We may earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you.
Will it go on your bars?
This is a trekking-pole shelter, so there is no pole set to fit across the bars at all.
On the two weights. The 150g at the top of this page is the figure we hold on the product record. Borah Gear also publish a minimum (trail) weight of 140g. Minimum weight leaves out stakes, guys and the stuff sack; packed weight is everything in the bag. We show all three rather than picking one and calling it “the” weight.
This is a trekking-pole or tarp shelter, so there's no pole set to fit across your bars. You do need a support solution — trekking poles strapped to the frame, or a dedicated pole set.
This is a trekking-pole or tarp shelter, so there's no pole set to fit across your bars. You do need a support solution — trekking poles strapped to the frame, or a dedicated pole set.
Only 29 of the 43 shelters we track publish a figure we can compare, which is why this question is so hard to answer anywhere else.
Compare every shelter by pole lengthBorah Gear Cuben Fiber Tarp — Specs & Analysis
Manufacturer specifications, compared against every other shelters & tents in our database. We do not test gear in the field — we measure, verify, and compare.
Borah Gear's DCF tarp is a minimalist flat tarp made from 0.51oz Dyneema Composite Fabric. At just 150 grams, it virtually disappears in your pack. The 5.5 x 9 foot coverage works with trekking poles, sticks, or a ridgeline for a variety of pitch configurations.
Who Is the Borah Gear Cuben Fiber Tarp Best For?
Gram-counting minimalists who want the lightest possible rain protection. If that describes your riding style, the Cuben Fiber Tarp should be at the top of your shortlist. It sits in the Shelters & Tents category alongside 17 other products we track.
How It Compares
At 150g and $290, the Cuben Fiber Tarp is the lightest option in this category. The most budget-friendly option is the MSR Thru-Hiker Mesh House 1 at $150.
The price-to-weight ratio comes in at $193 per 100g — a premium price point, but you're paying for quality, materials, and design that justify the investment for serious bikepackers.
What We Like
- +Featherweight at 150g — barely noticeable on the bike
- +Dyneema Composite Fabric is waterproof and won't stretch
- +Versatile pitch options from A-frame to lean-to
- +Made in USA by a respected cottage builder
Watch Out For
- −No bug protection — pair with a bivy or net
- −Requires separate guylines and stakes
- −DCF can crinkle loudly in wind
The Bottom Line
We haven't scored the Borah Gear Cuben Fiber Tarp, and neither has anyone else we can cite. It's here for its verified specifications and dimensions, which is what the fit tools run on — a score is an editorial judgement, and we don't hand one out until someone has a basis for it. What this page can tell you is measured: 150g, $290, and how both sit against every other shelters & tents product we track.
Price checked against the manufacturer on 18 August 2026 — see the source.
Specifications and dimensions come from the sources listed above. Where a page draws on first-hand riding, it says so.
What it packs down to
Borah Gear publishes a packed size of 3 x 5 in, which is 0.6 litres as a stuff sack. Of the 55 bags we track that publish a capacity, 54 have room for it and 1 do not.
Volume is computed from Borah Gear's own packed size, treating a two-dimension figure as a stuff sack. Bag capacities are the makers' published figures, not ours — 12 of the bags we hold dimensions for publish no capacity and are left out of the count rather than assumed. A stuff sack does not reshape itself, so read the headroom as room to spare rather than a guarantee it goes in easily.
How it compares
Against the 18 shelters & tents we hold published specs for.
At 150g the Cuben Fiber Tarp is the lightest in the category we track, against a category median of 822g.
At $290 it undercuts 12 of 17 of them, against a median of $360. That works out at $193 per 100g — above the $50 median for shelters & tents.
Weight and price come from published specifications. Cost per 100g is a blunt measure — it rewards light gear and says nothing about durability or whether the thing works — so treat it as one input, not a verdict.
More in Shelters & Tents
Ultralight tents, tarps, and bivvies designed for minimalist overnight adventures.