A tarp is the most versatile piece of kit in your pack: a rain roof over your hammock, a windbreak at the fire, a porch for your tent, an emergency shelter or a privacy screen. We stock tarps and shelters from Nordisk, Snugpak and Grand Canyon – from the ultralight silnylon sheet for fast trips to the heavy-duty all-weather shelter. Shipped from our warehouse in Menzingen ZG, with proper advice.
A-frame, lean-to, half pyramid or sun sail – the same tarp, pitched differently for whatever the weather does.
In mild conditions a tarp replaces the tent and saves noticeable weight and volume in your pack.
Nordisk for lightweight trips, Snugpak for hard everyday use, Grand Canyon for camping and family.
Pegs, guy line and the matching hammocks or tents are all part of the same assortment.
A tarp is a rectangular or diamond-shaped sheet with tie-out points – nothing more. That is exactly where its strength comes from: there is no fixed shape you have to accept. In wind you pitch it low and angled, in rain as an A-frame with steep panels, in sun flat as a sail. In Switzerland the tarp is often the more honest choice than a tent: for a day hike with a lunch stop, for a rainy hour on a hunting stand or for a night in a hammock you do not need an enclosed tent, you need a roof. We carry three brands with clearly different priorities: Nordisk from Denmark with the lightweight Voss series, Snugpak from England with rugged shelters, and Grand Canyon with the Zuni camping tarps.
Which sheet is right depends less on the material than on the job. These six cases cover most of it.
The most common reason to buy a tarp. You need a sheet longer than the hammock with enough overhang on both sides so driving rain cannot come in from the side. The diamond-shaped Nordisk Voss models are built for this: pitched along the diagonal they give a long, narrow roof. You will find the matching hammocks under Hammocks.
As soon as more than one person is out, the tarp becomes the shared room: cooking under cover, packs out of the rain, the windward side closed off. It may be bigger and heavier for that job – the Grand Canyon Zuni tarps and the larger Nordisk Voss sheets are the obvious choice.
A tarp in front of the tent door creates exactly the half-dry area a tent lacks: take your boots off, put the pack down, cook, without carrying everything inside. If you are looking for a tarp as an addition, have a look at the Tents first so colour and guying match.
On a stand what counts is staying dry while drawing as little attention as possible. A sheet in olive or forest green breaks up the outline and keeps drizzle off without you having to pitch a whole tent. If you need full concealment, the Hunting blinds and ground blinds are the more consistent solution.
If you count grams, you leave the tent at home and take a tarp, a sleeping bag and a mat. The ultralight versions of the Nordisk Voss series are made for that – small pack size, low weight, but you need some experience in pitching and an eye for the right spot.
When the sheet should not be the lightest but the toughest – covering material, trailers, storage, an emergency shelter – you reach for the Snugpak All Weather Shelter. The compact Snugpak Stasha is its counterpart for the trail. The full selection from this brand is under Snugpak Tarps and Shelters.
Nordisk stands for Scandinavian lightweight design and is represented here by the Voss series. The range covers several sizes and material versions: the PU-coated models as the more robust all-rounder, the silicone versions (Si) as the lighter trekking option, plus the Voss Tech as the multifunctional variant. A characteristic feature of several models is the diamond shape, which pitches particularly well over a hammock. The full selection is under Nordisk Tarps and Shelters.
Snugpak has been making kit with a military background for decades, and it shows in their shelters. The All Weather Shelter is built for durability and hard use, the Stasha for a small pack size on the move. We also stock the matching Snugpak tent and tarp pegs in a 6-pack.
The Zuni tarps from Grand Canyon are the straightforward camping sheets in the range: larger areas in olive, meant as sun and rain cover over the table, the tent door or the cooking spot. Zuni 3 and Zuni 4 differ in area. You will find the brand collected under Grand Canyon Tarps and Shelters.
| Model | Brand | Version | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voss PU 9 m² | Nordisk | PU coated | All-round, camp |
| Voss Si 14 m² | Nordisk | Silicone coated | Group roof, trekking |
| Voss Si 20 m² | Nordisk | Silicone coated | Large group roof |
| Voss 2 LW / Voss 5 ULW | Nordisk | Light and ultralight | Solo bivouac, hammock |
| Voss Diamond PU / Diamond Si | Nordisk | Diamond shape | Hammock roof |
| Voss Tech | Nordisk | Multifunctional | Changing pitches |
| All Weather Shelter | Snugpak | Heavy-duty version | Constant use, emergency shelter |
| Stasha | Snugpak | Compact | Lightweight trail roof |
| Zuni 3 / Zuni 4 | Grand Canyon | Olive | Camping, family |
A tarp is only as good as the way it is anchored. The supplied cord is fine for normal conditions, but on soft forest floor, on gravel or in an exposed spot the pegs decide whether the roof survives the night. We stock the Snugpak tent and tarp pegs in a 6-pack as well as cord and tensioners from the camping range.
A tarp lasts a very long time if you get a few things right.
| You want to... | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| ...sleep in a hammock | Nordisk Voss Diamond (PU or Si) |
| ...travel as light as possible | Nordisk Voss 5 ULW |
| ...pitch a roof for a group | Nordisk Voss Si 14 m² or 20 m² |
| ...have a sun roof for family camping | Grand Canyon Zuni 3 or Zuni 4 |
| ...buy a sheet that lasts for years | Snugpak All Weather Shelter |
| ...carry something compact for emergencies | Snugpak Stasha |
| ...stay dry and discreet on a hunting stand | Tarp in olive or forest green |
| ...have full cover instead of just a roof | Hunting blind or ground blind |
| ...add a porch to an existing tent | Nordisk Voss PU 9 m² |
| ...anchor your tarp reliably | Snugpak tent and tarp pegs, 6-pack |
We are a Swiss outdoor retailer with warehouse and showroom in Menzingen ZG. Sheets are hard to judge online – so come by, handle the material and let us show you how a diamond shape differs from a rectangle.
A rectangular tarp in a medium size. It forgives pitching mistakes, can be set up as an A-frame, a half pyramid or a windbreak, and is enough for both a hammock and a camp. Only once you know how you usually pitch your tarp is a specialised shape such as a diamond tarp worth it.
A tent has a fixed shape, a floor and usually an inner tent against insects. A tarp is only a roof: lighter, smaller packed and free in its shape, but without a floor and without all-round protection. For mild nights, lunch stops and hammocks a tarp is enough; in cold weather, with wind from all sides or heavy insect pressure the tent is the better choice.
The roof should be clearly longer than the hammock so head and foot end stay covered, and it needs enough overhang at the sides so driving rain cannot blow in. Diamond-shaped tarps are pitched along the diagonal and give exactly this long, narrow roof.
PU-coated sheets are usually somewhat heavier and less sensitive in everyday use. Silicone-coated fabrics (Si, often silnylon) are lighter and pack smaller, but they are a little more delicate to handle and slippery when folding. If you want to save weight, choose silicone; if you want a robust all-round sheet, choose PU.
Yes, and it is a very light solution: a sheet in olive or forest green keeps drizzle off and breaks up your outline without you having to pitch a whole tent. If you need cover on all sides and want to move without being seen, a hunting blind or a ground blind is the more consistent solution.
Nordisk with the Voss series, Snugpak with the All Weather Shelter and the Stasha, and Grand Canyon with the Zuni tarps. Nordisk is the lightweight specialist, Snugpak the rugged workhorse, Grand Canyon the straightforward camping option.
For normal conditions the supplied material is enough. On soft forest floor, on gravel or in an exposed spot, longer or sturdier pegs and additional guy lines are worth it. We stock the Snugpak tent and tarp pegs in a 6-pack for this.
Low and angled. The windward side belongs at the bottom, ideally almost down to the ground, so the wind passes over the panel instead of under it. More tie-out points under moderate tension hold better than a few heavily loaded ones, and an additional tie-out in the middle of the panel stops the fabric from flapping.
Wash dirt off with lukewarm water and a soft sponge, no fabric softener and no aggressive cleaners. Then let it dry completely and store it loosely, not permanently folded tight. Tarps packed away damp develop mildew stains, and the coating suffers.
That depends on the location. The rules for bivouacking and camping outside official sites are set by the cantons and in part by the municipalities, and protected areas, wildlife rest zones and hunting reserves have their own regulations. Check with the municipality or the responsible canton beforehand, and respect private property and wildlife.
A hammock or a sleeping mat with a sleeping bag, plus guying material. If you use the tarp as a porch, match colour and guying to your tent. For hunting, hunting blinds and ground blinds are the next step up.
Yes. All items from the tarps range are available from our warehouse in Menzingen (ZG) – no waiting, no customs fees. Free shipping within Switzerland and Liechtenstein from CHF 100. Personal advice in our showroom or by phone on 041 755 34 33. If you are not happy with your purchase, our voluntary 30-day return policy applies.
Nordisk, Snugpak and Grand Canyon from our Swiss warehouse. Advice on 041 755 34 33 or info@swiss-sale.ch.
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