Which AquaQuest tarp should I buy: Defender, Safari, Guide or Survivor?

Pick by weather and weight. The AquaQuest Defender is 70D nylon with a heavy TPU coating, rated to 20,000 mm, with every seam heat-taped, in five sizes from 2.4 to 8.2 lb. The Safari is 70D ripstop nylon rated to 5,000 mm, 1.3 to 4.5 lb. The Guide is 40D ripstop nylon rated to 5,000 mm, 0.9 to 3.75 lb. The Survivor is a bright orange 70D ripstop nylon tarp with reflective trim, rated to 5,000 mm, in two sizes at 1.8 and 4 lb. All four have taped seams, reinforced webbing tie-outs, a stuff sack and the Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

The one-minute version:

The worst weather and the longest stays, where weight is not the limit: Defender, 20,000 mm, 2.4 to 8.2 lb.
70D fabric at a lower weight: Safari, 5,000 mm, 1.3 to 4.5 lb.
The lowest weight: Guide, 5,000 mm, 0.9 to 3.75 lb.
You need to be seen: Survivor, bright orange with reflective trim, 5,000 mm, 1.8 or 4 lb.

Defender: the tarp for the worst weather

The Defender is 70D nylon with a heavy TPU coating and a DWR finish, rated to 20,000 mm, with every seam heat-taped. It is made for bushcraft, basecamp, hunting camp and car camping, where a tarp is pitched in rain for days. The trade-off is weight. The 10 x 7 weighs 2.4 lb and the 20 x 13 weighs 8.2 lb, more than the same size of any other AquaQuest tarp, because the coating is heavier.

Tie-outs are 3/4 inch polypro webbing, reinforced, and the ridgelines are webbing-reinforced. The count runs from 19 to 47 depending on the size: 21 on the 10 x 7, 19 on the 10 x 10, 25 on the 13 x 10, 37 on the 15 x 15 and 47 on the 20 x 13. The count follows each size's layout, not just its area. Six colours: Olive Drab, Woodland Camo, Stealth Gray, Forester Green, True Terrain Camo and Boulder Camo.

A Defender owner on aquaquest.com: "The 20x13 just withstood 2 inches of Acadia rain and kept 4 people and gear dry." (DKCNY)

Safari: 70D fabric at a lower weight

The Safari is 70D ripstop nylon with silicone and PU coatings, rated to 5,000 mm, with every seam taped. It uses the same 70D yarn as the Defender in a ripstop weave with lighter coatings, so the 10 x 7 weighs 1.3 lb against the Defender's 2.4 lb, and the 20 x 13 weighs 4.5 lb against 8.2 lb. The trade-off is the rating: 5,000 mm, which is fully waterproof in rain, against the Defender's 20,000 mm of extra margin.

It has 15 to 29 attachment points, including 3 along the center ridgeline, so it hangs from a ridgeline cord without sagging in the middle. Owners rig it as an A-frame, a lean-to, a hammock fly or a plow point. Same six colours as the Defender.

A Safari owner on aquaquest.com: "So many tie outs my shelter options are limited only by my imagination." (Michael B.)

Guide: the lowest weight

The Guide is 40D ripstop nylon with silicone and PU coatings, rated to 5,000 mm, with every seam taped. It is the lightest tarp AquaQuest makes: 0.9 lb for the 10 x 7, 1.3 lb for the 10 x 10, up to 3.75 lb for the 20 x 13. The trade-off is yarn weight: 40D is lighter yarn than the 70D in the Safari and Defender, and the ripstop grid is there to stop a snag running.

It has 13 to 23 attachment points, including a center loop for overhead hanging. Three colours: Olive Drab, Forester Green and Stealth Gray.

A Guide owner on aquaquest.com: "This tarp is very light and packs down well." (IHOOYAHI)

Survivor: the tarp that is meant to be seen

The Survivor High Visibility Tarp is bright orange 70D ripstop nylon with reflective trim around the whole edge, silicone and PU coatings, rated to 5,000 mm, with every seam taped. Its 19 (10 x 10) or 29 (15 x 15) attachment points carry reflective webbing. The 10 x 10 weighs 1.8 lb and the 15 x 15 weighs 4 lb. The trade-off is the opposite of camouflage: it is built so searchers on the ground or in the air can spot you, day or night, which makes it the wrong tarp for a hidden camp and the right one for a canoe trip or a group kitchen. Two sizes only.

A Survivor owner on aquaquest.com: "The gaudy orange color is absolutely MEGA." (Max M.)

What is the same on all four

Taped seams on every model, heat-taped on the Defender. Reinforced webbing tie-outs, 3/4 inch webbing on every tarp. A stuff sack. The Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. And the same finished size, size for size: a 10 x 10 measures 9 feet 7 inches by 9 feet 7 inches whichever model you buy, so you can choose the size first and the model second. Olive Drab is the colour most people buy, with Woodland Camo second.

How to compare any two tarps, ours or anyone's

Line up five numbers, then two that depend on you.

Waterproof rating, in millimetres. Defender 20,000 mm; Safari, Guide and Survivor 5,000 mm.
Fabric: the denier (yarn weight) and whether it is ripstop. Defender 70D nylon, not ripstop; Safari 70D ripstop; Guide 40D ripstop; Survivor 70D ripstop.
Seams: taped or not. Taped on every AquaQuest tarp.
Tie-outs: how many and what they are made of. 19 to 47 on the Defender, 15 to 29 on the Safari, 13 to 23 on the Guide, 19 or 29 on the Survivor, all reinforced webbing.
Warranty. Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship on every AquaQuest tarp.

Then size and weight, on the size page for every size of every model.

Which tarp by trip

Rain. Rain gets in at the open ends of an A-frame and under a high edge long before it comes through the fabric. Take one size bigger than the people under it, pitch the roof steep so water runs off instead of pooling, and tie a short drip line on the ridgeline cord just inside each end so water running along the cord drips off before it reaches you. Any of the four handles rain; the Defender's 20,000 mm is the margin for a camp that stays up for days.

Winter. Wet snow sitting on a flat roof puts far more pressure on fabric than falling rain, so pitch steep and knock snow off before it builds. Stakes do not hold in deep snow; bury a stuff sack filled with snow or a stick laid sideways as an anchor. Keep every tarp well back from open flame, because nylon melts. The Defender is the one for a winter camp that stays put; on a ski or snowshoe trip where the tarp rides on your back, the Guide 10 x 10 weighs 1.3 lb and the Safari 10 x 10 weighs 1.7 lb.

Hammock. A hammock fly has to reach past your head and your feet and hang straight along a ridgeline. The Safari's three center ridgeline points and the Guide's center loop hang the tarp from the cord itself, not just from the two ends. A 10 x 10 pitched corner to corner gives a ridge of about 13 and a half feet (the diagonal of its 9 feet 7 inches finished square), longer than its side suggests. A Guide owner on aquaquest.com: "Great for hammocks as it allows for enough covering in case of inclement weather ..." (IHOOYAHI). More on sizes for hammocks on the size page.

Bushcraft. A bushcraft tarp is the roof, the kitchen and the workshop, pitched as a lean-to in front of the fire and pulled into a plow point when the wind swings. Use the edge tie-outs, not just the corners, so it does not flog, and keep it well back from the fire. The Defender's heavy coating and heat-taped seams are made for this; Olive Drab is the best-selling colour and Woodland Camo second. The Safari does the same jobs at 1.3 to 4.5 lb. See the Bushcraft Tarp collection.

Ultralight backpacking. The Guide 10 x 7 weighs 0.9 lb and packs to 11 by 4 by 3.5 inches; the 10 x 10 weighs 1.3 lb. Pitch it tight and use the edge tie-outs on an exposed site; a light tarp pitched loose flogs all night. See the Backpacking Tarp collection.

Car camping and overlanding. Weight stops mattering and coverage starts. A 15 x 15 or 20 x 13 Defender roofs a kitchen and a table for four, with 37 or 47 tie-outs to pitch it tight when one edge is fixed to the vehicle. Tie to rack bars or recovery points, never to paint or trim. See the Camping Tarp collection.

Canoe. The tarp goes up at a new site every evening, often between whatever trees the shore offers, so tie-out count and a size that roofs the group matter more than weight. A 13 x 10 covers two paddlers and their kitchen; a 15 x 15 roofs a group. The Survivor's orange is easy to spot from the water. A Survivor owner on aquaquest.com: "Great for a canoe trip and the unexpected storm." (Cynthia L.)

Whichever tarp you choose, it is a camping tarp: pitch it for the trip, dry it, pack it.

Spec table

Model	Fabric and coating	Waterproof rating	Seams	Attachment points	Sizes (feet)	Weight	Colours
Defender	70D nylon (not ripstop), TPU and DWR coatings	20,000 mm	Heat-taped	19 to 47 (21, 19, 25, 37, 47 by size)	10 x 7, 10 x 10, 13 x 10, 15 x 15, 20 x 13	2.4 to 8.2 lb	Olive Drab, Woodland Camo, Stealth Gray, Forester Green, True Terrain Camo, Boulder Camo
Safari	70D ripstop nylon, silicone and PU	5,000 mm	Taped	15 to 29 (15, 19, 19, 29, 25), 3 along the center ridgeline	Same five	1.3 to 4.5 lb	Same six
Guide	40D ripstop nylon, silicone and PU	5,000 mm	Taped	13 to 23 (13, 17, 17, 23, 21), center loop	Same five	0.9 to 3.75 lb	Olive Drab, Forester Green, Stealth Gray
Survivor	70D ripstop nylon, silicone and PU, reflective trim	5,000 mm	Taped	19 (10 x 10) or 29 (15 x 15), reflective webbing	10 x 10, 15 x 15	1.8 lb, 4 lb	Bright orange

FAQs

Is the AquaQuest Defender ripstop?

No. The Defender is 70D nylon with a heavy TPU coating and heat-taped seams; the Safari, Guide and Survivor are ripstop nylon.

Do all AquaQuest tarps come in the same sizes?

The Defender, Safari and Guide come in 10 x 7, 10 x 10, 13 x 10, 15 x 15 and 20 x 13 feet; the Survivor comes in 10 x 10 and 15 x 15.

Which AquaQuest tarp has the highest waterproof rating?

The Defender, rated to 20,000 mm; the Safari, Guide and Survivor are rated to 5,000 mm.

Which AquaQuest tarp is the lightest?

The Guide, 40D ripstop nylon, at 0.9 lb for the 10 x 7 and 3.75 lb for the 20 x 13.

Is the warranty the same on all four tarps?

Yes. Every AquaQuest tarp carries the Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

Fear no forecast.
Waterproven since 1994.