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photo courtesy of Danny Farris


	Decidedly simple, yet high tech and ultralight, the ParaTarp provides bivouac shelter when you need to hunker down farfrom base camp. Space age fabric combined with years of experience gives you the absolute lightest, most rugged shelter ever built. Devised particularly for day trippers, this versatile, lightweight rugged shelter packs up quite small (11 in. X 3) into its own tube as part of your permanent bivouac cache.		It is ideally suited as a tent with the use of available materials, like tree branches, trekking poles, an ice axe or pack stays. You get full protection from 3 sides (please note, there is no "door"), and the open front allows you to build a fire for warmth or take the chill off with one of our stoves. An overhead eave helps keep the drips out.

Don't need to bivy? The ParaTarp also functions as a great catch-all shelter for your gear if you don't want to clutter up the sleeping quarters of your base camp tent. Use the storage tube to stash things like your eyeglasses or wallet.

Keep in mind that this shelter is quite reliant on where, and how you choose to configure it. You are supplying the pole and pegs for support, but it is also particularly suited for tree wells, trenches and groves of trees - giving you complete freedom to maximize the environment and the shelter together for a warm bivy. Set up as an A-frame, you are going to have one open end that you'll want to place on the leeward side. In all the configurations we have tried, the ParaTarp has proven to be extremely windproof.

We might all secretly want to test our survival skills by spending the night in the elements, but when reality bites in the teeth of a storm, this eleven ounce shelter is the best insurance you can buy. Don't leave home without it.

shown with optional Peg & Pole Kit and ParaStove - see details below.

Note: this shelter is stripped of all amenities to keep weight and bulk to a minimum. It does NOT include poles, pegs, mosquito netting or zippered doors. Need something a bit more decked out? Check out our ParaTipi - same exceptional fabric for strength to weight ratio, packs up small.

Need something bigger? Check out our SuperTarp. Same ultralight, ultra-large concept, great features and compact size, but with a bigger footprint - enough room for two folks and gear.

Price: 188.00

Shipping costs: will be emailed separately in order to give you the best possible price.

Featues/Construction
Specs
Peg & Pole Kit
Stove Packages
Annex
Annex Setup
Paratarp Setup

Features & Construction
Construction: Paraglider Fabric for durability & weight savings
UV coated and waterproof.
Pegs and Poles: optional kit
Zippers: none
Doors: single
Mosquito Netting: none
Stuff Sack: included
Colors: solid white or Coyote Brown

Specs
Assembled Dimensions: 9 feet, 6 in. X 8 feet X 5.
55 in. corner to corner across the front
Packed Dimensions: 3 in. diameter X 11 inches - can be compressed even smaller.
Height: 42 inches
Weight: 11 oz.

ParaTarp packed

The ParaTarp compresses further, making it about the size of a pair of socks

The Peg & Pole Kit is optional, for those who can't rely on the environment for their anchors. The Peg & Pole Kit makes sure you have everything to set up your shelter. Better yet, the poles "nest" inside each other, meaning you can control the elevation of your pitch.
Front Elevation: from 12 to 42 inches
Back Elevation: from 0 to 26 inches
ParaTarp weight with Peg and Pole Kit: 1 lb. 13 oz.
Peg and Pole Kit is available separately: includes front and rear poles,
12 pegs

Relative Sizes with the Peg & Pole Kit
(shown with Nalgene bottle for comparison)


ParaTarp with Peg & Pole Kit, packed		The ParaTarp components

Recommended Stoves: ParaStove and Small Stove

		The ParaPackage. When combined with our ParaStove, the ParaTarp is the lightest, most compact shelter and heating system available! This exceptionally efficient emergency bivouac duo is so small that it fits in the palm of both hands - shelter, stove, pipe and all weighs just 3 pounds. ParaStove Small Stove ParaTarp and ParaStove Package (includes a Pipe Stabilizer) save $22 by purchasing the package!

		Don't need to travel this light? You can plug ANY of our stoves into our vestibule, since they sit outside. Note: this shelter is open ended at the front, and use with this stove will take the chill off - however, you will get more saturated warmth from a fully enclosed shelter such as our ParaTipi. Click on our ParaStove to see details.
Just scoot the stove inside your vestibule for more warmth.		relative size to a 5'11 inch man, with optional stove

our thanks to Ken Ginter for these photos from the '06 N.E. Rendezvous

annexsm

Add more versatility to your ParaTarp or SuperTarp with this extension. Provides 4 season comfort by sealing out that errant wind, and even has a stove pipe jack, letting you easily add your Small Stove or ParaStove. Best of all, the Annexes are form-fitted to retrofit any Kifaru Tarp you might already own, and affix into place without additional components. At under 6 ounces, it's great added protection.

Construction: Paraglider Fabric for durability & weight savings UV coated and waterproof. Weight: 4 3/4 ounces for ParaTarp Annex Weight: 5 3/4 ounces for SuperTarp Annex
		Annex completely seals off the front and lets you use a Small Stove or ParaStove

	Annex Instructions Parts list includes: - Annex - bolt for Peg & Pole setup You will need: 3 additional stakes

	1. with your Tarp set up, locate the large grommet on your Annex			2. remove the top of your current front support (stick, Peg & Pole Kit or trek pole) and insert through this grommet.


	2a. Peg & Pole Kit only: use the supplied bolt and insert through the top of the Annex.			2a. Washer should be on top. Insert bolt into the top of your Pole.


	3. Insert support back into the front of your Tarp.			4. Tie off the Annex at your Tarp's two front stakes


	5. Stretch front of Annex out tautly and stake both sides down, using one peg			6. Stake out 2 remaining anchors


	7. Remove front peg and disconnect side opposite stove jack. Reset peg. Tie off "door" at side.			8. Add your stove, and you're all set

Setting up a SuperTarp, SuperHootch, ParaTarp or ParaHootch

When pitched in their "optimum" modes these will provide very effective shelter - as long as you pitch their open fronts out of the wind they are capable of bomb-proof wind performance, a first for tarps.

Without a Peg & Pole Kit
You can use your ParaTarp or SuperTarp without a Peg and Pole Kit, supporting your shelter with the use of trekking poles, tree branches, etc.

ptarp

Achieving optimum pitch without a Peg & Pole Kit
1) Gather or cut sticks for the peg loops, short ones for hard ground, longer ones for softer ground. On deep snow cut these two feet long and insert through the peg loops at a 45 degree angle (pack the snow first, and let it "set up" for a bit). Frozen ground? Carry some 40 penny nails (about 4' long) as substitute "pegs". Available at the hardware store.
2) Refer to the "pole" measuring tabs on one side of your Tarp. The longer distance between the long cord markers is for the Front pole. The distance between the short cord markers is for the Rear pole. Break branches to these dimensions OR adjust your trekking poles (if using), or use our Peg & Pole Kit (see below).

starp

3) Peg the corners of the narrowest end of the Tarp/Hootch (this is the rear). Insert the longest "pole" beneath the other end (the front) against the hypalon patch, and raise.
4) Stretch the 6' cord attached to the eave forward and peg it. Peg the adjacent corners evenly, pulling them outwardly and forwardly. Then insert the shorter rear pole against its hypalon patch and raise.
Peg as many of the remaining peg loops as needed for a taut pitch.
5) You can build a fire out front, just offset it from beneath the front cord so as not to burn through it. Of course, the Tarp can be pitched in any traditional "tarp"-like configuration. Just take some cordage and you can stretch it between trees in "shelter half" style, etc.

With a Peg & Pole Kit

SuperTarp Peg and Pole Kits include:
12 pegs, 3 rear poles, 5 front
ParaTarp Peg and Pole Kits include:
12 pegs, 3 rear poles, 4 front

Front poles: 12" length, Rear poles: 11" length

One section in each set is the "bottom" pole with several fine tuning holes in it, and an "optimum" position indicated by a smaller hole beside the "best" raise-to hole.

Retrofit Front Pole Kit for SuperTarp:
If you already own a ParaTarp with Peg and Pole Kit and then purchase a SuperTarp, there is no need to purchase a second Peg and Pole Kit.
Simply remove your current top pole and replace it with your two new pole extensions!
These two poles are shown on the right side of this photo. See SuperTarp page for details.

Snap your poles together and insert into the hypalon locator wedges. Raise as directed in steps 3-5