Info on Sil tarps and light weight backpack tarps.

[stoneguide]

Just looking for a little info.

First could anyone tell me of a good place to order these online for a decent price?

And second is there any other brands or types of light weight tarps a guy should look into?

And third is it Sheep and Goat season yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for your advice and info in advance.

SG

[bigneily]

I was looking at them on mec's site, Never checked elsewhere for cheaper tho...Neil

[Devilbear]

Mine are all Integral Designs and I buy from "Mountain Magic" in Surrey, BC at 604-535-5182. I highly recommend John Davies, the owner and an African who likes guns and knows his gear. ID makes good gear and in colours that blend in to the mountain.

There is an outfit in eastern Canada, but, I cannot recall who they are and several in the USA. I like the look of some of the larger "beaked" tarps from "Cook Custom Sewing", you can "Google" them and see what you think.

All in all, for one hunting Siltarp for 1-2 guys, I would still choose my ID STIII-OD over anything else and I use mine with a number of tents and bivies to make awnings for cooking, for sheltering tent entrances as I hate vestibules and for many other things. I have a rig of an eVent South Col and Silwing from ID that weighs a hair over 2 lbs. is always in my pack and will shelter me in any mountain weather, there are other such rigs on their site. HTH.

[TyTy]

Mine are all Integral Designs and I buy from "Mountain Magic" in Surrey, BC at 604-535-5182. I highly recommend John Davies, the owner and an African who likes guns and knows his gear. ID makes good gear and in colours that blend in to the mountain.

There is an outfit in eastern Canada, but, I cannot recall who they are and several in the USA. I like the look of some of the larger "beaked" tarps from "Cook Custom Sewing", you can "Google" them and see what you think.

All in all, for one hunting Siltarp for 1-2 guys, I would still choose my ID STIII-OD over anything else and I use mine with a number of tents and bivies to make awnings for cooking, for sheltering tent entrances as I hate vestibules and for many other things. I have a rig of an eVent South Col and Silwing from ID that weighs a hair over 2 lbs. is always in my pack and will shelter me in any mountain weather, there are other such rigs on their site. HTH.


I too recommend Integral Designs and also buy from Mountain Magic (definately a small buisness worth supporting).

I like the square/rectangular designs. the 8x10 is good for weekend trips, go for a 10x12 for anything more. not a fan of the sil-wing design, too specific a design.

i also use flagging tape to hang them. quick up, quick down.

[Buck]

Mountain Magic in South Surrey is comparable in price to MEC Don't see the ID siltarps on sale to often.Though i did get my 8x10 from MM on sale.Backcountry .com has good prices on gear

[TyTy]

ps MEC does not support hunting.

[Devilbear]

When, we buy gear from US bigbox dealers, we are hurting our own economy and eliminating Canadian jobs. I realize that some such purchases are necessary, however, especially with Canadian-made products, I prefer to spend my coin in Canada. MM, for example pays taxes here that support our health care, educational and other social systems, the Yanks do not. Each to his own, not trying to start a flamefest here.

[Iltasyuko]

I have heard MEC has an anti-hunting bias so I sent them a message a few weeks ago through their www site asking them to clarify their stance on hunting before I made a purchase. I did not tell them if I was pro or anti hunting. The following is the reponse I got - not sure if this is good PR work on their part or not - just posting the reply for general interest. Hope this doesnt hijack the thread - but the topic has already come up above.

Thanks for getting in touch with us. MEC's position on hunting is fairly simple - officially, we are completely neutral on the subject. While hunting isn't a recreation that we specifically cater to (so you won't find things like camouflage gear in our stores) we don't have any official stance against it. MEC's mandate, as far as sustainability and environmental issues are concerned, is the protection of wild spaces, so that future generations can continue to enjoy them. You can find more information about MEC's mandate on the Sustainability section of our website here (http://www.mec.ca/Main/explore.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302883315 ).

At one point, a few years back, MEC briefly gained a reputation as being anti-hunting. This was due to a single incident where we allowed an anti-hunting lobby group to hand out leaflets in front of one of our stores. We had no actual connection to this group though, and it is not an issue that we feel we need, or want to get involved with - on either side. Considering the confusion this caused, both in the media and with our members, it is unlikely we would do this again.

I hope this helps to clarify things for you - as always, please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions, regarding this policy or anything else.

[Shade Tree]

MEC donated to the sheep society about 15 years ago, a small backpack...

[Gateholio]

I have heard MEC has an anti-hunting bias so I sent them a message a few weeks ago through their www site asking them to clarify their stance on hunting before I made a purchase. I did not tell them if I was pro or anti hunting. The following is the reponse I got - not sure if this is good PR work on their part or not - just posting the reply for general interest. Hope this doesnt hijack the thread - but the topic has already come up above.

Thanks for getting in touch with us. MEC's position on hunting is fairly simple - officially, we are completely neutral on the subject. While hunting isn't a recreation that we specifically cater to (so you won't find things like camouflage gear in our stores) we don't have any official stance against it. MEC's mandate, as far as sustainability and environmental issues are concerned, is the protection of wild spaces, so that future generations can continue to enjoy them. You can find more information about MEC's mandate on the Sustainability section of our website here (http://www.mec.ca/Main/explore.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302883315 ).

At one point, a few years back, MEC briefly gained a reputation as being anti-hunting. This was due to a single incident where we allowed an anti-hunting lobby group to hand out leaflets in front of one of our stores. We had no actual connection to this group though, and it is not an issue that we feel we need, or want to get involved with - on either side. Considering the confusion this caused, both in the media and with our members, it is unlikely we would do this again.

I hope this helps to clarify things for you - as always, please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions, regarding this policy or anything else.

I'm sure it suits MEC to remain "officially neutral" but if I can, I will spend my money at places that are "officially pro-hunting"


MEC donated to the sheep society about 15 years ago, a small backpack...

WSSoBC isn't a hunting organization, though.

[Shade Tree]

No, not per say, but just about every member is a hunter...except for some of the wives and smaller kids. You will never find a more serious group of hunters anywhere else in this country, than a sheep society function :)

[Duk Dog]

Search (google) around to try and find an Integral Designs sil tarp. As mentioned one of the options is MEC.

Sadly sheep season is still too far away - and seems even further with this never ending snow.

[BromBones]

The MEC brand sil tarps are decent. A touch heavier than the ID SilTarp and have fewer anchor points, but are well made and quite a bit cheaper. I got one of their Sil Scout tarps (7x9) basically for free with a tent I just bought. Will work fine for me & the dog, and packs down about the size of a pop can.

Be a nice item to have in the pack.

[urbanhermit]

Just looking for a little info.

First could anyone tell me of a good place to order these online for a decent price?

And second is there any other brands or types of light weight tarps a guy should look into?

And third is it Sheep and Goat season yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for your advice and info in advance.

SG
not yet, they are still in velvet, but soon.

[brian]

if you are into DIY this guy is selling silnylon 2nds for 5.50/yard and 1rsts for $8.75/yard. its 62" wide You'd need 6 yards to make an 8x10 tarp. Its one of the best prices around. Tough stuff to sew with, but with a few tricks you can manage it.
http://www.backwoodsdaydreamer.com/apps/webstore/

Apparently you can occasionally find silnylon and ripstop for $1/yard in walmart, but it is a total crap shoot as to whether they have it.

Here is a dude who made silnylon with silicon caulking, mineral spirits, and 1.1 oz ripstop. He did not know its longevity, but I thought it would be cool to experiment with it and see what it produces. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDVllsGEUgw

(edit) I did try to source this from Canadian sources, but the price was waaaaay too high. I was quoted $22/yard for silnylon, at that price its just cheaper to buy the ID tarp. It's tough to find good outdoor fabrics up here for reasonable prices.

[Devilbear]

Brian, thanks a lot for that link as some of what they offer is exactly what I have been trying to find for some time. I often have customized my gear to cut weight and make it more useful for my purposes and my wife is a fabulous seamstress and can make me a lot of gear to my design, so, that site is just a total bonus for me.

There is another outfit in Idaho, which I have heard good things about, something like "Outdoor Fabrics" or some such and they also may offer some fabrics that DIY folks can use. I really admire people who can and do build their own gear and I think that the new tipi makers in Colorado also may sell fabrics such as Silnylon.