We Compared the Leading Camping Tarps. Here's Why Drygrove is #1:
Written by Jessica Harmon
Before you buy again, it helps to know that a camping tarp is not one product. The name covers sheets cut for different jobs: a ground sheet that lies flat under a tent, a hammock fly that hangs overhead, and a big cover for a woodpile or a car. Pick the wrong cut and even good fabric lets you down.
What to look for is less glamorous than the packaging. You want coated, waterproof fabric, edges that are folded and stitched, and metal at the corners where the rope pulls. Then match the size to your tent floor, because a sheet that sticks out past the walls can channel rain underneath. Packed size counts too, since a cover you dread carrying stays at home.
The catch is that five similar-looking rectangles can look identical online. Photos rarely show which one is a ground sheet and which is a hammock fly. Same shape, different jobs, so we set all five side by side and compared what each is built to do.
Here's what we found.
How We Compared Them
We compared the five products on paper against the same four criteria: Waterproof Protection, Grommet Durability, Packed Size and Carry, and Size and Versatility. For each one we read the published specs, fabric and coating details, parts, size charts and design, and we set them next to the Amazon star ratings of the four other models.
Each product was judged on its construction and its published numbers, with units converted so metric and US readers see the same sheet. We weighed most what buyers say they want from a camping tarp: a dry floor, corners that hold under rope pull and a cover that packs away. The scores are our editorial reading of that paper evidence, not measurements.
On paper, our top pick wins where wet ground is the problem. The fabric is a coated polyester described as waterproof and damp-proof, and three cut sizes let you match a tent floor, a picnic spot or a pile of gear. It is a ground sheet first, not a hammock fly stretched into the job.
The secondary strengths add up. Metal eyelets sit at the corners and the edges are folded and stitched. Army green uses thicker 210D Oxford for rough ground, while the camo uses lighter 210T polyester taffeta that is easier to carry, and a matching drawstring bag holds it at 22 x 10 x 5 cm (8.7 x 3.9 x 2.0 in).
One honest limit: sizes are cut sizes, with a few cm (about an inch) of error after hemming, and ropes are not included. That is minor. Measure your tent floor, choose a size at or slightly under it, and bring the rope you already own.
The Results:
Drygrove is our top pick because it is the one sheet in this group made to keep wet ground out of your tent, your gear and your picnic.
Value
Stop wiping down a damp tent floor at the car. Stop trusting a towel or a picnic blanket to hold back wet grass, and stop re-knotting rope around a thin corner. One coated sheet takes over those makeshift jobs.
Doing nothing has a cost of its own: a weekend cut short and one more cover bought for the next trip.
The build gives you something firmer to rely on. Metal eyelets mark the corners, the edges are folded and stitched, and the drawstring bag keeps it tidy between trips. A coated sheet with stitched edges and metal corner eyelets, laid under the tent, gives wet ground something to stop at before it reaches the floor.
What Your Weekends Look Like After
Saturday morning, the rain has passed, and the tent floor is dry under your hand. You shake the tarp out, let it air, and slide it into its bag beside the stove. By lunch the same sheet is spread on damp grass and the kids are sitting on it.
It also helps anyone who needs a clean, dry patch: beach and festival days, hunters and photographers who kneel on wet ground, or anyone covering gear before a shower. The larger cut sizes give a family room to spread out at a picnic, while the smaller ones fit a tent floor.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a coated polyester fabric described as waterproof and damp-proof, so it works as a ground sheet, a cover cloth or a shade. It has no published rating, so we judged it on its coated fabric and stitched edges. Pitch it loosely, not drum tight, and tie off all four sides.
Measure your tent floor, length and width, then pick the cut size at or slightly under it. There are three sizes, and which ones you see depends on the color you pick. Sizes are cut sizes, so allow a few cm (about an inch) after hemming.
Metal eyelets and stitched edges are built for rope pull, but a loose pitch is what protects them. Tie off all four sides and avoid pulling hard, so the load is shared instead of landing on one corner.
Only the army green option marked + 4 ground stakes includes 4 stakes. The other options are the tarp and its storage bag. Ropes are not included, so thread your own through the corner eyelets.
It rolls into its drawstring bag in a matching color. Larger sizes pack bigger, so the packed size depends on the size you choose.
Shake it out, let it dry fully, then slide it into its drawstring bag. A damp pack-away is what makes tarps leak over time, so this habit protects the coating.
It is a coated polyester fabric with folded, stitched edges and metal corner eyelets, plus a drawstring bag to carry it. Those are the details that matter when a rope pulls on a corner. To look after it, pitch it loosely and store it dry.
It is a ground sheet first, so it is not cut like a hammock rain fly. You can tie the corners to rope and pitch it overhead as shade, and the larger size gives more cover. For a dedicated hammock setup, the specialist flies in this guide are built for it.
Purchase and Delivery Process
Open our top pick's store page from the button on this page. Choose your color and kit, then the size that matches your tent floor or picnic spot; the available sizes depend on the color you pick.
Ropes are not included, so have your own rope ready for the corner eyelets. Once your choice is set, confirm your order and you are ready for the next wet campsite.
Where Can I Buy the Drygrove?
Getting your own Drygrove with a 50% discount is simple. Just follow these steps: