High wind tarp setups

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jonnno

Forager
Mar 19, 2009
223
0
50
Belfast
I've posted before about peoples fave tarp setups but after a weekend on the side of a mountain in a proper gale I'm wondering what peoples advice is for tarping it when its windy.

I was using a DD tarp which I'm going to swap for the 260cm x 210cm army one with the fabric strips round the sides which I reckon will cut down windage and allow me to get it more taught and lessen the chance of ripping. Think I'll also swap alu pegs for plastic as they grip the boggy, heathery ground better.

However, what shape of setup is best for a high wind not from a consistent direction? I love bivvying and don't want to have to revert to tents when I'm high up.
 

Peter_t

Native
Oct 13, 2007
1,353
2
East Sussex
i would use a basic lean to with the side pegged down facing the wind and the top streched over a rock or ledge.

do you have a bivi bag? they make a huge difference keeping warm in the wind.



pete
 

jonnno

Forager
Mar 19, 2009
223
0
50
Belfast
Yep, I have a bivvy bag too so technically I could do without the tarp - I just find it more comfy.

I did consider a lean to when I was surveying the damage the next morning. We were beside a wall so technically I could have tried it, but I was a tad nervous that since it was a dry stone wall that the wind on the tarp might have pulled rocks off it and onto me sleeping below!

i would use a basic lean to with the side pegged down facing the wind and the top streched over a rock or ledge.

do you have a bivi bag? they make a huge difference keeping warm in the wind.



pete
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
This is my favourite set up for a tarp in high wind.

ship303.jpg
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,151
1,544
Cumbria
Cave or pyramid. Wind on mountains does not stay in one direction so a lean-to or even the wind shed is potentially a bad night. I use a basha that is 2.5m square in this set-up and it has space for two large people if needed or one large person and gear spread out all over the place.

The set-up I use is to peg out two loops on the rear away from the corners then rig up a pole in the middle of the opposite edge with guylines before pegging out the corners on that side. You end up with an A frame front. Then you rig out a lifter pole at the rear before peggin out the loops around the edges. The corners at the back get tucked inside. This has served me very well in strong winds and heavy rain. Even driving rain is not a problem. If the wind is lighter you can make the a frame front higher and narrower or lower and wider for more wind shedding. It copes better with wind than my force10 vitesse tent and my mate's laser comp tent flaps a hell of a lot more. In fact on one very windy night all I could hear was that blasted crisp packet flapping away. The best thing was my kit was actually warmer, more stable, lighter and easier to set up than the laser comp.

You can also pitch a cave / pyramid set-up with the main pole further in the tarp so a door can be created and a true pyramid is possible but I haven't worked out how to get it big enough for me out of my 2.5m square kathmandu basha. Not sure it is big enough neither.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,151
1,544
Cumbria
I love the way that you can just make out your avatar on the sail!

PH34R - I hope you are not saying that Wayland has gotten his avatar from a well known Viking representation

Wayland - What are the square sails like? I wonder what those longboats were like for sailing. I'm no expert but modern sail boats are able to sail in different angles to the wind. I am guessing that Viking long boats with their square sail and hull shape would struggle to sail in a lot of directions relevant to the wind.
 

jonnno

Forager
Mar 19, 2009
223
0
50
Belfast
You got any photos / diagrams of these setups?

Cave or pyramid. Wind on mountains does not stay in one direction so a lean-to or even the wind shed is potentially a bad night. I use a basha that is 2.5m square in this set-up and it has space for two large people if needed or one large person and gear spread out all over the place.

The set-up I use is to peg out two loops on the rear away from the corners then rig up a pole in the middle of the opposite edge with guylines before pegging out the corners on that side. You end up with an A frame front. Then you rig out a lifter pole at the rear before peggin out the loops around the edges. The corners at the back get tucked inside. This has served me very well in strong winds and heavy rain. Even driving rain is not a problem. If the wind is lighter you can make the a frame front higher and narrower or lower and wider for more wind shedding. It copes better with wind than my force10 vitesse tent and my mate's laser comp tent flaps a hell of a lot more. In fact on one very windy night all I could hear was that blasted crisp packet flapping away. The best thing was my kit was actually warmer, more stable, lighter and easier to set up than the laser comp.

You can also pitch a cave / pyramid set-up with the main pole further in the tarp so a door can be created and a true pyramid is possible but I haven't worked out how to get it big enough for me out of my 2.5m square kathmandu basha. Not sure it is big enough neither.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,151
1,544
Cumbria
You got any photos / diagrams of these setups?

Nope sorry. I also don't know how to post piccies on here anyway. I might get out one day soon and perhaps I could pitch it that way. Actually if I remember I could try to pitch it at my Parents tonight on their lawn. Then perhaps email a photo to you.

If I can find the youtube clip of it I will put the link on here too.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,151
1,544
Cumbria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkBeZqXU4zk&feature=related

By SunDogOutfitter.

There is another clip about the tortilla pitch or something like that. Not up on Mexican cooking but its named after the flour based flat bready things you roll up around food. It provides both the shelter above you but also the groundsheet and is probably even more weather resistant. It's on Youtube and is very easy to find from gogle search.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,151
1,544
Cumbria
Mine is a cross between the mini tipi and the wedge. Kind of a wege with the back end pegging points in from the corner.
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
Wayland - What are the square sails like? I wonder what those longboats were like for sailing. I'm no expert but modern sail boats are able to sail in different angles to the wind. I am guessing that Viking long boats with their square sail and hull shape would struggle to sail in a lot of directions relevant to the wind.

With a good captain you can take it to within six points of the wind but that's about it.

(I'm not that good a captain by the way but a fair steersman.)

Most fore and aft rigs can get one or two points closer.
 

Ph34r

Settler
Feb 2, 2010
642
1
34
Oxfordshire, England
PH34R - I hope you are not saying that Wayland has gotten his avatar from a well known Viking representation

Sorry, the ambiguity of this reply has stumped me.
Please don't use the word gotten, it is the worst of all americanisms - and being based in Lancashire, you should be proud of your heritage!

:jacked::jacked:
 

bilmo-p5

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 5, 2010
8,168
9
west yorkshire
Does anyone have experience of this rig in windy weather?

DSCN4587.jpg

For reference, the pole is 1.5m.

I haven't seen it anywhere; it may be on u2b but I haven't looked. I stumbled on it almost by accident, when messing with a scale paper model of my tarp (TNBT) the other week.

Here's the diagram for it using a square tarp (its a bit longer with the Big Tarp);

SqTarptent.jpg


I tried it for real last week and it was fine; space all ways round, but there wasn't a breath of wind. It looks to have everything going for it. Plenty of room for self and gear, plenty of sitting headroom, even for 6'6" me. The low pointy end, which common dog would set to windward effectively has a SIG formed by the excess folded in and under your legs. A couple of extra tapes or buttons sewn onto the ends would enable the door end to be adequately secured.
A tent out of a tarp; a tarptent if you like. :)
 

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