Scramble G-Mod 38 Ultralight Solo Sil Tarp

Scramble's G-Mod 38 Ultralight Solo Tarp

The G-Mod Tarps are now available at a reduced price to clear, as Scramble's have released their upgraded G-Series tarps. The G-38s and G-55s are largely the same design, but there are a number of upgrades and changes which are outlined on Scramble's product release.

The G-Mod 38 is a minimalist, ultralight tarp designed to be setup quickly in harsh conditions with minimal fuss. Targeted specifically at bivvy, hooped bivvy and UL tent users, the G-Mod 38 provides 3.8 sqm of cover with enough width to offer meaningful shelter in stormy conditions. Colour coded, high retraction attachment loops aid setup in poor light and help reduce stress on ultralight tarp poles in high winds, while Cordura reinforcements and Dyneema/Polyester cord loops offer superb tear resistance and load tolerance. With an impressively small pack size and weighing in at around 280g (including stuff sack) the G-Mod 38 may be lightweight but it's proven, over years of testing, that it's tough enough to handle itself in extremely challenging conditions.

We strongly recommend looking over Scramble's full outline of the G-Mod 38 (which has higher resolution product images) and also their companion piece "Reasons To Go Modular" to see why the G-Mod tarps were developed and the issues they were designed to remedy. There is also additional information in their release note for the G-Mod 38.

Note 1: Poles, tent pegs, ice axes, guy lines etc. are not included (we have to say that).

Note 2: Except for the image of the item on the scales, the product photos are of the identical looking G-Mod 35. The G-Mod 38 is 10 cm wider and 5 cm longer. You can see the difference this makes in the diagrams below.

Materials & Design: Made in the UK (kind of)

Scramble made the G-Mod 35 and 38 tarps because they weren't happy recommending UL tarps that simply didn't serve their purposes. Most solo tarps tend to be too narrow to provide sufficient coverage unless the user is horizontal. This may be because manufacturers are trying to appeal to two very different users with the same product. Bivvy and hammock users have different requirements; the G-Mod tarps are designed specifically for bivvy users, and because bivvies are waterproof the tarp doesn't need to be so long and can instead afford to be wider and consequently provide good coverage when sitting.

The G-Mod uses a material made by Geertop, originally developed for super-light tent footprints. Tent footprints need to be more waterproof than tarps since when you step on saturated ground your weight forces water up through the fabric whereas with a tarp rain just falls and slides off. This material is really too light for an effective footprint but is ideal for tarps.

The main tarp material is imported prefabricated (silicone coated, edged and seam-sealed) from Hong Kong along with the stuff sacks. Stuff sack cord, cord stoppers, tarp attachment material and attachment loop cord is all imported from Germany. These are then stitched by Scramble's textile partners in the UK and Scramble finish them off by waterproofing the attachment points and adding the various attachment loops.

Features

Highly Waterproof

• Main Fabric: 36g / sqm 20D silicone coated 360T ripstop nylon
• Hydrostatic Head: The silicone coated, low denier, high thread count material provides a water-tight (and nearly air-tight) shelter with a hydrostatic head of 8,000mm - significantly higher than most ultralight tarps.
  
  

Coverage

• Sqm: 3.78 square meters (210cm x 180cm) provides good cover for bivvy users lying down or seated, with enough headroom (100cm) for cooking under, getting changed, and packing / unpacking your gear.
• Porch Mode: As a porch (in conjunction with a hooped bivvy or tent) the G-Mod 38 allows single-skinned shelters (like hooped bivvies) to fully vent regardless of conditions reducing condensation to almost nil.
  
  

Fixings

• Tear Reistance: Attachment points employ a one-piece, wrap-around design which means less points of failure. 420D PU coated ripstop Cordura has outstanding tear resistance.
• Load tolerance: All 8 attachment points feature 1.5mm Dyneema / Polyester cord loops, which have a breaking strength of ~125 kilos yet each 20cm loop weighs just 0.32g.
• Strain Reduction: Each corner has an additional attachment option: 3mm high retraction elastic cord (substantially stronger and much less give than traditional shock / bungee cord) for when you need to reduce the strain on ultralight tarp poles in high winds.
• Poles: G-Mod Tarps will work with any poles but have been designed especially with the excellent DAC 9mm Featherlite NSL poles in mind.
  
  

Options

• High Viz: In poor light it's not always easy to see which is the long side, so on the "High Viz" models the elastic cord is colour coded - grab the two corners with the white loops and you're holding the short side of the tarp.
• Black: We know some people like to be a little more incognito, so we also offer the tarp with purely black loops (for both the 3mm elastic and the 1.5mm Dyneema) and these go well with the Black or Green Line-Loks and 1.5mm Black Dyneema / Polyester guy lines.
  
  

Pack Size:

• Min Pack Size (Tightly Wrapped): Approx. 14cm (L) x 7cm (D)
• Standard Pack Size (Flat): 17cm (L) x 14cm (W) x 3cm (D)
  
  
  

Warranty & Repair

Scramble's G-Mod tarps all come with a 3 year warranty should they fail and that failure is their fault (i.e. due to manufacture / workmanship). Depending on the nature of the problem Scramble offer a simple repair, replace or refund policy.

If the failure is the fault of the customer Scramble will provide support and advice on how best to remedy the issue. Part of Scramble's long testing process included stress tests to failure to test the durability of the materials and to see how easy the tarps were to repair in the field. If you rely on your tarp we strongly recommend carrying a small length of PSP Spinnaker Repair Tape and a small tube of PU based seam sealer. If you use an inflating sleeping mat of any description you probably already have a PU based adhesive / sealer as part of the repair kit.

Note: Propping up the tarp with a pole, trekking pole, branch, ice axe or anything else where the end of that item is pushing directly on the main tarp material will immediately void the warranty - that's what the attachment points are for. We know you wouldn't do this, but some people aren't so smart.

Aftercare

Washing Instructions

Do NOT machine wash. The G-Mod tarps will last much longer if they never see the inside of a washing machine.
To wash simply wipe down the top side with a sponge and lukewarm soapy water. Then hose off with cold water from a hose or shower.

No need to clean the underside. If there is dirt on the underside let it dry off and then simply shake it loose or dust it off. Scramble have never never had to wash the underside (it's very hard for stuff to stick to silicone). If you do feel the need, then just use a sponge and cool water (no need for soap).

Leave it somewhere to hang and dry naturally (it will dry very quickly even indoors). Do NOT tumble dry or dry next to a heat source !!!

Re-Proofing

Occasionally it's sensible to re-proof your tarp. How often will depend on many factors, like the conditions it's used in and the amount of use. We recommend Nikwax's Tent & Gear SolarProof

If you're not using it a great deal in the sun (i.e. it's mainly a nighttime shelter and you're up and running during the day) then you can also use Nikwax's TX.Direct.

Always use the spray on versions NOT the wash in (that's more applicable for garments and we want to avoid washing machines).

Home storage

Simply make sure the tarp is dry before long term storage. Obvious, but hey.

In Use

All Scramble products, no matter how benign or innocent looking, are shipped with a standard disclaimer that basically says in legal parlance, that you agree to use the product at your own risk.