Removing grommets froma tarp?

I just did that with a poncho. I have a small vice with rubber jaws and I was able to clamp on the edge of the grommet and the corner of the cloth. I warmed it up with a hair dryer so the fabric would soften and stretch and I could slide it off one edge of the grommet.

It was an old poncho, so I wasn't worried about "pretty" but it wasn't too bad. You're left with the raw hole, which could be covered with a patch. You could turn the negative into a positive and make that a corner reinforcement. I needed access to the end of the hem of a drawstring, but in your case, the grommets really don't weigh much— the four I removed weigh 3.1g *total*. For the damage done and the weight of the patches, it doesn't seem worth the bother.

It's 1 lb 5 oz. Maybe a little on the heavy side. I bought it from REI for 40 bucks, but I have yet to see a good tarp for the same price that is lighter. I'm to broke to pay anything more though. I have heard a lot about grommets getting ripped out though and I am paranoid about that.

Your method does sound interesting and easier, so thank you for the info. Doesn't involve any cutting that could leave rough ends.

Have you looked at the blue poly tarps at REI? It's slightly smaller (8×6) but only 11oz and $3.50. The 10×8 is $6.50 and weighs in at 18oz. If you have access to a sewing machine you could trim it to size and shave more weight. I know they tend to be a bit crinkly, but may work for your hiking needs.