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  1. #1
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    DCF tarps - Is their semi-transparency an annoyance?

    I’m considering a DCF tarp for weight and water repellent advantages. I’ve heard some folks don’t like how semi-transparent they are for reasons of privacy and minimal light blocking properties.
    I’ve also heard others say these are improved by getting camo print versions.
    Anyone with experience using DCF tarps, I’d love to know what you have, your experience in both areas, would you do anything differently, etc?

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Camo is better, but not great. I wake with the very first light, camping or at home. So having a dark, enclosed tarp makes my alarm clock go off a few min later.
    On super bright nights, it can make for a semi restless night. If in direct sunlight, it provides less shade then regular fabric. But among the trees, how often is this a problem?
    That said, if I'm hiking more then a few miles, it comes with me. I wouldn't trade my camo tarp dcf for anything, but I would prefer it more opaque.
    Even the regular greenish fabric isn't see thru enough for privacy concerns. See a silhouette perhaps, nothing more.

  3. #3
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    I don't lay around in my hammock during the day. I sleep in my hammock only when it's dark, so I really don't have a problem with DCF tarps.

    As for privacy, somebody's gotta have a pretty vivid imagination to get excited about seeing someone undress under a DCF tarp. You can't even tell what color their hammock is, so that'll give you an indication of what you can see.
    Last edited by SilvrSurfr; 02-17-2021 at 22:46.
    "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson

  4. #4
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    moderator - I thought better of my comment/experience on fabric transparency after I created it. So I edited it to this. Remove if you want.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  5. #5
    Senior Member ofuros's Avatar
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    Novelty value on your first hang under a full moon, watching it slowly travel across your tarp inbetween short naps.

    Hang either side of the full moon, under a dense canopy...and it isn't a issue. You can always hike yourself tired during the day, night walk in, pull your beany/buff over your eyes, take a travel mask...transparency's not a big deal & soon forgotten.

    Mine's a no-name 7yo an' counting, all tape & no sew DIY job. Luv it.
    Mountain views are good for the soul....& getting to them is good for my waistline.

    https://ofuros.exposure.co/

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by ofuros View Post
    Novelty value on your first hang under a full moon, watching it slowly travel across your tarp inbetween short naps.

    Hang either side of the full moon, under a dense canopy...and it isn't a issue. You can always hike yourself tired during the day, night walk in, pull your beany/buff over your eyes, take a travel mask...transparency's not a big deal & soon forgotten.

    Mine's a no-name 7yo an' counting, all tape & no sew DIY job. Luv it.
    Does your DIY tarp have doors? Also how much did it cost to build?

  7. #7
    Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by cougarmeat View Post
    moderator - I thought better of my comment/experience on fabric transparency after I created it. So I edited it to this. Remove if you want.
    Now you got me curious about the original post!

  8. #8
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    DCF translucency doesn't bother me at all.

    Bright moonlight is addressed with a beanie, hat or buff.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  9. #9
    All you need with a DCF tarp.
    images.jpg

  10. #10
    New Member
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    I have a Hammock Gear DCF tarp and was lucky enough to grab a 12' one from LiteAF during their short offering time. As far as privacy, I guess if you were camping in a really crowded area in a car camping situation with lots of other folks it might be annoying, but personally I have never been bothered at all by that. The translucency is one of my favorite things about them. So I guess it depends on what type of camping you do, and if you keep a set of earplugs and an eye shade in you should be able to sleep no matter where you are or what you're under.

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