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Scramble have modified what was really a tent footprint and have turned it into an ultralight tarp, eliminating the negatives highlighted below. Still using Geertop's excellent sil-nylon fabric, we've completely redone and increased the attachment points using high strength 420D PU coated rip-stop Cordura and have included features to specifically improve its function in very high winds. Still ultralight, but now substantially reinforced and greatly improved.
The legacy conclusion, rating and product specs follow .....
Test subject: Height: 5ft 8"
Test item: Large (210 x 180 cm)
Kit Tests: Winter, Summer
Disclaimer: None required (item not provided by manufacturer)
Datasheet
| Tarp Materials: 20D Single-Side Coated Silicon 360T Ripstop Nylon | - |
| Tarp Hydrostatic Head: | 8,000mm |
| Tarp Dimensions (Length x Width): | 210 x 180 cm |
| Tarp Weight (measured): Tarp + Tarp Bag | 206g + 6g = 212g |
| DAC NSL Pole Dimensions (3 sections, Total Height x Width): | 123cm x 0.9cm |
| DAC NSL Pole Total Weight (measured, 3 sections + ends + arch connector): | 83g |
| Weight: Fixings (Cordage, Pegs, Clips etc): | 116g |
Scramble Conclusion & Final Rating
In many ways the Geertop Tarp is not much more than an ideally proportioned, well finished, sheet of fabric. The point is the fabric is of good quality and is the ideal weight and strength for the purposes outlined above. At a feather over 200g, the Geertop 210 x 180cm tarp, combined with the high quality accessories outlined in this review provides excellent protection from highs winds, rain and snow for a total weight of around 400g. A convenient shelter for short stops on long treks and an ideal porch to append to a hooped bivvy for a flexible, modular tent system, all for half the price of the retail cost of the fabric. Though on the surface the Geertop Tarp may not look like a serious piece of kit, we think it's well worth investigating and can easily be modded to make a very good shelter that out-performs the offerings of better known high end brands.
Product Images
Rating (out of 10)
The rating is for the "tarp" alone (i.e. excludes accessories). Additionally the low final durability score is due to the attachment points, as the Geertop Tarp was really a tent footprint and thus its attachment points, although they held up, were not suitable for a tarp. The function score reflects this - although the fabric is ideal for a tarp, the Geertop product never really was one, until, that is, Scramble went to work.
* The value score is derived from two factors:
1) Competitive Market Price (CMP). This represents our judgement of a competitive online price point if we were to stock the item. e.g. if we feel we would need to sell an item at 40% off (i.e. 60% of its full RRP) to be competitive, then our CMP score will be 6/10.
2) Customer Value Price (CVP). We then make an honest appraisal of the maximum price we would be willing to pay for the item (and we're mean). So if we'd pay 80% of its RRP our CVP score would be 8/10.
We then average the two scores to get our final value score, which in our example would be 7/10.
Postscript
Possible modifications
We're looking at replacing the attachment points with Cordura reinforcements and adding attachment points at each side. All attachment points will feature Dyneema and high retraction shockcord loops for guyline attachments. Note: This has now been done and the tarps are in production.
Final Update: 28/03/18
