Hammock Gear Quest Tarp Review

Overview

The Quest Tarp is a lightweight, durable hex-shaped hammock tarp built with 20D silicone-impregnated ripstop polyester (approximately 1.1 oz/yd²), designed for hammock campers who want good weather protection in a minimalist package.

It sits squarely in the middle of Hammock Gear’s tarp lineup — cheaper and heavier than their Dyneema option, but more coverage-focused and packable than the door-equipped Journey. If you’re a three-season hammock hanger who wants solid American-made construction without spending Dyneema money, this is the tarp worth looking at first.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Weight	12.38 oz / 351.5g (11ft version)
Ridgeline Length	11ft (132”) or 12ft (144”)
Baseline Length	73” / 185.4cm
Center Width	114” / 289.6cm
Packed Size	8” × 5” × 2” / 20.3 × 12.7 × 5cm
Shape	Hex
Fabric	20D Silpoly (~1.1 oz/yd²)
Waterproof Rating	~1500mm HH
Tie-Outs	2 ridgeline, 4 perimeter
Hardware	3/4” Beastee D-Rings (ridgeline), 1/2” Beastee D-Rings (perimeter)
Includes	Stuff sack, seam sealing kit
Does NOT Include	Guylines, stakes
Made In	USA
Comparison	See how the Quest Tarp compares to similar gear

Performance

Waterproofing

The Silpoly fabric does its job well in most conditions. The tarp holds up great in downpours and heavy winds, and one reviewer who ran a sustained hose test — both shower spray and jet — found no spots where water passed through even under direct jet spray.

That said, there’s a real seam-sealing ambiguity here that deserves a straight answer. Many find that seam sealing the ridgeline is not necessary, but it is recommended. The forum record is genuinely mixed: some users have gone through full downpours without sealing and stayed dry; at least one user reported the center seam leaking badly after 8-9 hours of light but steady rain — with no hard rain or wind involved. My take: the seam sealing kit is in the box for a reason. Budget an afternoon before your first trip, seal it, and you eliminate the variable entirely. It takes maybe 20 minutes and a day to dry. Do not skip it.

One important installation note that’s easy to miss: no seam sealing is necessary only if you don’t hang it upside down — the ridgeline should have the grosgrain facing upward on the outside. A few users on Hammock Forums discovered this the hard way.

Fabric and Sag Resistance

This is where the Silpoly earns its keep over older silnylon options. The silpoly does not sag as much as silnylon, and because it resists stretch and barely absorbs water, it stays taut and dries fast after a storm. If you’ve ever had a silnylon tarp droop six inches overnight in a rainstorm, you’ll appreciate how much this matters for both coverage and pitch aesthetics.

Construction and Hardware

Each tie-out is reinforced with grosgrain and has not suffered damage in high winds, and the sewing is top notch — consistent with all Hammock Gear products.

Reinforced with 210D polyester, all tie-outs are built with grosgrain and feature 1/2” Beastee D-Rings on the four perimeter tie-outs and 3/4” Beastee D-Rings on the ridgeline tie-outs.

The D-ring hardware makes rigging fast without needing precise knot-tying skills — clip in, tension, go.

Coverage and Fit

The Quest tarp is cut specifically for hammock use, with a roomy baseline and wide center. You can choose an 11-foot or 12-foot ridgeline to match your suspension and coverage needs.

The 114” center width gives you meaningful side coverage even in a hard-angle hang.

One reviewer confirmed the Quest hex tarp keeps the hammock dry even in fairly hard rain with no wind.

For wind-driven rain or winter use, though, the open ends are a genuine limitation.

If you want full doors for winter storms, Hammock Gear themselves suggest stepping up to the Journey instead.

Packability

The stuff sack footprint of 8” × 5” × 2” is compact enough to drop into any pack’s top lid. The catch: packing away the Quest Tarp without the mesh sleeve is quite challenging, because the Sil-Poly material is slippery and slides all over the place, and it catches air that you can’t pass through the fabric. The optional HG mesh tarp sleeve solves this almost completely — packing with the tarp inside the mesh sleeve makes it much easier. It’s a few extra dollars and worth adding to your order.

Value

The tarp is a great value — if you’re looking for something lightweight but not as light or as expensive as Dyneema, this is the tarp to get.

The 12ft ridgeline option also gives it a leg up on comparable hex tarps from other cottage makers that are available in 11ft only.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Silpoly resists stretch and sag far better than silnylon alternatives
• USA-made with consistent, high-quality stitching
• D-ring hardware makes knotless rigging quick and reliable
• 210D reinforcement at all tie-out points holds up under real load
• 11ft and 12ft ridgeline options to match longer hammock suspensions
• Seam sealing kit included — no extra purchase needed
• Compact pack size: 8” × 5” × 2”

Cons

• No doors — limited protection in sideways rain or cold-weather shoulder seasons
• Ridgeline seam sealing is ambiguous out of the box; must be done before first use for reliable waterproofing
• Guylines and stakes are sold separately — budget for those
• Slippery Silpoly is a bear to pack without the optional mesh sleeve
• Hex shape works well for hammocks, but awkward for ground camping setups

Who Should Buy This

The Quest is a natural fit for hammock backpackers who do most of their camping in three-season conditions and want a step up from heavy box-store rain flies without jumping to the cost and fragility concerns of Dyneema. It works especially well as the tarp component in a kit alongside a Hammock Gear suspension system, where the D-ring hardware plays nicely with ridgeline accessories. Ground dwellers should look elsewhere — the hex profile and limited tie-out count aren’t optimized for pitching over a bivy or pad.

Verdict

The Quest Tarp is a well-built, appropriately priced Silpoly hex tarp that does exactly what it promises for three-season hammock camping. The seam-sealing step is genuinely non-optional regardless of what the box copy suggests — treat it as part of setup, not as an afterthought, and the weather protection is solid. At 12.38 oz for the 11ft version, it’s not gram-counting territory, but the construction quality and domestic manufacturing justify the weight and price point. Rating: 7.5/10