Tarp/sleeping set-ups

[Geek]

Thought a thread showing tarp / sleeping set-ups may be of interest.

I was going to upload a picture from today, however, is it possible to upload pictures from your PC or do you need to use a third party hosting site (which I don't have)?

 

[Broch]

Thought a thread showing tarp / sleeping set-ups may be of interest.

I was going to upload a picture from today, however, is it possible to upload pictures from your PC or do you need to use a third party hosting site (which I don't have)?

If you're a full member you can upload directly (there should be an 'upload file' button in the bottom right). If you're not, you'll have to use a hosting site (but it's probably cheaper to join).

 

[crosslandkelly]

Two of mine.

 

[Wayland]

This is one of my favourite setups for an overnighter.

Made with a 3x3m rigged on the diagonal.

 

[mousey]

I hammock camp and tend to setup my tarp really quite high to get better views, this means I have a pretty long tarp to cover the ends properly....

sometimes with sticks to raise a corner...

sometimes a longer distance between tree, which makes the hammock a bit bouncier - not an entirely bad thing and sometimes quite fun...

I have a ridgeline above the tarp, with the tarp crabbed to a prussik loop to tension, the ridgeline is as high as I can reach up the tree, even climb slightly up / step on roots or bulge at bottom of tree. Ridgeline has a loop alien to secure round the first tree then a Izte [sp] figure nine crab to tension around the second. The tarp is in snake skins for easy packing and deployment.

Hammock is hung purely with webbing straps [20mm] wrapped round tree with no other fixings then marline spiked to crab on a continuous loop on hammock. The crab acts like a drip ring and is under the tarp.

I use a jerven [exclusive] bag with light weight lining attached as a cocoon, heavy weight lining as a top quilt, and if colder I have a couple of underquilts I sometimes use:-
1, home made from a down duvet = heavy, warm and bulky due to poor down, full cover.
2, 3/4 dowm = warm and light weight due to high quality down, only partial cover.
3, full length synthetic = warm but bulky, full cover.

 

[Darryl of Sussex]

Something i’m considering, is how much and what size paracord, how many bungies, carabiners and other stuff i’d need to add to my tarp bag, before setting out.

 

[Broch]

I have all my tarp guys (3mm) on toggles so they are easily moved to different loops on the tarp depending on the set-up. I hate unpacking a tarp with cords dangling from the loops. The cords are quite long to give me plenty of options; probably 3m but I've not measured them. I have two loops with small carabiners on to use as Prusiks if I need them packed with the tarp. I only ever carry a maximum of six lightweight pegs; if I need more I'll make them. I carry a length of 6mm cord which comes in handy for all sorts of things but I use as a ridge line if I need it. Oh, and I have a set of fluorescent guys so I can find my tarp in the pitch black of the wood

Everyone will be different so I recommend you find a setup that works for you and stick to it; there's nothing worse than messing around in the dark and rain trying to work out how to pitch.

 

[mousey]

For my ridgeline I've recently swapped to 1.8mm dyneema [the pink one - used to be throw line - the yellow one] as I've become a little more paranoid about stuff falling out of trees. It may just be a mind trick but I feel slightly safer with a beefier ridgeline [also a reason why ridgeline above tarp]. I can't remember how long it is but it is very long - maybe around 15m possibly even 20m.

guylines I have a toggle and loop system. a 4m length of arborist throwline [marlow - the orange one] one end with a loop the other a small wooden toggle. The toggle is passed through the loop on the tarp, if extra length is required another line with toggle put through previous line loop to make an 8m guy. I have one guy line toggled to each tarp corner and carry an extra 4 guylines hanked up for spare. I just pull the guyline taught [not really tight] and marline spike with peg to the ground, or even just put the peg through the loop on the end.

Hardware wise I have one alien loop, 1 figure nine crab permanently on my ridgeline [also 4 prussik loops permanently attached]. 1 cheap crab permanently on each end of my tarp, ready to clip to prussik on ridgeline.

I don't use bungie, I don't stake things out really really tight so there seems to be give in the system. I do try to get my ridgeline as tight as possible - another reason to use a beefy line to avoid snapping it as with the figure nine a lot of force can be applied via a pully system.

I take 4 pegs, titanium spike / pin ones, thick, strong and fairly light. I can hammer them in if ground is rocky. If any more needed I source at site.

 

[mousey]

...I hate unpacking a tarp with cords dangling from the loops. ....

My TW Sargasso tarp has little Velcro pockets at the corners which happily house a length of hanked up guyline, a very handy addition to a tarp design But I use the toggle an loop method for guylines, easy to have a shorter length of line with the ability to easily temporarily lengthen if require.

 

[MrEd]

View attachment 52278

What’s the bed roll setup here?

I use an air mat and a canvas sheet under it to prevent punctures but have been thinking about some sort of roll up mattress type foam thing.

I have a leg problem so can hack lying on a normal foam camping mat.

 

[saxonaxe]

I usually use a tent, but occasionally a simple tarp rig on the ground if I'm out walking or just staying one or two nights in the wood, and I prefer to sleep on the deck.

 

[MrEd]

I usually use a tent, but occasionally a simple tarp rig on the ground if I'm out walking or just staying one or two nights in the wood, and I prefer to sleep on the deck.

Exactly what I do, I have a small pole to prop the end of the basha up with. Makes for a nice low profile camp, and isn’t reliant on trees etc

 

[mousey]

If there are no trees [a rarity for me these days] then I'll just use the jerven as a bivi bag, possibly setup the tarp low down with some poles if I manage to find anything suitable in the vicinity...

 

[saxonaxe]

I use a cheap walking pole that I got in a Charity Shop. It's handy on the open Downland because it allows me to rig the tarp anywhere basically. In those photos I used the Gorse for a lee, it was close to Samhain time and there was a cold wind, with frost before Dawn. I was able run the back guys off the Gorse to give a little more height inside which was a bonus.

 

[crosslandkelly]

What’s the bed roll setup here?

I use an air mat and a canvas sheet under it to prevent punctures but have been thinking about some sort of roll up mattress type foam thing.

I have a leg problem so can hack lying on a normal foam camping mat.

As I was only a klick or so from the car, I went heavyweight on the bedding, Polish sleep mat, Czech bedroll and and Swiss wool blanket. Normally I would use an inflatable mat and arctic bag. The polish sleep mat and Czech bedroll together are very warm and comfortable, but very heavy.

 

[MrEd]

As I was only a klick or so from the car, I went heavyweight on the bedding, Polish sleep mat, Czech bedroll and and Swiss wool blanket. Normally I would use an inflatable mat and arctic bag. The polish sleep mat and Czech bedroll together are very warm and comfortable, but very heavy.

i use an inflatable mat, and arctic bag, and a goretex bivi. Mat doesnt fit in the bivi though.
What do you use under the mat to prevent punctures?

Also whats the length of the polish thing? They are less than £20. Do you use it as is or do you put an additional mat inside it etc?

 

[Broch]

i use an inflatable mat, and arctic bag, and a goretex bivi. Mat doesnt fit in the bivi though.
What do you use under the mat to prevent punctures?

Also whats the length of the polish thing? They are less than £20. Do you use it as is or do you put an additional mat inside it etc?

Sorry to jump in, but I use a cheap picnic blanket under the Gore-Tex bivi - the type you can get from motorway service stations. They're very light and most have a waterproof base. I got fed up of sliding around on nylon groundsheets and found the picnic blanket worked perfectly Doesn't look very bushcrafty I'll admit

 

[samobaggins]

Sorry to jump in, but I use a cheap picnic blanket under the Gore-Tex bivi - the type you can get from motorway service stations. They're very light and most have a waterproof base. I got fed up of sliding around on nylon groundsheets and found the picnic blanket worked perfectly Doesn't look very bushcrafty I'll admit

Go on you know we need pics


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[MrEd]

Sorry to jump in, but I use a cheap picnic blanket under the Gore-Tex bivi - the type you can get from motorway service stations. They're very light and most have a waterproof base. I got fed up of sliding around on nylon groundsheets and found the picnic blanket worked perfectly Doesn't look very bushcrafty I'll admit

not a bad idea, i use a canvas tarp (made from my old land rover roof) but its quite heavy and doesnt particualrly pack easily tbh.
I use the goretex bivi bag on top of the air mattress (self inflating thermarest thing) as i find it to snug inside with the sleeping bag (witthout in the summer is fine)
I might sew up the canvas thing into an envelope shape to put the air mat in side then jsut roll the whole lot up - similar to that polish army thing above

 

[MrEd]

although i could save myself the hassle and just by the polish thing, its cheap as chips.....

and tbh most of my outdoors sleeping is within a few miles of the car etc. I dont go for long hike trips anymore as me leg is buggered