3-person tarp

If you are interested in sewing your own, I scaled up the Ray-Way two-person tarp design by adding an extra 25 inches to the width of the footprint and adding 10-12 inches to the length (it pitches higher, so some extra length is needed). I further used Jardine's beak formula to get the sizes of the beak panels. The rest is high-school geometry.

I made it out of 1.3 oz silnylon but don't recall the finished weight.

I also made a 3-person Ray-Way net tent, but with its acres of mosquito netting it came out pretty heavy by UL standards. It worked well, though.

What about the Henry Shires Rainshadow 2? Also, HS said that he will have a new “Double Rainbow-esque” shelter for three people (available soon).
Henry’s description of the RS2
BPL’s review of the RS2

or maybe a Golite Hex 3 which will be replaced by the Shangri-La 3 (3 person, 265$, 46.5oz)
Golite’s description of the Hex3
BPL’s review of the Hex3
BPL’s sneak-peak of the new Golite shelters

You should also look at Oware's Pyramid Tarp. They have 10x10x6' and a 11x11x7.5' versions that are big enough for 3 people. The Hex3 with a center pole does not work for 3 folks.

http://www.owareusa.com/

REI Outlet has the Granite Gear White Lightnin’ tarps on sale. 10′ x 12′ for $129.93 less 20%. Plenty of coverage for three.

8’x10′ is $84.93 less 20%.

Here

What about the Henry Shires Rainshadow 2?

I'm a big fan of Henry's shelters and really like the Rainshadow 2 we bought a year ago but hesitated to suggest it here because its hardly in the same weight/person class as the MLD Grace Duo it'd be replacing.

Also, HS said that he will have a new "Double Rainbow-esque" shelter for three people (available soon).

I can't wait to see this next fruit of Henry's creativity!

Thanks everyone for the replies so far…but alot of those suggestions are just a tad too weighty for my liking. If you discount all the maps, GPS (needed for an aspect of the trip), Sat Phone, EPIRB, Small UHF radio, mobile phone (these will need to be requirements if we want to get this trip approved for a Scouting trip-with only 3 of us in a remote area), the Cameras we are taking, the fact that we need a stronger rucksack for food and water, the extra pair of running shoes (they will wear out before the trips finished otherwise)…our gear will be and needs to be very much SUL. As it is, its UL at just under 10lbs pp, dependent on a couple of factors and all the things I mentioned above.

If 10×12 is considered fine for 3 people (Ive never really thought of tarps that big before-based on the GG White Lightnin'), I might go down the path of sewing one of my own out of silnylon or Spinnaker. In which case, I might head over to the MYOG section of the forums.

Thanks for the rapid input!

We could probably do quite fine weight wise with SUL single-person tarps, but I want to look at a 3-person tarp; mainly as we will be so exhausted at the end of each day, if we need to put up shelters, its easier for a couple of us to pitch the 3 man together, while another gets water on the boil, than it is for us to all have to worry about pitching seperate tarps, in seperate locations, and having to move between the tarps at meal time, etc. I want to make the gear as functional as possible as well for in camp… 10 minutes extra rest/sleep each day will make a difference.

> Hex with a center pole does not work for 3 folks

Sure it does! You just offset the pole a little and it works fine.

Hi Frank,

You are correct about moving the pole off center, it will allow the 3rd person. The other downside is if you are near 6 feet, you head and feet will be very close to the sides of the tent. The walls are close to 45°. With any condensation, both will be wet. I have both the Hex and Oware 10×10. I guess that in pinch I would use the Hex for 3.