’ll have the perfect lightweight setup for camping off the beaten path.

The only real drawback to the Escapist is its bright neon green color, which definitely stands out. While it’s admittedly stylish and great for the trail, you probably don’t want to use it out in the woods if you are hunting game or if you simply prefer to be a little more low-key.

The Eno Profly is the result of the Asheville, NC-based company’s deep roots in the hammock camping niche. Rather than featuring a simple design, it’s specifically designed to combine with other Eno products to create a safe and dry, off-the-ground camping experience.

At 22 ounces, it weighs more than some of the other great waterproof tarps on this list. However, it offers 10.6’ x 6.4’ of coverage and features six reinforced anchor or guy points that allow it to be configured for a number of uses. Plus, it’s made of 70D ripstop nylon, so it will shed rain and snow with ease and withstand years of backcountry abuse.

Our only suggestion would be to replace the included nylon rope with Paracord for even greater durability and toughness, but we could make the same suggestion with every other backpacking tarp on this list.

If you love hammock camping, then the Eno Housefly may be the perfect camping tarp for you. It gets its name from its two large doors, or “wings”, which overlap to create a full enclosure and keep you cozy, warm, and dry during a downpour.

In addition to providing the perfect setup for hammock camping, its enclosed design also makes it as close to a tent as you can get. Plus, at 128 x 106 inches, it’s spacious enough for one or two people and their gear.

Made of silicone-impregnated nylon, this unique hammock tent tarp is super durable and designed to hold up to the elements too. Being hit in the face with 40 mph winds? Sun or rain beating down on you? The Eno Housefly has you covered.

All that said, it weighs in at 29 ounces, making it nearly twice as heavy as the Escapist and some of the other models on this list. However, if you don’t mind lugging around a little extra weight, it won’t let you down. We also think you’ll like its extra coverage and features.

Looking for a real bargain? If so, the Free Soldier might be the camping solution for you. It measures 118 x 126 inches, so it’s large enough to shelter two people with ease. It’s strong and heavily stitched to hold up well in the wind and rain, and you can tie the ends semi-closed for added protection from the elements.

Unlike a lot of models on our list, which have only four or six anchor points, the Free Soldier has 10, giving you plenty of setup configurations as well. The color is also nice, and the orange trim around the edges makes spotting the tent easier in thick coverage or low light conditions.

Despite all this, this budget-friendly product tips the scales at 42 oz., so it’s not the best option for lightweight adventures. It can also be a bit of a pain to pack up and doesn’t come with stakes or poles, so that will need to be factored in as well.

If you’ve been inspired to give thru-hiking a go from watching “Into the Wild,” “Wild,” or any other “wild” film, the REI Quarter Dome SL will work just fine. Equally suited for the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails or to serve as a lightweight shelter for a weekend backpacking trip, the Quarter Dome is a personal favorite, and for a good reason.

For instance, the QD SL is made with polyurethane-coated ripstop nylon. It’s also equipped with corner grommets with double-layer reinforcement and multiple webbing loop lash points for easy setup and extra durability. Combined, these features allow it to fight off rain and wind exceptionally well.

The Quarter Dome’s square, symmetric cut also means it can be configured in a variety of ways, while its 90.25 square feet of coverage mean there’s plenty of room for 4-6 campers plus gear.

Best of all, it only weighs 12 ounces, making it the lightest camping tarp on our list. While you would expect it to be lightweight since it’s made for thru-hiking, 12 ounces is pretty impressive, especially considering its durable and robust design. You can trek hundreds of miles with this ultralight tarp and not even know it’s there.

The only thing we found fault in was the price tag, which may be a little too steep for occasional users.

The Stansport is a no-frills bushcraft tarpaulin that’s ideal for occasional weekend warriors. It’s made of tough, rip-stop polyethylene that’s laminated on both sides, and has double-reinforced corners, reinforced edges, and heavy-duty, rust-resistant grommets for added durability.

The Stansport is available in multiple sizes (8 x 10 ft. to 30 x 50 ft.), so you can choose according to your needs or group size.

There are six guy-out points in all, which means six anchor points. While more would be helpful for even greater strength and support, there are enough to make it reasonably secure in everything but severe weather.

If you want a low-cost, tough, well-made tarpaulin and are happy to carry a few extra ounces the Kelty Noah is a solid option.

The Noah is made with burly, 68D, DWR-coated polyester fabric. It comes in three sizes from 9 ft., 12 ft., and 16 ft., and weighs at a ponderous 32, 46 oz., and 50 oz. respectively.

We’ve included the Kelty Noah on our list mainly because of its low price point and plethora of potential configurations. It costs less than half the price of the most expensive options on our list and has a total of 14 reinforced attachment points, so you can really get creative with your setup. The drawback, especially with the larger sizes is the additional weight you’ll be carrying.

British brand Rab’s name has become synonymous with high-quality, dialed-in outdoor gear. And the Rab SilTarp is a fine example of why this is the case.

The SilTarp is elegance and practicality defined. It’s made with extra-tough silicone, “Sil-Coat” impregnated 30D ripstop Cordura nylon, which means it’s tough as nails and a shoo-in for adventures in rougher terrain. Despite this, it weighs in at 16.3oz and packs down to a pack-friendly bundle (6.3” x 9.8”).

Measuring 8’ x 10’, the SilTarp offers enough coverage for 2-3 people. While it isn’t quite a square, it can still be configured in multiple ways thanks to its 16 reinforced attachment points. In testing, we found it worked great as an A-frame or an open-ended windbreak with the front end suspended by two hiking poles.

The only quibble we have with the SilTarp is the price tag, but this is forgivable given its quality built and spot-on feature set.

The peeps here at My Open Country are big fans of big bang for our buck. This being so, we love to come across products like the Aqua Quest Guide.

The Quest Guide isn’t the lightest option out there, but it ticks every other box. It comes in multiple sizes from 7’ x 10’ to 13’ x 20’, is made with 40D Ripstop Nylon fabric with a non-toxic dual silicone and PU coating, and has a whopping 17 reinforced webbing loops that let you set it up in myriad ways. Its 5,000mm hydrostatic head also makes it one of the most waterproof camping tarps out there.

One notable difference in the attachment points on the AQ guide is that they aren’t built into the material using grommets, but take the form of extended loops. For us, this made setup a little easier and gave us peace of mind in knowing we wouldn’t trip the fabric if tying it down extra tight in strong winds.