Thursday, July 7, 2022

Hmmmm..... Be Careful! - Helikon-Tex SuperTarp - First Look and Impressions


In this Episode, Luke is taking a close look at the Helikon-Tex SuperTarp.
There are some issues here and you need to make sure not to overpay for this product if you decide to purchase it.

The Size is great.
Weight is ok.
Quality is questionable...

Let's get started! 
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Helikon-Tex SuperTarp - First Look 

What it is : This is a fairly inexpensive polyester tarp from the company known as Helikon-Tex. 


Size Setup : 10 x 10’ 

Size Packed : 12” x 6.5” x 1.5”

Materials : 100% rip-stop polyester, YKK zippers
The company says that the tarp is plastic coated….I have no idea what that means other than it has been coated with either Polyurethane, silicon, or some sort of DWR. By the way, Helikon-Tex doesn’t state the Denier of the polyester - in other words, there is no way to know just how strong of a tarp this is.

Weight : 1lb 12oz with storage bags

Colors : Black, Olive Green, PL Woodland, US Woodland

Price : Retail $65 - prices are raised on Amazon - some are around $100.  I’m not sure what is happening there - it says that Helikon-Tex is the seller and it is they who are charging more on the site.

Features
19 reinforced Attachment points - check the placement of these 
Taped seams 
Storage bag allows for easy packing even when wet - I want to test that out specifically as storing a wet tarp is always a struggle. 

Two methods of storage included - zippered sleeve and drawstring bag

Side Note : When getting the information together to film this episode, I was at the Helikon-Tex web site and noticed that there are all sorts of spelling mistakes and oddities when it comes to the details concerning this product.  

The site says that the drawstring compressed BAD enclosed with tarp allows to compact it for transport.  

Impressions based on my handling of the tarp so far :

I like the zippered storage bag but I doubt storing the tarp in this is going to be easy and quick after a rain event.

I do like that the zippered pouch has attachment points so you can rig this up on the outside of your pack for quick deployment.

Might not be a Problem : The attachment points do not surround the tarp equally as you have more points on two sides than you do on the other two sides.  This is nonsensical in terms of design and what this is going is making the setup process harder and more time consuming than it needs to be.

You go to setup the tarp, you get it out of the storage bag, unfold and begin setting it up; Because of the design you have to pay extremely close attention to where the tie off points are and make sure to orientate those tie off points in the proper way with the trees in the forest otherwise you could get yourself in a position where you partially set up the tarp and you realize that you don’t have the proper tire points to complete the set up. 

Problem : Small Tie-out loops? Stitching? 

Price : Based on what I see here, the retail price is fair but I wouldn’t pay more than that retail price for a polyester tarp.  For around $100 you can get a much stronger nylon tarp that is also lighter in terms of weight from other companies, AquaQuest is an example with their Guide tarps. 

This has been a first look, make sure to stay tuned to the channel as I test out this product and eventually review it.
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