What do you do with your wet tarp?

**TrailSlug** · 05-16-2016, 08:55

Guys,
When packing up after a night of rain how do you pack your wet tarp? I keep my tarp in a snake skin so do you pull the snake skin over the wet tarp? Then what do you do with it? Thanks in advance.

**DuctTape** · 05-16-2016, 08:58

I do not have a snakeskin. I put my wet tarp in its bag, which then goes in the outside pocket of my pack. That is its usual place; wet or dry. Easy access.

**OneClick** · 05-16-2016, 09:05

I just shake it dry as much as I can and throw it in the stuff sack. I guess it would be the same with a snakeskin.

But if you want to get picky, you can dry it off first with a pack towel/shammy type towel.

And if you REALLY want to get picky...

I tried it once, but I don't have that kind of patience.

**12trysomething** · 05-16-2016, 09:10

Sun, rain, snow I use the same method. I hope this helps.

**rhjanes** · 05-16-2016, 09:13

Shake out, dry off with shamwow (only if it isn't raining/misting), then into the Mountain Goat Mesh snake skins. It all goes into the outer pouch on the backpack, wet or dry.

**sidvicious** · 05-16-2016, 09:14

i just knock it off as best i can and skin it or bag it. i carry it outside the pack most of the time, and for sure if its wet.

air it out when you get home.

cheers

sv-

edit: a wet tarp will bleed water for quite a while. make sure when you attach it to the pack that whatever is inside the pack near the tarp is protected. it'll also drip water straight down onto whatever you have below it. watch for that as well.

**sqidmark** · 05-16-2016, 09:15

Snakeskin, outside pocket. I had zpacks install a tall mariposa style left pocket on my arc haul. Not long ago there was a vid posted of a guy swinging his bugnet snakeskinned tarp overhead to force as much water out as possible. I haven't had the opportunity to try it yet myself but I figure it can't hurt.

**TrailSlug** · 05-16-2016, 10:46

Thanks guys. I wish my Gregory Baltoro had a mesh outer pocket for storing the web tarp. I'm thinking about putting it in a trash compactor bag even wet as it will not dry that much during wet weather. At least this way it will keep all the water in one confined area and keep everything around it from getting wet.

**Caminante** · 05-16-2016, 13:02

Originally Posted by TrailSlug

Thanks guys. I wish my Gregory Baltoro had a mesh outer pocket for storing the web tarp. I'm thinking about putting it in a trash compactor bag even wet as it will not dry that much during wet weather. At least this way it will keep all the water in one confined area and keep everything around it from getting wet.

Even packs without mesh outer pockets typically have compression straps that can be used for "lashing" things like trekking poles or wet tarps to the outside of the pack.

In terms of drying, as long as it is not currently raining, I find that just grabbing the hem and giving it a good shake gets 90%+ of the moisture off.

**Grumpy Squatch** · 05-16-2016, 13:27

Originally Posted by Caminante

Even packs without mesh outer pockets typically have compression straps that can be used for "lashing" things like trekking poles or wet tarps to the outside of the pack.

In terms of drying, as long as it is not currently raining, I find that just grabbing the hem and giving it a good shake gets 90%+ of the moisture off.

This.

I gave up snakeskins because I just never felt like I needed to have the tarp hung but completely furled up. When I have a mesh pocket that's where it goes. If not it gets lashed. But always on the outside of the pack somewhere.

At home it goes on the hammock pipe stand to dry.

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