Lightweight Camping Shelter – Viam Outdoors

Our lightweight shelters are Made in the USA with your choice of either a 20d or 70d fabric. Our durable fabrics are 100% waterproof and will hold up season after season. These are the same fabrics used to make awnings, commercial sun shades and tents. They are also breathable enough for use in warmer weather.

A tarp can be an excellent shelter option for fastpacking trips through pinon and juniper woodlands where a bivy sack may be unnecessary. However, you will likely want to bring a ground cloth for sleeping on to prevent punctures in your inflatable pad and to keep sand and dirt off of your gear. These items will add a bit to the cost and weight of the tarp, but are necessary for many backpackers.

For more protection and warmth from rain, wind and cold, we recommend choosing a doublewall tent design. These shelters feature a mesh inner tent that protects you from internal condensation while allowing air to circulate and disperse moisture away from the inside of the tent. The outer rain fly then keeps precipitation off of you and your gear.

While it is not a panacea for durability concerns, DCF (Dyneema Composite Fabric, formerly known as Cuben Fiber) represents a significant leap forward in materials science for lightweight shelters. It has a great combination of strength and abrasion resistance, while offering significantly more tensile strength than both nylon and polyester. However, it still requires careful maintenance to ensure it does not degrade prematurely due to UV degradation of the tape adhesives used to seal seams.

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