After a recent trip on the Pine Mountain Trail in Georgia, my wife and I realized we needed better tarps. (It was raining and windy the first night and the tarps that came with our hammocks were struggling to keep us dry. Hers had a leaking seem, mine was just too small to really do the job.)

So, after a bunch of research online and an Excel spreadsheet comparing size, cost, weight, and several ratios thereof, the ALPS seemed to be just the ticket. Currently on closeout at REI for about $90 (Where we ordered two of them, also had a coupon which sweetened the deal a bit.).

Set it up in the backyard this past Saturday which was sunny, but also quite windy. The ALPS is 150" (381 cm) along the ridgeline and 116" (294 cm) wide. It is a hex-shaped tarp with a tie-out at east corner. It comes with guy lines with tensioners and 6 6" (15cm) aluminum stakes.

Setup took a minute because the tensioners do not come properly rigged. Not a huge deal, but a good reason to shakedown in the yard on a sunny Saturday and not in fading light in the rain on the trail somewhere.

I hung it in my hammock spot in the yard and staked it out, then went a ahead and put my hammock under it.

The guy lines are plenty long. I didn't measure but I would estimate 10-12'. The provided stakes, while being lightweight and stiff, just didn't have enough bite to hold in the gusts I was experiencing. (25mph with gusts to 35, though my yard is somewhat sheltered.) This being a big tarp, it can generate a good amount of tug with the right wind. I replaced the stakes with some 9" Coughlin aluminum stakes I had and that seemed to hold better in my lawn. (Not sure what I'm going to do with a dozen red anodized red stakes now....they're cute...)

The tarp seems plenty big for my 10' hammock to survive windy rain high and dry and double as a hangout space for my wife and I out of sun or rain. I had is staked pretty wide, and laying there looking, I felt even like that, it would have kept me dry with the wind I had going.

Weight, once re-folded with guy lines, 4 9" stakes and stuff sack came in about 550g (19.4 oz). I feel that's reasonable for the size of the tarp. It packs up small, roughly the size of a 1 liter water bottle.

The tarp is a very dark grey with 2 red corners which highlight the ALPS logo. It let some light pass through, but I think will be reasonable UV protection. I prefer subdued colors in my gear, so I was happy with the overall setup. It is made from 20-denier 380T ripstop nylon.

Planning on another short trip in a couple of weeks, so we'll see how they do in the field.