Rigging a tarp without trees

[Wook]

I've had very little time for bushcrafting lately so no posts for a long time. Nonetheless, I found time to do a little something in the garden this afternoon which may interest you.

I've long been aware that it is possible to rig a tarp as a shelter even in a treeless plateau. This is done using walking poles. I've never done it before, so today I had a bash. This is what I came up with, modelled enthusiastically by my daughter:

Rigged this way it makes for a massive 2/3 man sized tent. I ran out of space in my garden on one side, so it could be tauter. Of course it is open at both ends, so depending on the circumstances you might want to experiment with configurations which only open at one end. I used my nylon poncho as a ground sheet. The only real hitch I encountered is that I usually only carry 5 tent pegs in my "tarp bag", since that is plenty for woodland use. However this configuration needed at least 12 pegs to be reasonably secure, and wouldn't have been hurt by more. I had to go hunting around the house for extra pegs.

And of course, since this was my garden rather than the woods it was assembled to the soothing strains of techno coming from my neighbour's car as he worked on it, rather than all that sucky birdsong I'm used to.....

 

[Squidders]

Looks good... How big is the tarp and how high are your walking poles?

 

[Angry Pirate]

https://flic.kr/p/nrSFwm

This is my 3m DD tarp rigged with two walking poles. Tons of space for two and used eight pegs iirc. I think I have cheated in this photo and tied the front off to a tree and added a sneaky bungee here and there but it works just as well using paracord and pegged down to the ground.

 

[Wook]

That's the same as mine Pirate. To answer Squidder's question, my walking poles are 1.35m at maximum and my tarp is a 3mx3m DD tarp.

 

[Angry Pirate]

I'm really impressed with how well it shrugs off bad weather set up low down with the back to the wind. I've started to use my tarp on d of e expeds to save wear and tear on my mountain tent. Lighter too since I started carrying walking poles to lend to the broken and weary!

 

[bilmo-p5]

If you set the 2nd pole outside at the back with a line to form a 'lifter' on the centre tie-out, it frees up a big space inside.

 

[Angry Pirate]

That's a good call. In woodland I'd rig the centre up to a tree to get that shape to clear the central space. The pole does give it a lot of stability in bad weather though.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Here is another way.

 

[crosslandkelly]

I used this set up at the Moot this year, 10 nights very comfortable.

 

[PDA1]

This isthe best tarp set up video I have seen.By a person who has done the AT and the PCT so really knows what she is doing. The tarp is a 10x12 (feet) but a 10x10 (3x3 metres) would be the same without the floor at the back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir-5R9PCIok

 

[MegaWoodsWalker]

Here are some of my treeless tarp pitches.

Equinox Siltarp and Mantas bug net. Paracord, Ti stakes and hiking poles setup as grounded A-frame camp.







Golite poncho, Kifaru small stove, webbing, Ti tent stakes and hiking poles setup as a low off the ground lean-to cooking shelter.



ID Siltarp 1, hiking poles, 2 person bug bivy, paracord and Ti tent stakes setup as a flying A-frame camp.