[CindyDawg]

I wonder if roofing felt would work.

[FrogInABlender]

I think roofing felt is a whole lot thinner and is more rigid. More like paper. I don't know if it would hold up as well. You could probably do about as well with a big piece of old carpet though. As long as you scraped down to a good solid base before you put it down and then put the 5-6 inches of gravel on top. But the only thing about old carpet is it's HEAVY. This stuff I can fold it up and put it where I want it. You do need to anchor the corners down to keep the wind from getting under it until you get some gravel on it though. A rock will do if it's not too windy, but a nail driven through it into the ground every 5 feet or so will do the trick too.