Tarps are something most of us take for granted until we wear them out or we need another one. When you cover something valuable, be it a haystack or a boat, you want it it to stay covered and safe from the elements. You want the grommets to be securely attached to the fabric. You want the fabric to be resistant to weathering, rot, mildew, rust, tears, waterproof, and extra strong. You want the seams to be completely sealed and waterproof. You want the best heavy-duty tarp you can get. You want to know you can rely on your tarp to function as you need it to.I was on a rustic camping trip earlier this year. It was summer and extremely hot, and where we were set up to camp, there was no shade. Not any except what we could make with what we had with us, miles from civilization. We fashioned a crude shelter for our heavy duty tarp and had great relief from the scorching sun. Even after the Wyoming wind came and knocked our tarp over, it was free from wear and is still in great condition.

This tarp was battered and used by a group of teenagers to protect their belongings from the elements and it did an admirable job. It is sitting, folded in my garage waiting for the next time I need something to be protected. Like a white knight riding in to save the day, a heavy duty tarp is sometimes critical to your success in an endevor, whether you are camping or hauling cut branches to the green waste facility at a county recycling plant.

Tarp is short for ‘tarpaulin’. At the most basic level, a tarpaulin is a protective covering made of a large sheet made of strong, flexible waterproof material. Most modern tarps are made from a polypropylene laminate or mixture of sheet and woven materials. When treated properly with an Ultra-Violet or UV protective coating, they will resist decay from the elements for many years. Tarp technology seems simple and straight forward, however, many advances have been made in the recent past that make modern tarps much better than past tarps.

UV resistance and rust-proof grommets are just a few of the technologies. Having a tarp available when you need one makes it easy to be prepared in the case of a hurricane, moving large loads on a truck or even being used to protect a picnic. Tarps are versatile and useful in many ways.