MLD Cricket, ZP Pocket Tarp – What would you change?

I like the ZPacks Pocket Tarp a lot – easy to pitch and pretty wind-resistant as far as ultralight summer shelters go. Not a lot of noisy flapping if you use all the tie-outs.

What I don’t like about it is that it’s pretty short (height) if you pitch the perimeter to the ground, for wind/rain splash protection. I’m not tall (5’7″) and it’s a smidge cramped for me, but not enough to worry about, given its weight…

Otherwise, I’d just rather use an 8×10 tarp, pitched with 3 sides down to the ground for a storm pitch, and the lee side wide open for views and fun. That’s an aesthetic more than a practical choice. If I really need the full-perimeter, down-to-the-ground shelter, I’m bringing a solo pyramid.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Ryan.

I’ve used a Cricket silnylon tarp extensively in the past. I now use a pyramid of similar size but a zippered door to the ground.

The cricket had AMPLE room for myself (5’6″ and not wide) and the awning provided plenty of coverage in normal conditions. Two small people would work. Sure, ingress/egress was not very easy but when pitched up high in pleasant weather, there is no reason anyone would have more difficulty than with a standard type tent/tarp. The key to this shelter though was the ability to pitch it low if so desired. This is only possible with the silnylon version due to the stretch in the fabric. IDK if I would like a cuben version (or dcf pocket tarp) as much.

Hi Eric, what was the primary reason for the switch?

I bought the Pocket Tarp without doors. I felt that I was too exposed to rain and also that I didn’t have enough privacy. I did experience light rain one night and woke up to find myself not even inside the perimeter of the shelter, having rolled right out of the front of it, with a little puddle of water on my sleeping bag. So I started experimenting with various ways to provide better rain protection with a bunch of different make-shift doors. I took one of the sturdier types of make-shift doors to Joshua tree and experienced some pretty high winds. The shelter was not stable with this make-shift sail attached and I ended up just sleeping out without a shelter instead. After that experience, I bought some DCF and made my own permanent doors (zipperless). I have also made a bathtub floor for it. The bathtub floor really helps me stay inside the shelter (and it’s a poncho, too). The shelter is not only small in height as describe above but also in width in the area where you are supposed to sleep. It’s hard to stay under the canopy of the shelter without something to sort of hold you in.

ZPacks has just started offering the Pocket Tarp in array of colors, 3 of which are the heavier .74 DCF. The blue, white and olive drab are .51 oz. Dirt, burnt orange and spruce green are .74 oz.

As other have stated, the Hexamid (Pocket Tarp) can be a little short for some. I’m 5′ 10″ and I certainly wouldn’t want the Pocket Tarp to be any shorter. Years ago ZPacks briefly offered a long version of the Hexamid and I don’t know why they stopped.

You can’t find a dimensions diagram of the Pocket Tarp on ZPacks website anymore, but I saved one on my computer. Pic is a little blurry when enlarged. I’ll see if I can improve the clarity.

I made a Solo Plus copy about a year ago, but it was kind of a failure as you can see. I did a zip beak all the way to the top and that hurt the tautness of the whole front. The wrinkles on the doors reveal the errors. Cat cuts weren’t just right either. There is a structural reason why the front of the Pocket Tarp is constructed the way it is. Hard to enter yes, but deviate from that and you might get something not too professional looking (like below). Luckily it was cheap material though. I lend it to buddies who are rough on gear.

Thanks Monte for that. Yeah the pocket tarp is a little shorter than my current myog mid (96”ish) and I’d like a little more face-space, but it works for now. I’ll be happy to have a longer shelter. I think the beak on the Cricket looks like it will be better for coverage, but I like how the pocket tarp/hexamid doors can be rolled up for a better view. I may try some hybrid of the two designs.

Thanks, Diane for the feedback! I move around a bit too but only slide when I put down on slopey ground. I need to come up with some sort of design that anchors you in when you can’t find level ground. Some sort of “portaledge” for ground dwellers, lol.

I just finished a “cricket” style tarp with the .93 membrane silpoly from RSBTR. I have it set up in the yard until I get a good storm for testing. The panels do seem to flex more than regular silnylon. I believe the weight with lines before seam sealing was 8.5 oz. I have not taken it down to weigh since seam sealing. I’m sure it added at least an ounce. 

Sounds like you are right in the ballpark of my estimates, Jimmy. If seam sealing on a tarp this size added an ounce, I might suggest you added too much. You really should only need to seal over the seam holes, especially if you felled the seams. It is not a big deal, just a little heavier and stickier around the seams.

Michael, Primary reason for the switch was the increased weather protection along with more privacy at the time. (although all that privacy is out the window now with my latest .5 dcf pyramid). I feel the zippered door adds the increased versatility I’m looking for at a weight penalty that I’m still willing to carry.

I used the Cricket on the entire AT through hike+. Setup of the shelter was just as easy as any mid and the silnylon stretch as previously mentioned works in its favor. Actually might be easier setup than a traditional mid due to the beak. Stake the rear two corners, extend main pole, place second pole/beak guyline, than the remaining two corners are staked easily by tautness of the panels.

Again, this applies for the silnylon version.

The current Pocket Tarp isn’t 30″ on the sides. It’s 26″.

But if you look at the diagram close Diane the 30 inches is being measured exactly 90 degrees from the back corner and goes past the actual side length and 4″ onto the front triangle. You are absolutely right though, the side measured by itself is 26.” That’s what mine measures and it’s an older one (which corresponds to the diagram).

Hi Eric, thanks for the explanation. I get the privacy thing. I am able to pull my doors out a bit for a little larger vestibule, which is nice to just sit there as I wake up and it is nice to have that vestibule space to make the area feel a little roomy, which is why the Cricket seems to make some sense to me. I think the pocket tarp is a little too small for my comfort, and the few oz savings is not that important to me. I do have concerns for having to crawl to get in, and I do like privacy but having slept under a flat tarp with net tent, maybe it isn’t as important as I thought.

I like how ZPacks splits the vestibule into two tensioned halves of a door without a zipper. Slingfin does a similar thing with their Splitwing although they don’t overlap their panels. Hammock tarps with doors like a Warbonnet Superfly are another example. I like these solutions because they allow you to change the level of coverage and give flexibility when pitching in a way that a fixed beak does not. There’s a trade off in that rain or wind might be able to penetrate but we aren’t talking about a winter tent meant for enduring gales on exposed ridge lines.

Following along as I’m very interested in these designs and possibly making my own version or buying wilderness designs penta tarp which is also very similar.

I’m 6ft and ive heard the cricket and pocket might be too small for me

I also like silpoly from what I know it’s better than Silnylon