Mountain Laurel Designs Grace Duo Spectralite Tarp

[Duane Hall]

At current prices for Spectralite 60, this tarp makes for a credit card statement to hide from one's wife! This is not a complaint – just a simple statement of fact.

What can I say? The tarp works. At 8 X 7 X 9 feet (front, rear, and ridgeline) the coverage is generous, and there is no excuse for getting wet. The material is absolutely waterproof – no more fine mist spraying through as can happen with silnylon shelters. I really appreciate that spectralite doesn't stretch. Once the lines are adjusted you are good for the night. Ron Bell has provided line locks on the perimeter attachments (12). As these were not listed on the website, this was a pleasant surprise. Ron suggests snipping these off if the extra .4 oz is the straw that will break your back, but I say leave them on for a few trips at least. They are extraordinarily convenient and allow you to raise or lower the tarp, adjust the lines while remaining underneath the tarp. Not to be sneezed at during a heavy downpour.

The tarp has three inside ridge line hang loops to use as you see fit – suspending bivy fabric, bug netting, dirty socks, your glasses etc. Unlike the ridge line itself, the attachment points for these hang loops do require a dab of seam sealer. I discovered this when an icy drop penetrated the front hang loop, wicked down the line I had used to hold my bivy fabric off my face, and fell precisely into my left ear. I should have known better. Mea culpa.

What else. Oh yeah. You can get the thing back into its stuff sack without a time consuming and labor intensive wrestling match. This is nice on a chilly morning when your fingers are half frozen.

The only quibble I have with this tarp is that I could have wished for another foot or so of ridge line length. Nine feet seems fine for ground tarping, but in my experience does not quite do the job over a hammock. Ron does design and make a tarp for hammocks, but that's yet another nasty invoice to hide from my wife.

It's a fine piece of kit that I will enjoy using very much, providing the material proves to be durable.

Cheers

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