AquaQuest Safari Camping Tarp - Lightweight Waterproof Rain Fly for Hiking, Backpacking, Hammock & Outdoor Adventures | Durable Shelter for Camping, Beach, Picnics & Emergency Survival

This my 2nd tarp from Aqua Quest. The first trip that I brought my original Aqua Quest tarp on, we got hit by long, intense thunder storm with high wind (that shifted direction multiple times) driving steep-angle torrents of rain. The poor-quality (but still not inexpensive) tarp from REI that we also had setup literally shredded apart: failing at the grommets but also just splitting a few places in the middle as well. Even though we had the AQ setup in a much less sheltered spot, higher from the ground, and under quite a bit of tension, it came through that storm (and many others) with no sign of wear. Had it not been for the AQ tarp, much of our gear would have been soaked and we would have been confined to our individual tents. Instead we where able to enjoy the storm together dry and warm under the tarp and even had a hot meal.I usually leave mine up in the sun, wind, rain for week-long trips (only taking it down to move sites). My older model from the same company (apparently of the same material) and the one that's seen a few seasons of the use described above and is indistinguishable from the new one in terms of wear.This tarp is not inexpensive, but it's an excellent value. IMO even if this tarp makes the difference between 1 day being miserable or pleasant , it's already more than justified it's cost (how valuable is your limited vacation time to you?).... and it will continue to do so time and time again, year after year. Plus, considering it's size and durability, it's shockingly light and pack-able. I think they only way to beat it in terms of performance-to-weight ratio is with cuben fiber (and you'll pay 5x the price to save those few ounces.) The plethora of tie-out loops not make both getting a good initial setup as well as quick changes (when the weather shifts direction) easy, so you can have good coverage, good internal space, eliminate pooling of water/ direct run-off and have minimal buffeting. The new tarp (the one for which this review is posted) has even more tie-outs the older one.On my last trip this year we had 2 more rainy days in middle of the week (+about 2 hrs of hard storm). But we had both tarps setup: one lower to cover the sitting area and gear and one higher to give standing room for doing work like wood and food prep. We used the tie-outs to attach then to each other at the corners and then to also create a gap in the middle to let the smoke out. Again, these tarps turned days that would have been pretty miserable into ones that where fun and productive. It's like fort-building for big-kids, but the fun factor doesn't make them any less a seriously essential piece of gear.