Etowah Gear/Outfitter Dyneema Composite Tarp??

[Cheerio]

Has anyone had any experience with these tarps?

I’m looking for a DCF/cuben fiber tarp and just ran across Etowah which are pretty competitively priced. For the 8.5’x10′ that I want it costs $255 which is one of the cheapest available for that size and also has all the tie-outs in the locations that I want them. I was looking at Zpacks but they told me they can’t customize and I want more tie-outs then they offer. HMG has a good one but it’s $100 more than Etowahs. Etowahs is also one of the lightest available according to their specs.

I tried searching on google and on here for reviews of Etowahs DCF tarps but really can’t find much. Only reviews of they’re SilNylon tarps which are pretty decent. So…anyone have any experience with their DCF tarps? build quality? waterproofness of seem? customer service?

[Trevor E]

I have one of their 8×10 silnylon tarps. The silnylon seems nice quality, but the stitching has come apart and is fraying in quite a few places on the seams. Not sure if that’s due to the threat type or what. I can post a picture later if you are interested.

No experience with any DCF from Etowah however.

[Paul S.]

Found a comment on the UL Reddit

 I have their 6×8.5 (really 8.6…) tarp. It’s 4.09 oz (without guy-lines) and I was quite surprised by how well it was made. One thing to note is that the seam is sewn (and taped) and runs horizontally across the tarp (width wise?) where most other tarps the seam runs the length and is the ridge line. This means it might be a bit wonky in A frame pitch. I think this is because Paul (the owner) deviates from the standard convention when discussing tarp size. I had a long and confusing phone conversation with him about it. To him 7×9 isn’t possible because of the width limitations of the DCF but a 9×7 is totally possible as a custom size.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I have one of the Etowah silnylon tarps as well. It’s in perfect condition. I’d buy the DCF one for sure. I’ve always loved their company because they make stuff that’s affordable.

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

If a hexagon tarp is doable, HammockGear.com and Dutchware.com have simple ones for ~$250 that weigh 5-6oz. Both make excellent quality gear at reasonable prices. Dutch has rectangle tarps listed in the menu but none come up when you click… they may be rolling out a new product? I’m fairly certain both are still willing to do custom work too so you could ask them to make a rectangle.

as for the two you mentioned, I’ve never heard of those companies, let alone have experience w/ their products. Sorry :(

[Bill in Roswell]

I have an Etowah Silnylon 10×10. I just use for car and paddle camping. The tie outs are sewn, not reinforced (as is done on more expensive tarps). FWIW, I dabbed thinned silicone on each seam for strength and to prevent fraying. I don’t see the tie outs holding up under great stress due to lack of reinforcement, but I knew that before purchase. Before ordering a DCF tarp from them, I would make sure each tie out has reinforcement – a critical factor when using DCF.

That said, Bear Paw Designs is another small shop out of Fort Collins, CO. They have a 9×6 DCF flat tarp of .51 weight material, 4.5 oz, $190. They also have cat cut tarps in various sizes. Photos show that all tie outs are reinforced. Bear Paw has lots of custom sizes.

[Bill in Roswell]

Per my previous post, I just came across a Reddit post about some bad experiences with Bear Paw. You be the judge.

My absolute nightmare experience with John Stultz and Bearpaw Wilderness Designs! from Ultralight

 

[Bill in Roswell]

I posted a hyperlink – I don’t know why the whole article showed up!

The short of it is that there are many complaints against Bear Paw.

 

 

[Link .]

Bill there are numerous posts on John Stultz and Bearpaw Wilderness Designs and the bad experiences  people have had with him on BPL including the one you found on Reddit which was an original post from BPL 2 years ago here is a link  MY ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE WITH JOHN STULTZ AND BEARPAW WILDERNESS DESIGNS .

 

[Cheerio]

Well this thread has had very few responses that actually discussed what I was wondering haha oh well.

I decided to order an Etowah DCF tarp. I spoke with the owner on the phone and he was very nice and knowledgeable and the few customized tieoff points I asked for were extremely reasonably priced. The tieoff points are reinforced like an earlier commentor pointed out. Once I test it out a few times I’ll report back on what I think.

[Bill in Roswell]

Cheerio, yours was the conclusion I came to, also. Keep us posted on how well it performs!

[Bill in Roswell]

I’ll ring the Bell for Paul at Etowah Outfitters, too. Unfortunately he moved from GA to MO! He is a lifelong canoeist and tarp user. I have two flat silnylon Etowah tarps in different sizes. They’ve held up through some big-wind microburst in thrashing summer storms. Might get a DCF tarp for dry fall weather trips.

Nice to see more tarp options in different materials, sizes and configurations. Even REI now has a 9×9 silnylon with cords and linelocs.

Since Dan Durston made his tent out of silpoly, it must be good enough for me. Would be nice not having to deal with material stretch on a wet, rainy night.

[Bill in Roswell]

Scott, I look forward to hearing about your impressions of the Etowah DCF tarp. Would be nice to have a lighter DCF tarp in the day pack for emergency S&R purposes. They do good work, but different materials require different production techniques and it takes a minute to get it down.

Cheers,
Bill in Roswell

[Cheerio]

Well I did decide to the purchase the 8.5′ x 10′ DCF from him and I had him add a few custom tieout points. He was easy to work with, inexpensive, and very quick delivery (already received it). Keep in mind this is my first DCF product but initital set-up I’m pretty impressed. Center seam appears to be very carefully done, all perimeter tieouts seem plenty strong but the center panel ones I’m a tad worried about, the stitching seems to stretch a bit here when pulled on almost like not enough stitches were made. But again, first DCF product, that might just be how it is. Seems plenty strong through. My only complaint is the stuff sack is impossibly small. It came inside it but unless you really really take your time and fold it perfectly, it ain’t going back in there. Already purchased a slightly larger DCF stuff sack so I won’t have to fight it every time.

I’ll update everyone when I actually get it out on a few trips and see how it performs and lasts.

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

Back in the market for a smaller DCF tarp and came across this thread again. Looking at their 6×8.5 tarp so @cheerio, what’s your experience been like w/ Etowahs tarp?

[Cheerio]

@ohdogg79 Unfortunately the thing hasn’t seen as many nights as I’d prefer for owning it over a year (it’s had about 10 nights on it). I had a busy last year and now with the whole pandemic thing because of what my job is I’ve been busier than ever this year.

That being said, I’ve had zero issues with it on the nights I’ve used it. It’s only been through 1 rainy night, no issues there. The seems and tie off points are holding up just fine. I wish I had more use out of it for a better review, but it’s been great so far.

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

Sounds good, thx for the update. Hopefully you get to use it more soon!

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

Oops, I was wrong about my tarp. It’s an Equinox tarp. The Etowah product I had was an alcohol stove. Not that my mistake mattered much.

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