Hyperlite Mountain Gear Square Flat Tarp Review

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Square Flat Tarp is the lightest ultralight shelter we tested and — in the hands of an expert user — defines shelter adaptability. A creative camper can pitch it for weather protection just about anywhere you can sit or lie down. Your adjustable trekking poles provide the support for the most common pitches. Adding a ground sheet or inner tent or bivy sack extends severe weather protection. For more information and advice about mixing and matching components, see our Modular Accessories for Floorless Tents article.

While we tested the square flat tarp with dimensions of 8.5'x8.5', this tarp also comes in two different rectangular versions with dimensions of 6'x8' and 8'x10'. While the squareness of this tarp makes it ideal for pitching in all the different ways one can think of, it also makes it slightly harder to pitch in A-frame mode than a standard catenary cut tarp, like the Mountain Laurel Designs Grace Tarp Duo.

Performance Comparison

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Square Flat Tarp pitched in super low storm mode without stakes. (Extra long guylines wrap around rocks.) North Cascades, WA.

Weather Resistance

This tarp is made with the best DCF fabric that gives it ultimate waterproof-ness, means it won't stretch when wet, and enables it to be used in low storm mode, close over a lying down person, all in contrast to SilNylon. That said, its weather resistance depends on its pitching configuration. A-frame mode provides rain and wind protection in well protected to moderately exposed areas (e.g. the entire Appalachian Trail and most of the Pacific Crest and Continental Divide Trails). Storm mode offers adequate protection in very exposed areas and is one of the great advantages of a flat tarp, catenary designs such as the MLD Grace Tarp Duo, simply cannot be deployed in this fashion. The HMG Square Flat Tarp features an incredible number of tie out points. Sixteen line-locks are spaced around the perimeter of the tarp, and five guy out points are located in the middle (or field) of the tarp. No matter how you fold or pitch it, there's likely to be a guy out point right where you need it!

Perhaps the greatest drawback to a flat tarp is its lack of four-sided weather protection. Storm mode protects against wind and precipitation from three sides but occasionally spray and wind can whip around into the entrance. In windy and wet weather, we like to seal off one side of the entry of a storm mode pitched tarp with a full-zip rain jacket, backpack, rocks, or snow. In the winter, you can close off one side with snow and "seal" the other (the door) with a jacket or pack. The same technique can be applied to an A-frame or other pitching configurations. If you want the best protection available, then pairing this tarp with a lightweight water resistant bivy sack could be your best bet. While there are plenty of work arounds to help a tarp be as weather resistant as possible, we still think that a fully enclosed pyramid tent, like the Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2, provides a more bomber four-sided shelter.

Pitched in storm mode, there's lot of protected floor area inside, but little headroom. Water resistant bivy sacks, which weigh around 7 oz., can be a useful for added storm protection. ZPacks Quantum Bivy shown here.

DCF fabric, formerly known as Cuben Fiber, is completely water proof, and will not absorb water either, meaning it won't stretch or sag when it gets wet. It is also tough, durable, and doesn't degrade with exposure to UV light. Did we mention its also lighter than SilNylon? What's not to love? Except for the cost...

Livability

When pitched as an A-frame close to the ground, this flat tarp offers lots of space for two people to spread out but limited headroom for sitting up. Two D-rings along the inside ridgeline will help hold an inner tent, such as the Echo II Insert sold by HMG ($315, 14.6 ounces). Storm mode offers even less room to sit up but has lots of floor space for two people and all of their gear. Other configurations, such as lean-to style, can be very comfortable and provide a fantastic view.

There is no doubt that livability is one area where using a tarp such as this one is simply not as comfortable or luxurious as using a fully enclosed tent, such as the Zpacks Duplex, our Editors' Choice award winner. When enduring a storm with the tarp pitched in storm mode, you will have no choice but to be lying down inside your bag, with little room to move about. Inside the Six Moons Designs Haven Tarp, you could easily be moving around, playing cards, or tinkering with gear with room to spare, while the storm rages outside. This tarp also doesn't have a floor, necessitating adding a ground cloth, or bug protection. And for those who like a little privacy where they can change clothes or clean up after a long day of hiking, you aren't going to find it here. In short, when using this tarp as your shelter, you are in effect living outside in the world, and this can be a great thing, or not such a great thing, depending on the weather, your needs, and your disposition.

The Square Flat Tarp set up as low A-frame mode, using just the standard six guy out points, on a backpacking trip in Dark Canyon, Bears Ears National Monument, Utah.

Weight

Our Square Flat Tarp weighed in at 10.9 ounces, including the tie-outs which came along with it and the DCF stuff sack, making it easily the lightest shelter in this review. For those who value weight above all else, let this be enough of an endorsement!

As one would expect, the second lightest shelter in this review was the MLD Grace Tarp Duo, which is also a tarp but made of SilNylon. The third lightest was the Black Diamond Beta Light, a pyramid made of SilNylon, which weighed about six ounces more. The Square Flat Tarp has more included line-locks and tie-out cord than either of these two shelters, but still manages to weigh less. This is the advantage of DCF fabric! Of course, it remains worth pointing out that for all of these models, you'll have to add stakes and a ground cloth, as well a lightweight bivy sack or bug mesh, should it be needed, and two trekking poles for setup.

The HMG Square Flat Tarp comes with 10 different pre-cut and tied guy lines (four are 6' long, six are 4' long) and a small stuff sack. While we love the small stuff sack, we have found it very hard to fold this tarp up well enough to easily get back into the sack! You will need to add a minimum of 6 stakes, although you may want as many as 10, and two adjustable trekking poles to complete this setup.

A side by side comparison of the two smallest stuffing shelters in this review, the HMG Square Flat Tarp on the right, and the Black Diamond Beta Light (with stakes included!) on the left. These shelters define "Take anywhere."

Adaptability

There is no doubt that this is the most adaptable shelter in this review. While we have mentioned A-frame mode and storm mode as the two most likely ways of setting it up for a good night's rest, there are countless other methods to pitch this tarp. Using two trekking poles it can be set up in lean-to mode, or some modification thereof, thereby making it wide enough for three. One also doesn't need to be confined to stakes and trekking poles but can use trees or branches, roots or rocks on the ground, or climbing gear (or rocks used as chockstones?) deposited in nearby cracks of rocks.

That said, we couldn't award it a perfect score regarding adaptability, simply because in order to be ready for any situation one might encounter in the great wide world, added components will be necessary. It is also worth noting that set up in some ways, like storm mode if it's windy and raining, it could be very uncomfortable to hang out it, unlike the Beta Light or UltaMid 2, which are very comfortable and relatively enjoyable tents to wait out a storm in.

Simply playing around with different tarp setups in the Dark Canyon, we found that set up in lean-to mode, there is then plenty of room for three people to sleep side-by-side under this flat tarp, and a nice view!

Also, while it can be used in certain situations in the winter, we find the level of protection it offers if the weather got dire to be simply too much of a risk for the colder, stormier season.

Although it wasn't needed on this pleasant night, we set up this tarp in a "high" storm mode for demonstration. The open end would of course be on the leeward side, giving great wind and rain protection on the lower windward side.

Ease of Set-up

This tarp comes with ten included and pre-cut tie-outs, four of which are 6' long, and six of which are 4' long. Using these included guy-outs means, you will want to carry ten stakes with you. As there are 16 line-locks around the exterior of the tarp, and five more on the field of the tarp, you will have to move the guy lines around as needed. For added versatility, you may want to add a few lengths of much longer lightweight cord to your kit for rigging to trees or other natural anchors.

The easiest way to set this tarp up is in storm mode, and this can be accomplished very quickly with one person, even in a bad wind. Loosely stake out all four corners, then add the single short pole to the middle of the leeward side, and adjust as needed, adding more stakes for better security. Setting it up in A-frame mode can be quite a bit trickier with only one person, and requires a bit of practice. Unlike the MLD Grace Tarp Duo, this tarp does not have dedicated grommet holes at the ridgeline for slotting the tips of your trekking poles into, so the use of a clove hitch is necessary. Suffice to say that a knowledge of knots is mandatory for setting this tarp up, and the more experience you have with rigging, the easier it will be. That said, with practice it is not too hard, but it is still probably the most involved in this review, on par with the Six Moons Designs Haven Tarp and the Zpacks Duplex.

At the eave of the Square Flat Tarp is a simple line-lock. In order to attach it to your trekking poles, a clove hitch knot is most appropriate, shown here. While trying this knot to the bottom of the pole is easier, we like setting our poles up vertically so the pointy end provides good traction in the soft ground.

Best Applications

This tarp can honestly be set up just about anywhere provided you have the skills to do so but will excel for three-season backpacking and thru-hiking. In the past, our testers have also enjoyed it for bivvying beneath summer alpine climbs.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Square Flat Tarp in the North Cascades, WA.

Value

This tarp retails for $355, a reflection of the high-quality DCF material used. If you are confident that this is the shelter for you, then we feel it is certainly a good value. For those who would like a tarp but don't need the versatility of a flat one, the Mountain Laurel Designs Grace Tarp Duo only costs $165.

Conclusion

The Hyperlite Mountain Designs Square Flat Tarp is the lightest and most adaptable shelter in this review, making it worthy of your consideration. For those who want only the lightest shelter, then this is your jam. We think this is such a great tarp that we awarded it our Best Ultralight Tarp award. However, despite these awesome advantages, the trade offs are that it is not as weather protective as most other tents we tested, and is a compromise when it comes to livability.

Set up in A-frame mode, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Square Flat Tarp has more than enough room for two people to sleep comfortably without threat of getting wet. It is also incredibly adaptable to a variety of other potential set ups.