Talk Me Out of Buying a Dyneema Tarp

I do like your thinking on the very marginal cost of a DCF tarp due to its low weight, as a backup/emergency shelter for trips where you don’t think you need it (or say, day trips). Well written post!

I guess I’d say though that you can make similar arguments for silnylon/poly tarps too though. A 7×9 modern silnylon tarp takes up very little space, and at that size, is more than enough of an emergency shelter pitched low to the ground. I have one here in front of me that I bought recently, Flames Creed (from aliexpress it was aout $44 Australian). Squished down slightly its under 500ml. Hard to argue against that.

You could also argue due to the rare use case of a tarp you are providing, that you could make a cheap, light polycryo tarp. Or take a simple space blanket and burrito. All cheaper, more compact options than DCF with comparable weight.

Just putting it out there too, that, comparable silnylon/poly by weight to DCF also exist. For example the RBTR MTN Silnylon @ 0.77oz/yd^2. RBTR Membrane Silpoly is 0.93oz/yd^2 finished weight. For tarps that see rare/occasional use, they will be more than strong and durable enough, particularly the 0.77 Silnylon.

Interesting to see this discussion. I ended up with a couple Dyneema tarps back when I was active on gear swap. I think one was a trade for something that would not sell, another time I got a MLD tarp that was barely more expensive than a new silnylon tarp, and so on.

Overall I didn’t feel like any of them really improved my hiking experience. That is the bottom line. For a smaller tarp the weight saving was minimal.  A really big shelter might save enough to be worth it but then the cost and bulk add up along with the stress of “what happens if the $600 pyramid tarp catches a branch?” I never got a huge Dyneema tarp and I eventually sold the small ones.