Claim Jumper

Disclaimer: I received the Claim Jumper in exchange for an unbiased review.

We took the Claim Jumper with us on our annual spring trip to the Canyonlands of Utah. On our first night, we used it as a ground cloth beneath a Gossamer Gear The One tent. The Claim Jumper was a bit larger than the tent, so we folded up the excess and stuffed it under. If tent footprint was to be its permanent job, I would trim the Claim Jumper to the proper size.

On subsequent nights, we used the Claim Jumper beneath a Thermarest as we slept out to watch the stars. This is where the Claim Jumper really shines. It’s better as a cowboy camping groundcloth than a polycro sheet, which are fine under a tent but super fidgety and subject to wind when used beneath a pad (even if you heap up rocks on the edges).

The thickness of the Claim Jumper’s fabric is somewhere between standard Tyvek and the softer, more supple kite Tyvek I generally prefer. It is not especially pliable yet, and the stiffness makes it a little awkward to fold and put away. I suspect this will improve over time (perhaps a few spins in the washing machine will help, as it does for Tyvek), but for now the relative awkwardness of the fabric makes the Claim Jumper a four-star item instead of five.

I received this piece of gear in exchange for a review and I am so glad I did. I have dabbled in cowboy camping as it’s a fairly short season of good weather before the bugs show up. In the past I’ve used a home cut piece of polycro which is very noisy, very delicate and can blow away if you look at it wrong. Although heavier, only by 18 grams) this sheet kept me dry on some dew covered mornings and more importantly kept me out of the dirt and grass. It packs down small and had almost no noise to it. My 30” wide sleeping pad did barely fit but I typically don’t take that on ultralight trips. Overall this gives a very minimal weight and cost while offering good protection for the cowboy campers or someone wanting to add a little protection under their tent. Cheers!