Gram Counter Grip Clips Review: A Tiny Fix for Flappy Tent Inners

Introduction

Few things make a small tent feel smaller than an inner that sags inward. The Gram Counter Grip Clips are a simple accessory built to hold an inner tent away from the fly. A pack of four costs £1.95, and a full set weighs roughly 10 g. For anyone who has sat inside a tent with mesh pressing against a shoulder or the side of a head, that is a very small amount of money and weight for a noticeable change in usable space.

Who the Grip Clips Are For

These clips suit backpackers, wild campers and anyone using a lightweight tent whose inner panel drifts inward, particularly when the wind picks up. The problem is most obvious in tents with steep side walls or tall mid-height panels, where the inner fabric has little structure of its own and nothing holding it out. It shows up in premium ultralight designs as often as anywhere else, because thin fabrics and minimal pole structure leave the inner free to move.

If your inner already stays clear of you when you sit up in the middle of the tent, these clips will not change much. If it touches your head or your shoulder the moment you settle in, they are aimed directly at you.

How the Grip Clips Work

Each clip passes through the inner fabric and the fly, then folds back into place so it stays put. A short length of elastic runs between the two layers, which keeps the inner under light tension and stops it falling back inward. Fitting takes seconds per clip and does not require any change to the tent itself.

Once installed, the clips are barely visible from outside, tucked under the fly fabric. From inside, you see a small clip on the inner and the elastic spanning the gap to the fly, which is a tidy result for such a low-cost part.

Main Strengths: More Usable Space Inside the Tent

The headline benefit is space. In a tent where the inner was touching a shoulder and the side of a head, a single grip clip was enough to open up clear room around both. Fitting clips on both sides increases that further, which changes how the tent feels to sit in rather than only sleep in.

For a pack that costs less than a couple of coffees, that is an unusually direct improvement. The tent does not change shape from the outside, but the interior stops closing in on you, and for anyone who spends evenings sitting up in a small shelter that matters more than the numbers suggest.

Fabric Safety and Weight Considerations

Ultralight tents use very thin fly and inner fabrics. In a shelter weighing around 850 g including the poles, there is not much material to work with, so it is worth thinking about how any accessory loads the fabric. The grip clips hold the layers with a small clip and a short elastic loop, which keeps the tension light rather than pulling hard on the panels.

The added weight is minimal, around 10 g for a set of four, which is close to nothing in a pack. The trade is straightforward: a tiny amount of extra weight for noticeably more usable interior.

Things to Consider Before Buying

These clips solve one specific problem, which is an inner that sags inward. They do not add structure to a tent, and they will not help with condensation, draughts or a fly that flaps in the wind. They also work best where the inner and the fly sit close enough for a short elastic loop to bridge the gap between them.

Because a pack contains four clips, it is worth planning how many anchor points you actually want. A single clip on one side can make a difference and using them on both sides makes a bigger one, so check your tent before deciding whether one pack is enough. As with any accessory fitted to very thin fabric, install them carefully and avoid over-tensioning the panels.

Buying Advice

A pack of four Gram Counter Grip Clips costs £1.95. They are sold by Gram Counter directly, and they are also stocked by outdoor retailers such as Ultralight Outdoor Gear, which is convenient if you are already ordering other ultralight kit.

If your tent has an inner that presses against you, this is one of the cheapest ways to reclaim space inside it, and the weight penalty is negligible. If your inner already holds its shape, there is no reason to add the clips at all.

Conclusion

The Gram Counter Grip Clips are a narrow solution, and that is precisely why they work. They target one common frustration in lightweight tents, add around 10 g per set, cost £1.95 for four, and change how much room you actually have around your head and shoulders. If your inner sags inward, they are a sensible, low-risk purchase. If it does not, save the weight and the money.