The One Piece of Gear I Never Leave Home Without (Zpacks Dyneema Tarp)

🎁 WIN A KOWA 88 SPOTTING SCOPE: Mindful Munitions is officially open. Every $5 spent at Forged in the Backcountry or Mindful Munitions earns one entry to win a Kowa 88 spotting scope. The giveaway ends October 30 at midnight Pacific Time. 👉 Forged in the Backcountry: https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/ 👉 Mindful Munitions: https://mindfulmunitions.com/ This is the one piece of backcountry gear I never leave home without. For almost six years, the Zpacks 7x9 Dyneema tarp has been my glassing tarp, tent vestibule, rain shelter, emergency cover, and meat-protection system when the weather turns. With cordage and stakes, the full setup weighs just 7.4 ounces—and it is only now beginning to show its age. In this review, I break down the Zpacks 7x9 Dyneema tarp specs, 0.55-ounce Dyneema Composite Fabric, real packed weight, and why I think this lighter fabric makes sense for a glassing tarp. I also show my standard open-country glassing setup, how I use trekking poles for more headroom, the simple line-lock system that makes fast pitching easy, and my go-to vestibule configuration for cooking and hanging out beside a tent. The reality is that there are cheaper tarps on the market. That is the only meaningful downside I have found. But if you want an ultralight, waterproof, highly versatile tarp for sheep hunting, goat hunting, mule deer hunting, and general backcountry use, I have not found anything that goes head-to-head with this setup. Chapters 0:00:00 The One Piece of Backcountry Gear I Never Leave Home Without 0:00:27 Price, Fabric, Packed Size & Real-World Weight 0:01:19 0.55 vs. 0.75 Dyneema: Why I Prefer the Lighter Fabric 0:02:12 Dyneema vs. Silpoly vs. Silnylon for Backcountry Tarps 0:02:57 Why Dyneema Makes the Ideal Lightweight Glassing Tarp 0:03:24 Kowa 88 Giveaway & Mindful Munitions Launch 0:04:47 Line Locks, Cordage & How I Set Up the Tarp 0:05:11 My Standard Open-Country Glassing Tarp Pitch 0:05:36 Trekking Pole Setup, Headroom & Room for Two Hunters 0:05:58 How I Use It as a Tent Vestibule and Cooking Shelter 0:06:27 Six Years of Field Use: Why the Line Locks Matter 0:06:55 The Only Drawback: Is the Zpacks Tarp Worth the Price? 0:07:27 7x9 vs. 8x10: Which Tarp Size Should You Buy? Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Forged In The Backcountry https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG   / mindful_hunter   Podcast https://www.mindfulhunter.com/podcast Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide Free Training Guide For Mountain Hunting https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Kowa TSN-88A Sweepstakes No purchase required. Contest begins on August 18, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. PST and ends on October 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST. There is a total of 1 prize available to be won consisting of: (i) A previously owned Kowa TSN-88A Spotting Scope Body with Eyepiece (APR) $5,500.00 CAD; Skill testing question required. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States, The District of Columbia, Canada (excluding Quebec), United Kingdom, New Zealand, Finland, France and Switzerland. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received before contest closes. No limit on entries. For full rules and entry details visit: https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/bl...