How To Set Up A Tarp Camping

The easiest way to set up a tarp over your hammock is to tie a rope about 2-3 feet above where you have attached your hammock ropes. You then drape half of your tarp over the ridgeline, either diagonally or straight on, and peg down the guy lines. The smallest size tarp for 1 person camping we recommend is 7 x 9 ft minimum, regardless of your height. This is so you can stay sheltered when it is raining sideways and also so you have space fr your boots and backpack. You can get away with a much smaller tarp for a lean-to shelter but to make an A-frame shelter you will need at least a 7-foot width. Tents are best used in cold and wet weather or if the camping spot is in an area with biting insects.

The sun can get hot during the day, so it’s nice to have an extra shade to relax in. You can set up your shade tarp independently to your tent or, as I mentioned above, create an awning. Rain tarps and rain flys have seen a surge in innovation in the past 10 years and you can now get them in all different shapes and sizes. Another added benefit is that sleeping on an incline is better for your back.

However, while setting up a tarp for camping, be careful not to harm yourselves, especially while climbing trees. When the storm passes, simply remove the pegs holding it down and re-insert the poles. The colourful ones are just cheap plastic tarp type material, with wooden stakes that you drive into the ground. The green one is made of the same material as tents, and is a lot lighter and easier to pack. I have 5 or 6 of them in my vehicle every time I go out tent camping, and I also have like 5 or so tarps, various sizes. I can just about do any type of shelter including my tent in the mix.

Groundsheet

The one place where a standard stake absolutely won’t work is in sand. If you are setting your tarp up at the beach you will either need special sand stakes, or some small sacks that you can fill with sand and bury to provide an anchor point. It’s fairly quick to remove and provides a stout anchorage to the tarp. More often than not, I will run my ridgeline lengthwise between to corners and run a guyline off of each of the remaining two corners. But other times, I’ll run the ridgeline down the center of the tarp and run a guyline off each of the corners. There is an infinite variety of ways to attach your guylines to your tarp and the easiest is to simply tie them on and leave them there.

In addition, I hate putting deet or other bug dope on my skin, and the built in head net obviates that need. But there are many ways to be comfortable under a tarp – this is just where I’m at in my evolution of comfort. Snow is a different story and much easier to use a tarp on. Instead of inserting stakes in the ground you anchor your tent using something called dead-men which you freeze into the snow. These can be special fabric or metal snow stakes, plastic shopping bags filled with snow and buried, or even pieces of gear that you freeze in place. Your tarp shelter is only as secure as your guy lines, which are essential in staking your tent down.

To get the ropes over high branches I attach biners and weights to the end of the rope and throw them over the wanted branch. Sometimes it takes more than one shot to get it where I want but it works. It is easier if you use a light rope and pull the heavier rope over the branch. Attach the other end of the rope to a stake and adjust the tension by driving the stake fully into the ground or adjusting the rope. The size and shape of the tarp vary depending on the dimensions of the person staying and the number of people who plan to occupy the tarp. A lowered A-frame design mixed with a pyramid design on the other two sides is the best design option to have during these weather conditions.

A Beginners Guide To Tarp Camping

If it is summer then get a lightweight sleeping bag but if it is expected to get cold then get a sleeping bag that is warmer than you think you will need. Choosing a tarp over a tent, therefore, won’t necessarily expose you to more wind and rain. With a little practice, you’ll quickly learn to pitch your tarp in a way that’ll protect you in the mountains, come rain or shine.

Moreover, always have an experienced person within the group to help with setting the tarp up. If the area is rainy, make both sides of the tarp slope, ensuring the rainwater runs off. If you are in a windy region, adjusting the tarp to have a long yet steeply pitched side is advisable. With the tarp up, varying the rope’s tension will allow you to adjust portions of it to your preferences. Climb up the tree or tie a stick to the end of the rope and throw it over the desired branch.

Attach rope pieces to all the tarp’s four corners and middle grommets using bowline knots. You can also enclose a rock in each corner and tie a rope around it to increase the tarp’s stability. Whenever you go out camping, a tarp is a necessity to carry along.

Step 1: Set Up Primary Rope

However, I will be sharing steps that I personally believe to be the best. They will give you the information you need to set up a tarp for camping. With a high ridgeline and long guys it can be a fairly open canopy that you can sit under and look out at the world. Or you can use a low ridgeline and staking down with short guys to create a much more enclosed space with more protection.

Of course, you could try to add bug netting to your setup. Many backpackers try to remedy poor skills with more gear. In some cases this is the right approach, in others, it adds weight and complexity to your shelter that you may not need. Done right, however, you’ll be just as warm, dry, happy, and bug-free as any tent camper. Using a tarp as a shelter comes with its share of struggles as well. You’re exposed to bugs, driving rain splatter, and there’s nothing between you and what goes bump in the night.

It should be noted the procedure is the same for large or small tarps. Personally, I like a big one especially when it’s done for a big campout. Here is an older video that really exemplifies the virtues of a tarp.

Using A Groundsheet

These factors will ensure that the dimensions of the tent you are setting up are convenient for your usage. Mosquitos lay their eggs in water and when the larvae spawn they are hungry and looking for blood. If you just so happen to be the first flesh they see then you better believe you are going to be harassed by them all night. You might be trying to imagine what the anchor looks like – maybe an actual ship anchor? You should know that all you actually need is any object that’s heavy enough to hold the tarp in place.

This could be behind some bushes or a mound of earth where the wind is deflected and allows you to get a more peaceful night’s sleep. Widowmakers are dead tree branches that could potentially fall in the night and fatally injure you. Some species of tree are more prone to dropping their branches but you should always check above for hazardous branches before you think about setting up. If you are looking to get outside and immerse yourself in the wilderness, you can’t get any closer to nature than by sleeping under a tarp.

They’re made to take the most advantage of space efficiency while minimizing weight for ultralight hikers. They rarely see use on the ground because of their poor coverage for general sleeping positions. Backpacking tarps come in a couple of flavors and they all have advantages and disadvantages. I like to pitch with the foot side of my tarp a little lower. This keeps rain and splatter off my feet and leaves more headroom on the other end.

Ways To Use A Tarp When Camping

A good example is setting up a tarp in a field with poles. In this situation, the tarp acts as its own ridgeline and tension is provided by guylines. As mentioned above, this puts much more stress on the tarp, so use a ridgeline if at all possible. Attachment points can be grommets, loops of webbing or string, or metal rings.

However, while throwing, aim accordingly to avoid numerous missed attempts. The Local Overnighters Project is a unified effort to document and map one-night bikepacking routes all over the world—by locals, in their own backyards. If the breeze is getting stronger, lower the profile of the tarp.

Consider the climatic and weather conditions where you will be camping, and plan accordingly. Fortunately, we had put up a large tarp shelter, and with a few windbreaks, we had somewhere dry to cook and sit by the fire. Other campers could only stay in their zipped up tents. The method of using tent poles is ideal for campsites with limited trees and smaller tarps. For up to a 10 X 10 foot tarp you can get away with a pole for each corner. For larger tarps I recommend a pole every 6 feet on the sides.