introduction

Value Gear from Ireland is quickly filling a niche for modelers who need to add just that little bit more to an otherwise bare vehicle or diorama. They have now released another set of Tents and Tarps; this one is #5 in the series, with a total of 18 planned or in production at this writing. Enough of all that, what you want to know is "just exactly what do I get for my hard earned money?".

what’s in the set?

Well, I will tell you; what you get are 16 different resin tarp, tent, and other various types of canvas rolls all held together with leather/canvas straps and buckles. The resin is of a medium gray color with just a hint of mold release on them. There were a few small pin holes from air in the resin, however nothing that a quick spot of the filler of your choice wouldn't correct. Each of the 16 pieces are unique, no duplicates here at all.

To give you an idea of what your 16 will include I sorted them in a completely non-scientific manner, big ones and little ones. You get 7 of what I called the big ones; larger pieces with two or more rolls included in various guises. You also receive 9 smaller rolls of which 6 are singles and 3 consisting of more than one roll. One of the pieces has the tent poles peeking out for a very nice look. The level of detail in the folds and creases of the rolls was outstanding, some of the best I have seen,; none of these look like some tarps and tents on the modeling market that would have two inch thick walls! Some of the buckles appear a bit over sized but not so large that they look out of place.

The pieces all come in a small resealable poly bag with a card and instructions. Okay, you don't need much in the way of instructions but it is a nice gesture nonetheless. You get a tip on degreasing the pieces before painting and a reminder that you need something other than liquid model cement to nail these bad boys down in one spot; I use CA glues myself.

You also get a photo of the 16 pieces painted and weathered. I appreciate that Value Gear has provided a list of the paints they used for both painting/priming and the weathering.

They look so nice it is hard to resist painting up a few. I degreased with a quick scrub of white spirits on the advice of Value Gear and then primed with Vallejo US olive drab primer. I let that dry for a day resisting all temptation to dig right in. After it was thoroughly dry I used a combination of different Vallejo greens, grays, and browns for the painting with just a tiny bit of shading. When that had dried sufficiently I used some washes from MIG and AK interactive to bring out some of the detail. A light bit of drybrushing and they are good to go.

Conclusion

This is a really nice little set to add to your box of accessories. Well molded, easy to work with, no redundancy issues, and they paint up very nicely. Pick up a couple of different sets and you will be set for a good long while.