Ideal group shelter.
Ultralite Guide + Tarp
"...all the seams and stake pullouts held firm,
despite days of high winds and heavy rain."
Michigan Backcountry Search and Rescue - reviewed 2010
The Brooks-Range Guide+ Tarp is a 10 foot square tarp made from our Ultralight™ water-resistant, ripstop nylon. It is incredibly strong and resilient for its spartan weight!
The Guide+ Tarp is designed for 3-4 persons looking for a lightweight shelter, tent awning, wind shelter or gear storage shelter. At around 15½ oz. it is light enough to take on any group trip.
"No leaks....even when the rain was allowed to puddle."
Michigan Backcountry Search and Rescue - reviewed 2010
Brooks-Range Ultralite™ Fabric:
This fabric used is specially designed for Brooks-Range Ultralite™ products. It is the lightest water-resistant available for backcountry use. The key is a calendering process that gives it superior water and wind resistance. It is waterproof to a pressure of 1 lb per square inch—more than the pressure generated by a hard rainstorm. Because of this custom finis, the waterproofness and ability to shear wind will not wash or peel off like most competitors fabrics.
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Dimensions: 10' x 10' (3.05 x 3.05 m) - Surface Area: 100 ft.2 (9.3 m2)
- Weight: ~ 15.5 oz. (457 g)
About Brooks-Range UltraLite™ Fabric:
Our ultralight hi-tech fabric, Intrepid®, is a 20/20 denier ripstop nylon fabric, and is only available with Brooks-Range UltraLite™ products. It does not rely on coating or impregnation by either polyurethane or silicone to achieve waterproofness. Instead it has a cire finish produced by subjecting the fabric to calendering.
Calendering is a heat and pressure finishing process that irons the fabric flat with heated rollers so the yarns bond together, converting the loose woven mesh into an integrated fabric that is smooth, water tight, incredibly strong and resilient for its ultra light weight. It easily shears wind thanks to an impressive strength-to-weight ratio.
The smooth finish helps keep the fabric waterproof to a pressure of one pound per square inch (two foot water pressure depth), more than the pressure generated by a driving rainstorm. It does not absorb water, nor will its waterproofness wash or peel off. We are confident Brooks-Range Ultralite fabric is the lightest water resistant fabric available for such heavy duty use.
Over time Brooks-Range UltraLite fabric will soften and become more pliable. Certain types of dry desert sand will stick to it.
The Brooks-Range UltraLite fabric is highly flammable, so keep it away from all heat sources, especially direct flames.
Click on the image below to download a PDF file of this chart.
Care and Maintenance Cleaning:
Hand wash with sponge, a mild non-detergent soap and warm water. Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap residue. Do not dry clean, bleach, machine wash or machine dry.
Storing:
It is essential to dry a Brooks-Range ultralite fabric product before storage to avoid the irreversible consequences of mildew (mold growth). Store in a cool, dry place out of direct light once dried.
Packing:
Stuffing is quicker, but creases the fabric and creates a more bulky package. We recommend folding the tarp into a long strip the width of the stuff sack. Put a knee gently on one end and roll tightly towards you, brushing off any dirt.
Customer Reviews
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Author: MiBSAR
The field test...
The Ultralite™ Guide-Plus Tarp™ was field tested on multi-day, search-and-rescue field operations as well as two long wilderness trips: a 9-day, off-trail, Soldier Mountain Expedition in Canada's Pukaskwa National Park and a 6-day McCormick Wilderness Tract off-trail backpacking trip in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Prior to the testing regimen, the tarp's seams were sealed with McNett Seam Grip®; four pullouts were sewn on the outside along the diagonals, about four feet in from the corners; wrist-size cordage stake-loops were added to all pullouts; six 5-foot lengths and five 14-foot lengths of 1.5mm-diameter, 100-pound-test, Sterling Mini Cord rigging rope were added to the stake loops and pullouts for pitching in the bush; and six 7.5-inch-long, 7075-T6, anodized-aluminum MSR Ground Hog Stakes were used for ground anchors.
As outfitted for rugged, wilderness use, the tarp weighed in at a mere 21 ounces, including stakes and cordage.
Weatherwise, temperatures during the testing period varied from 35 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and winds ranged from calm to gusts approaching 40 miles per hour.
(Top two photos courtesy of Cathy Susan of Ann Arbor, Michigan; bottom photo courtesy of Ewa Roszczenko of Livonia, Michigan)
Several day- and multiday-long bouts of prolonged rain, some including heavy downpours, high winds, thunder, and lightening were encountered.
Along with a totally-breathable bug bivy, The Ultralite™ Guide-Plus Tarp™ served as the tester's sole shelter from the elements during four test periods involving a total of 21 days.
The results...
Properly pitched and adjusted to the weather at hand, the tarp kept the tester dry and comfortable.
No leaks were encountered—even when rain was allowed to puddle, trapped atop the tarp, and all of the seams and stake pullouts held firm, despite days of high winds and heavy, continuous rain.
It should be noted that despite the failure of another 10-by-10 sil-nylon tarp during one of the tests—high winds ripped a nearly foot-long gash near its center—the Ultralite™ Guide-Plus Tarp™ held its own and remained intact.
The subdued color—woodland camouflage—concealed the tester's bivouac locations very nicely when pitched in forested areas.
Based on the consistently positive results of the field tests as well as the high-quality of the tarp's materials and workmanship, the Ultralite™ Guide-Plus Tarp™ has become the tester's primary shelter for future, long-range, search-and-rescue operations; wilderness trip; and remote expeditions, whether in Michigan or the Canada arctic.
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