Gear Review – Zpacks Cuben Fiber 8.5’X10′ Tarp

Zpacks Cuben Fiber 8.5’X10′ Tarp

I had always known the value of a tarp while you’re on a backpacking or camping trip. But I REALLY learned the value of one while we were on the 2013 Glacier National Park hike. On the last night of that trip, a monster storm rolled in mid-afternoon at the Elizabeth Lake Foot campground. There was plenty of thunder, lightning, rain, sleet, and hail. It was one of those storms where you needed shelter, so we crawled into our only shelter – our Nemo Meta2P tent. Well, the ‘ol Nemo is nice to sleep in, but it was a little cramped for two people to spend the afternoon and early evening inside! We spent about five hours in the tent, and sometime during those hours, I decided to buy a ‘real’ tarp before our next hike.

Zpacks Tarp – Features and Cost

I bought my Zpacks 8.5’X10′ cuben fiber tarp in March 2014 for $250. Zpacks still sells an 8.5’X10′ flat Dyneema Composite Fiber (DCF, a.k.a. cuben fiber) tarp. The current version sells for $349. Ouch! You can get more information on it here. The key features are (from Zpacks website): Constructed from Olive Drab .55 oz/sqyd Dyneema® Composite Fabric, the ridge seam is taped and the tie outs have bonded reinforcements (no seam sealing necessary),16 total tie outs. The weight of the current (2023) tarp is listed as 184 grams (6.5 ounces). My 2014 tarp only had 8 tie outs along the edges. The 2023 tarp has 16 tie outs, all with LineLocs. 12 tie outs are on the edges, 4 are on the mid-panel area. The 2023 tarp is also lighter than mine.

Size and Weight

As I mentioned above the 2023 Zpacks tarp is listed as 184 grams (6.5 oz.). That is for the tarp alone – no guy-lines, stakes, etc.. My 2014 tarp ‘kit’ (guy-lines attached to all tie-outs plus a stake kit with 2 carbon-core stakes and 6 titanium ‘peg’ stakes) weighs 382 grams (13.5 oz.). The tarp alone, with guy lines attached, weighs 308 grams. My stake kit with a stuff sack weighs 69 grams. It’s hard to make a comparison between the 2014 to 2023 tarp alone because I can’t find the original specs for my tarp, but I do believe the 2023 tarp is slightly lighter. The size of my tarp kit as I would pack it is about 7 inches long by 4.5 inches in diameter. It packs down fairly small even with the extra stake kit packed inside the tarp.

Field experience and durability

I’ve used my Zpacks tarp on many backcountry trips since I purchased it in 2014. It has been exposed to a ton of every type of weather Mother Nature can throw at it. Rain, snow, sleet, ice, and strong winds. The tarp still looks and performs as it did when it was new. There are no signs of any wear and no holes in it. My Zpacks Tarp has made the difference between relative comfort and outright misery in many situations. There is no better feeling than being at a backcountry camp, sitting under a tarp with a campfire roaring near the entrance. If the tarp is set up correctly, the heat from the fire is captured within the tarp, and you can sit toasty and dry while thunderstorms rage around you. The 2020 Cranberry Wilderness Trip is a great example.

Conclusion – Zpacks 8.5’X10′ cuben fiber tarp

Yes, $350 for an 8.5′ by 10′ piece of ‘plastic’ is ridiculously expensive. But if you’re looking for a lightweight, functional, and durable tarp, it may be worth the costly initial investment. That’s how you have to look at it – as an ‘investment.’ My 2014 Zpacks tarp is going into its 9th season of use, showing no signs of wear. I expect to use it for another 10-20 years. There is undoubtedly nothing high-tech or proprietary about the Zpacks version of the tarp, and I’m sure there are many worthy alternatives from other suppliers. I bought mine from Zpacks at the time because I felt it was the best ‘bang for the buck.’ Nowadays, they’re more of a ‘brand name’ and relatively more expensive. Regardless of alternatives, I certainly highly recommend Zpacks’ DCF tarps.