Don't let rain, snow, or wet ground ruin your next camping adventure...

The best way to protect yourself and keep dry is with a good tarp. In fact, you may need a few high quality, lightweight camping tarps to ensure that both you and your belongings stay clean and dry. And when you're dry and have no worries about your gear, then you're going to have a much better time.

Camping tarps are also great for shielding you from the hot sun, preventing you from getting sunburn or heat stroke. Not only that, they are a great and inexpensive way to keep you and your gear covered from the elements over a large area.

We've done extensive real-world testing of many camping tarps to find those that perform the best for coverage and ease of use, and are waterproof as well. We've also made sure that the products we recommend are both lightweight and of the highest quality. Our findings are below. These are the best camping tarps we have found.

#1 - Our Top Overall Pick

The Eagles Nest Outfitters ENO ProFly XL Rain Tarp, Ultralight Camping Tarp

It's easy to see why this is our top recommendation. First of all, it only weighs 34 ounces, making it the most lightweight camping tarp that we tested. And the quality is fantastic. It's made of polyurethane-treated 210D ripstop nylon, the ProFly XL offers long-lasting wear and features the best water-shedding capabilities. We experienced no rain penetration whatsoever.

And this tarp really holds up to wind. It features six points to connect, so you can feel secure lounging underneath without having to worry about it blowing away. We found it ideal for weathering sudden downpours or building a waterfront basecamp.

We also found it to be very convenient to carry and it includes a stuff sack which makes it convenient to carry or store when not in use. You can't go wrong with this well-designed camping tarp.

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#2 - The Best for Privacy and High Winds

CHILL GORILLA Fortress Waterproof Camping Tarp with 4 Doors, made of ULTRALIGHT SILNYLON

This was almost our first choice, and you'll see why. Unlike the other camping tarps we tested, this one features enclosures at each end, giving you 2 doors for added protection and privacy. We thought that was awesome and very ingenious.

Just as importantly, this tarp is designed to withstand extremely harsh winds. The side pull ties are doubled-up on this tarp, which gives you that added reinforcement for fierce winds to prevent ripping or tearing. And the fabric is made of ripstop sinylon, so it holds up to winds and bad weather just as well as they claim.

The other really cool thing about this tarp is that it can be folded from underneath, so if you're caught in the rain and need to break down your camp, you can stay dry while doing it!

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#3 - Best Tall Overhead Sun Shade Camping Tarp

GEERTOP 4-7 persons Large Waterproof Rain Fly Sun Shelter Tent Tarp 14,5 feet x 13.5 feet for Camping - Poles included

We absolutely love this camping tarp. It's the perfect size for giving you overhead sun protection and there's plenty of room for up to 7 adults to stand under it. And it's great for having over your table so you can eat or hang out in the shade or under cover.

What's extra cool about this tarp is that it has a silver lining on the underside of the tent that provides UV50+ protection so you won't get burned by the sun. It's a fantastic feature.

And we found it surprisingly easy to carry with it's handy carry bag. The poles are light but strong and they separate to make carrying a breeze.

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#4 - Best Large General Use Camping Tarp

uxcell Tarps 20Ft x 20Ft 11 Mil Blue Poly Tarp - Thick Waterproof Tarpaulin with Grommets, Camping Tarp

If you're in the market for a great ground tarp or general use tarp, you'll find that this one fits the bill.

First of all, it's massive - a full 20 foot by 20 foot. We found that to be the perfect size for the footprint of our camp.

Secondly, we found that the 11 Mil thickness is the perfect size for weight vs. usability. It's light enough to carry when folded without noticing it, yet thick enough to keep out any and all elements. And all gromets are metal and we experienced no tearing or other issues when hung, even in moderate to high wind conditions.

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What we've shown you are the best camping tarps we've found to fit all of your camping needs.

For the best camping experience, we'd suggest taking a combination of tarps to ensure that inclement weather or a soggy location doesn't damper your experience.

To be more specific, we would recommend having a large ground tarp (which is general purpose and could be used to cover gear or hung overhead if needed) as well as a nice, large camping tarp to protect you and your party from the sun and to define a communal space for eating and relaxing. Finally, when it's time for sleep, you'll want to make sure that each person has his or her own tarp to protect them from overhead elements and to give them privacy as they sleep off the ground.