There’s nothing that gets my brother and I quite as excited as planning out the next big camping trip. Whether it’s from finding a random campground in the middle of nowhere (we both make an effort to find these types of places) or a long overdue re-visit to the Effigy Mounds and gorgeous camping areas among the bluffs and woods of northeast Iowa, we love getting ready to take off and hitting the next outdoor adventure.
Hey, the name of the website isn’t random. We choose Amazing Outdoor Adventures for a reason!
However, no matter how many times we pack and go out, it seems like there is always something that gets forgotten off the list. And when you’re really in the middle of nowhere, that’s the time you notice when you’re missing something you want. One of the reasons I love the idea behind the TripTarp (check here for their most recent Kickstarter Campaign) is that it tackles this common problem while also providing an excellent and fully usable outdoor tarp. Form and function all in one – that’s the type of quality my brother and I look for in a outdoor product.
Table of Contents
Planning & Practical Usefulness
I never forget anything involved with fire starting, but I often forget about bringing extra padding for sleeping on the ground or a nice camping chair so I don’t have to worry about sitting around the fire. Jon never forgets to bring a way to play some tunes, and just instinctively knows what cooking things to bring to compliment what I’ll bring to the campsite. We’ve never forgotten the booze.
Except that once, and we’ll never speak of that embarrassment again.
However, despite the fact Jon and I have both been camping the better part of two to three decades now (gotta start early!), there are often times where we forget something. It’s easy to do, no matter how many times you’ve hit the great outdoors for your next camping trip. What I love about the TripTarp is that it’s a camping/backpacking product that really helps with the packing, and is completely functional and useful once out at the site.
The Original TripTarp Inspiration
Created by Craig Rowe, the original TripTarp (which is a registered trademark, FYI) tackled that idea of making a piece of equipment dually useful. Many backpackers or campers lay out all their gear before a big trip, and if you’re going to do that anyway, especially on a tarp, why not have one designed to cover every single aspect of your next trip?
Having the equipment sections clearly laid out definitely simplifies the process and makes every single part of packing and prepping up easier than it would be if you did not have TripTarp.
Beyond even the basic packing and planning benefits, the tarp can then be used to waterproof a small area where you are planning to sleep out in the wild, or even as a basic shelter assuming you have a sleeping bag and the weather works for that type of ultra lightweight backpacking and camping.
The stated intention of TripTarp was simple:
- Make it easier to plan for any type of outdoor adventure
- Decrease the chances of forgetting critical equipment
- Make the hectic packing stages easier and more organized
- Remaining extremely useful after packing is done
The original roll out involved 60 prototypes that were thoroughly tested out in 2016 by various individuals who then were given direct access to leave feedback. This was key for why the full roll out is being setup to take place, because of genuine feedback from individuals who tested this all out in the actual field as opposed to a lab that can’t replicate real life conditions.
Based on the strong number of positive reviews, but also combined with some genuine concerns or suggestions for making it even better, now the TripTarp is hitting its late 2016 Kickstarter campaign in order to make it even bigger and better for the second roll out, set to be the full release this time around with the updated version.
You can check out that campaign HERE or even check out the TripTarp shopify page.
TripTarp Features
There is a lot to love about the TripTarp, and you can see some of these points in action in the video down below. Shooting through the many features of the TripTarp isn’t going to be an efficient use of space because there’s so much they offer, but a short list does seem in order.
Just a few of the major features include:
- The all-important master gear list (pack it all, or just what you need)
- Fully functional 35 sq. ft. of space to organize your gear
- List of best practice tips & reminders
- Emergency action reminders
- Solidly sewn corner loops
- A mere 8 ounces of total overall weight
- High quality material for fully functional backpacking tarp
As we’ve said, there’s a lot to like here.
In Conclusion
We’re always looking for new pieces of gear that can enhance our camping or backpacking experiences, and TripTarp definitely seems to hit the mark. We’re eager to see the improvements that come in the next version when the full roll out takes place and put it to the full test. Once again, if this sounds right up your alley, then consider making a donation to the campaign.
Helping an independent company producing high quality outdoor gear is NEVER a bad thing! You can donate to their KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN HERE.
Important Notes: We have not received a TripTarp, paid or unpaid compensation of any kind for this review. This is not a sponsored review or a paid advertisement. The creator of this equipment was kind enough to contact us saying this might be of interest to our readers and we agreed. This post is our genuine opinion and we have not been compensated in any way, shape or form for it. So hope you enjoyed our opinions!