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Tarps and shelters

REDCAMP waterproof groundsheet tarp, 210 × 140 cm, 310 g vs GardenMate ground tarpaulin, 3 × 3 m, 140 g/m²

A cut-down camping sheet or a full 9 m² tarpaulin under the tent?

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Both of these go under a tent rather than over you, and they come from two different worlds. The REDCAMP is a camping-cut sheet that publishes a denier, a weight and a pack size — three figures at once, which is rare here. The GardenMate is a general-purpose cover sheet of 9 m², quoted by fabric weight, with the tightest eyelet spacing in this hub.

REDCAMP rectangular waterproof tarp in ripstop polyester with edge eyelets

REDCAMP waterproof groundsheet tarp, 210 × 140 cm, 310 g

Wins 3 of 9

Check price

≈ £16 / 16 €

GardenMate green woven tarpaulin cover sheet with aluminium eyelets

GardenMate ground tarpaulin, 3 × 3 m, 140 g/m²

Wins 4 of 9

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≈ £21 / 16 €

Line by line

Compared on waterproof groundsheet tarp, 210 × 140 cm, 310 g ground tarpaulin, 3 × 3 m, 140 g/m²
Dimensions 210 × 140 cm; the maker also lists a 210 × 210 cm size 3 × 3 m, stated as 9 m², with a stated tolerance of ±5% on all measurements
Fabric and coating 210D Oxford ripstop polyester, described as waterproof; no coating is named A PP/PE weave at 140 g/m², coated on both sides and stated to be UV-stabilised and mould-resistant
Hydrostatic head Not published — called waterproof, with no millimetre figure Not published — a weight per square metre is given instead of a millimetre figure
Denier 210D Not published — the fabric is quoted by weight, at 140 g/m²
Eyelet spacing Not published — eyelets are described around the edge with no spacing given Aluminium eyelets every 50 cm
Tie-out count Not published — eyelets are described around the edge without a number Not published — the eyelet spacing is stated and the total is not given
Edge and corner reinforcement Not published Rubber edging at the corners and double-hemmed edges
Stated weight 310 g, stated for the 210 × 140 cm size Not published — 140 g/m² is a fabric weight, not the weight of the sheet
What the pack includes The sheet only — no pegs and no cord are listed Not published — no guylines, pegs or poles are listed

Each tick belongs to its own line and nothing more. The row of ticks is not a score: the two verdicts underneath settle the page, because these two answer different questions on the trail.

Which one, for whom

Buy the REDCAMP waterproof groundsheet tarp, 210 × 140 cm, 310 g

The REDCAMP is the one that goes in a pack: 310 g for the 210 × 140 cm size, a 210D Oxford weave and a 12 × 7 × 2 cm folded box, all published together. It is cut for a solo tent footprint and nothing more, and its edge has eyelets whose number and spacing are never given.

Buy the GardenMate ground tarpaulin, 3 × 3 m, 140 g/m²

The GardenMate is the bigger sheet and a different job — 9 m² at 140 g/m², rubber-edged corners, double-hemmed edges and an aluminium eyelet every 50 cm, which is the tightest spacing here and the reason it can be pegged out as a shelter as well as laid flat. It publishes no weight for the sheet itself, so what you carry is left for you to work out.

What people ask before buying

Why does eyelet spacing matter more than eyelet count?

Spacing tells you where you can put a peg, which is what decides whether a sheet can be pulled taut or only weighted down at the corners. A count on its own says nothing about where the points are, and one of these two publishes the spacing and neither publishes the count.

Can a fabric weight replace a water column?

No. Grams per square metre describes how much material there is, not how much pressure the coating holds before water passes. Neither of these sheets publishes a hydrostatic head, so both use the word waterproof without a figure behind it.

The full reviews

  • Tarps and shelters

    REDCAMP waterproof groundsheet tarp, 210 × 140 cm, 310 g

    Rectangular tarp · 210 × 140 cm stated · 210D Oxford ripstop polyester · eyelets · packs to 12 × 7 × 2 cm · 310 g stated

    A small rectangular sheet with a published denier, a published packed size and a published weight — three figures at once, which is rare here — and no water column behind the word waterproof.

    Best for: Going under a two-person tent, where the sheet has to be smaller than the floor and its weight has to be known.

    ≈ £16 / 16 €

    Check price on Amazon Read the review
  • Tarps and shelters

    GardenMate ground tarpaulin, 3 × 3 m, 140 g/m²

    Flat cover sheet · 3 × 3 m stated as 9 m² · 140 g/m² PP/PE weave · aluminium eyelets at 50 cm · rubber-reinforced corners · ±5% stated tolerance

    A woven cover sheet with the tightest eyelet spacing here at 50 cm — and a stated ±5% tolerance on every dimension it publishes.

    Best for: A groundsheet under a tent, or a cover where a close eyelet spacing gives more places to tie down.

    ≈ £21 / 16 €

    Check price on Amazon Read the review

Prices in these summaries were read on the dates each review gives. The live figure sits beside every product.