Recommendation for a tarp for my pack - mostly going to use to put quarters on but

[repins05]

Recommendation for a tarp for my pack? I am mostly going to use it to keep quarters clean when I am cutting up an animal. However, it would be nice to have as a backup shelter. Not afraid to drop some coin but also don't want to get a tarp and put holes in it. Looking at the kifaru sheep tarp. Any other suggestions? I have been using tyvek to do the job up to this point.

 

[Tremain4414]

Found a really lightweight option on an end cap at cabellas last year. The tarp was 6x8 I believe and only ran me about $7.

 

[Gasman]

For a very lightweight and compact option, I use those cheap silver space blankets to put meat on. They're great to keep in a kill kit, but they wouldn't do for shelter, though.

 

[justinspicher]

Maybe get an issued poncho from a surplus store?

 

[SwiftShot]

If you want something to keep it clean and that is all. Cut a contractor garbage bag open and lay it flat. Fold it up and put it in your kill kit. Very lightweight and works great. Plus you can throw it away if you want later if it is dirty.

 

[eamyrick]

Marsupial and Caribou gear both sell meat tarps.

 

[Desk Jockey]

A roll of visqueen or tyvek. Cut an 8 foot section. Toss it when it gets bloody.

jimmy tarps and a few others make sil tarps or ground sheets that are cheap and light. An 8x5 or 9x6 is plenty to sleep under in a pinch and can be folded in half for a meat rest.

if you want lightweight then dyneema is the way to go, but it is $$$ and will acquire holes.

 

[GunsAreFun]

I also do the emergency blanket thing and just throw it away when done. Carry my Warbonnet GT for shelter. It’s worth an ounce or two for the emergency blanket to not worry about putting holes in my shelter.

The only other option I’d consider is getting a MUST tarp that is usually about 5x8. Etowah makes one that is silnylon and like 8 ounces. I use that deer hunting if I’m walking in a long distance for an all day ground hunt and rain is expected.

 

[JD Jones]

I use a dcf footprint from a tent that I found in some used junk bin … was less than 15$. Has some other uses as well

 

[GunsAreFun]

Silnylon MEST™ Tarp - OD

Silnylon OD tarp 10x10

bushcraftoutfitters.com

 

[mcseal2]

I use the bigger 2 person emergency blanket from SOL to set meat on. I figure it's multi-purpose and pretty cheap. It's a little tougher than the small silver ones.

I carry a tarp for shelter, but I'd rather use the blanket for meat than have to clean the tarp. In AK I did weigh it down and put it in the river overnight, then take it the next day in case we got another caribou. Blood comes off the emergency blanket really easy.

 

[OctoberGold]

I took a gamble and ordered a couple of cheap silnylon tarps off aliexpress. I figured if they didn't show, I wasn't out much. Both of them showed up in a reasonable amount of time and have worked great as a footprint under my pad.

 

[state637]

I picked up a WP trail multi cloth from VIAM Outdoors just for this purpose. It has tie outs in all four corners and it packs up small. I think the overall size is 48 or 50" x 70ish"

 

[amateurhourhunter]

AquaQuest on Amazon makes a really good lightweight tarp. Very durable. Used on a caribou hunt and can double as a shelter. I lost in on Monatgue Island tho.

 

[Fatcamp]

Piece of Tyvek and a contractor bag in our kill kits. Cheap and very effective.

 

[Tick]

What is the benefit of laying meat out versus putting directly in a meat bag? Cool faster?

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

+1 to the caribou gear hunters tarp mentioned earlier. Not overly big but in a pickle you could shelter with it. Worked good last year to put elk quarters on before I bagged up everything

 

[CMF]

I tried the space blanket with my first elk and it ripped up trying to use it to lay the meat on. I would just do some cheap plastic or garbage bags like others mentioned before the space blanket. A couple of garbage bags could also double as waders to cross a creek.

I've been looking into tarps too, the kifaru sheep tarp seems like a good weight/size/cost ratio.
I'd really like to add the zpacks dyneema tarp (8.5x10 is 7oz). It could double as a light weight shelter if I'm solo and together with a bora bivy I'd have 12oz in a shelter.

 

[mighteywhitehunter]

https://www.amazon.com/Arcturus-Heavy-Duty-Survival-Blanket/dp/B01H6NC8XU/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?crid=1ER68L5M506QR&keywords=space+blanket&qid=1682145452&sprefix=space+blanket%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-13

This is what I have used for many years. Inexpensive, durable, and can double as an emergency shelter as well. It is the lightest thing out there but checks a lot of boxes for my typical hunts.

 

[Tick]

I have a heavy Aquaquest tarp that could probably handle the ground. A light weight Bora Gear tarp plus a plastic sheet for meat would be less ounces to carry.