Kelty Noah's Tarp 16ft - 2007 BCS

The wing is well designed: large and easy to move in and out of. However Kelty cheaped out on the materials: The grommets ripped out on the first trip in very light wind.

I bought this tarp for several reasons. The first being I already own the 9 foot version which has survived beyond what I would have expected. The second reason is rafting and kayaking. The summer sun is merciless in Hells Canyon and under a big ol’ shady tarp is a great place to gather. The cut keeps a taut pitch and when guyed with all the guy points is pretty bomber. Last of all would be versatility, emergency shelter is nice to have, and not just in the backcountry.

The quality of the tarp material, number of tie down points is excellent. The supplied stakes are worthless. Kelty shouldn't even bother. I went to a building supply store and bought 6 pieces of 2' rebar for sand installation and a sporting goods store for 8 heavyweight stakes for dirt installations. I also bought poles for less than half price of the Kelty ones (at over $30 ea). Figure adding $50-$70 to get it set up correctly. I set it up in sand with a 20 mph wind and it worked fine. Next trip will be in Baja on the Sea of Cortez!