Tarp Size and Headcount Guide: 12 Tarps CalculatedA Hexa's Shade Is 75% of a Rectangular Tarp

For tarp size, divide the fabric area by 3.5㎡ per person for a headcount guide. Solo, mont-bell's Mini Tarp HX; 2 to 3 people, DOD's Itsuka no Tarp; 4 to 5 people, LOGOS's neos Hexa Tarp Set L. I estimate a hexa's area as 75% of length × width.

Hexa vs rectangular: the same “M” splits into 4 and 6 people

Snow Peak's HD Tarp Shield has an official capacity of 4 for the hexa (M) and 6 for the rectangular (M). The fabric dimensions are 475 × 420cm for the hexa and 415 × 340cm for the rectangular tarp. Though the hexa is longer in both length and width, it seats 2 fewer people.

The reason is shape. A hexa's dimensions are written as “longest point × widest point,” and a hexagon is that rectangle with 4 triangles cut off at the corners, so the area is length × width × 0.75. This is a calculation assuming the same ratio as a regular hexagon, and since real edges curve inward, 0.75 is an upper guide.

Applying it, the hexa is 4.75 × 4.2 × 0.75 = 15.0㎡ and the rectangular tarp 4.15 × 3.4 = 14.1㎡, almost the same fabric area. The hexa's left and right wings slope down toward the ground, so the area at a height you can sit under is narrower than the fabric.

How I chose

The first thing I looked at was fabric area. Dividing the three hexas with an official headcount by area, each came out at 3.5 to 3.7㎡ per person. So I use area ÷ 3.5 as the headcount guide.

When you spend half the year camping, a tarp is the tool you pitch and fold most. I split my picks within the same headcount by weight and price per ㎡ including poles.

For 4 to 5 people my pick is LOGOS's neos Hexa Tarp Set L-BB.

Quick table of sizes for 12 tarps

Scroll the table sideways →

I put how to read waterproof numbers in the tent waterproof rating article.

Converting tarp size to area and working out headcount

Scroll the table sideways →

I left out the Penta and Wing because the 0.75 formula cannot be applied to them. The price per 1㎡ ranges from JPY 877 to JPY 2,619, a 3.0x gap. A hexa's area is a rough estimate, so I did not use differences of 1㎡ or less to decide rank.

Solo: my pick is the mont-bell Mini Tarp HX

870g including pegs, guy lines and bag. Even adding the recommended 2 poles it is 1,410g, and packed it is 12.5 × 23cm in diameter. Watch that the poles are sold separately (165cm × 2) and that the pitched heights are 165cm and 137cm. It suits people who want to carry a light roof to sit under, not one to stand under.

2 to 3 people: my pick is the DOD Itsuka no Tarp

Two poles, pegs and ropes are included, at an official reference price of JPY 11,330. JPY 877 per ㎡ is the lowest of the 10 I could calculate. The fabric is 150 denier with a minimum waterproof rating of 2,000mm, a thicker build by the numbers than the similarly sized Coleman Hexa Light II (75 denier, about 1,200mm).

This part is a weak point. The poles are steel and the total weight is about 5.4kg; 418g per ㎡ is heavier than the Hexa Light II (355g). The Hexa Light II is 0.7kg lighter with a packed length 24cm shorter, so people who want to stand it in gaps in the trunk should take that one.

4 to 5 people: my pick is the LOGOS neos Hexa Tarp Set L-BB

The fabric is 21.4㎡, and divided by 5 people it is still 4.3㎡ each. Including poles and pegs the total weight is about 4.7kg, and 220g per ㎡ is the lightest of the sets with poles. Price per ㎡ is JPY 1,106, a 1.7x gap from the Snow Peak HD Tarp Shield Hexa L Set (JPY 1,853), which is also 570 × 500cm.

Watch fire. Even with a flame-retardant sheet, no fire inside or beside the tarp.

Families who often go to campsites with small plots fit the mont-bell Big Tarp HX at 500 × 480cm and 18.0㎡. Adding 2 240cm poles makes 4,940g and JPY 27,900.

TC tarp has a waterproof rating of 350mm. Caution near fire

DOD's Itsuka no Tarp TC has an official minimum waterproof rating of 350mm, about one sixth of polyester's 2,000mm. DOD writes that it may leak in long rain.

The TC's “resists sparks” means holes are slow to form, not that it does not burn. Tent-Mark Designs writes to avoid campfires under the tarp because it is not flame-retardant treated, and DOD writes not to raise a big fire right under the tarp. I put the size and weight of fire pits in the 12 fire pits comparison.

Who is it for?

It suits people who want to pitch a roof for sun and rain to match the headcount. Divide fabric area by 3.5㎡ per person and you can choose one tarp from solo up to 5 people.

With a 2-room tent, the living part does the job of a roof. For a day-trip shade, there is also the LOGOS Kazenuki Q-Set Tarp 250, which stands in about 2 minutes. On windy days, the bigger the tarp, the more it is the rule not to use it.

FAQ

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Ads & images: Rakuten Ichiba

LOGOS neos Hexa Tarp Set L-BBmont-bell Mini Tarp HXDOD Itsuka no Tarpmont-bell Big Tarp HX

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