I'm thinking of getting a tarp/shelter.

[TiggyD]

Like this.

Any experiences of tarp/shelters?
Do they blow off?
Are they useful?

I want somewhere to cook and sit in a chair after a satisfying meal with a cup of tea and Mumsnet on the laptop, without getting wet. Preferrably with a mountain in sight.

Yes they are fab - take extra guys that you can loop over the end poles to tie them down if needed and if you have extra poles then they are useful to make shapes or raise up one corner to allow the rain to drain off.

I love the look of this. Note to self - do not buy any more kit

Very useful and easy to pack up too

We have the Decathlon one. It is smaller than that Vango one but big enough for what you describe and only £25 plus delivery if you buy online.

In the pictures, the tarp guy ropes seem to be pegged miles away. Are the pics misleading?
The Vango one appealed to me because of the extra eyelets. How useful are they? Not sure how much flexibility I need.

I have this one kelty tarp

Its GREAT. totally waterproof and you can string it up in so many configurations depending on the space you have. wouldnt be without it. It really doesnt matter if it rains,your not stuck in the tent.I hang it over the table and if it rains drag the stove under it and cook in the dry. I LOVE it,worth every penny

The 12quid gazebo I got from Argos does the job too.....not as sexy as a vango tarp but still.....

Lidl currently have it in as their special offers, £20 (can't link as they were in-store from last Monday).

We have an army surplus one. It's fabulous when camping in the woods. DH has slept under it (in a hammock). And it really comes into its own when you're trying to strike camp in the rain and need to take all your stuff out of the tent.