I got me a nice 9.5x10ft ultralight silnylon tarp off ebay last year for US$95 + $10 postage, US based company Bearpaw Wilderness Designs is the brand (they have a website you can order from) I see prices gone up a bit, now $99 + $26 postage for the 9.5x10. This thing is huge (would sleep 3 easy) and it's very well made, weights less than 500g and that's including some additional bungee shock cord I put on the tabs for a bit of 'give' and 6 pegs and a bit of light cord. You don't need poles if you're around a few trees which you can set the tarp up off. The standard 8x10 comes in at less than 400g.
Looking at the specs for the 5x10 version it only weighs 150g, and would take up next to no room in your daypack or bumbag, it'd be ideal as an emerency shelter for one. If I had a money tree I'd love to try out one of their cuben fibre tarps.
For a ground sheet I use a piece of that house wrap stuff builders use which also weights very little and if theres 2 of ya one can carry the ground sheet and one the tarp.
Check out the website www.tenpoundbackpack.com and have a squizz at the gearlists if you want to look at weights of various gear.
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