⚙️ The amazing Tarp

Shelter is one of the ten essentials that every outdoor enthusiast should have. And a tarp is an easy multi use item for a day hiker, backpacker, trail runner, day paddler, or person who is camping overnight with their kayak. Tarps are small, light weight, and there is no limit to the number of ways of how to use a tarp; the only limit is a person’s imagination.

– Jeff

Shelter: Some tarps are made of ultra light weight breathable rip-stop nylon with 19 guy-out points and compact down to the size of a soda-can. Where as, some tarps are non breathable less compact plastic with metal grommets for rope to tie into, both work, I have even used mylar emergency blanket and Visqueen (often misspelled visquine) plastic sheet. Visqueen is a brand of polyethylene plastic sheeting commonly used as a floor and furniture covering when a person paints the interior of their home, as a shelter. The tarp allows for a variety of setup styles. The A-frame sleeping shelter is a quick solution for rain protection. The Lean-to configuration is a simple wind block for sleeping next to or as a kitchen location. And the bivy looks like a wrapped burrito.

tarp and espresso — Lean to configuration, with stakes as anchor points, kayak paddles as poles. Excellent morning wind break while enjoying fresh espresso. Granted if the wind shifts, or rain comes from a new direction, adjustments will need to be made.

No poles, not a problem: I use kayak paddles as poles for my tarp.

Tying down with or without stakes: Sometimes the combination of soft sand and strong wind makes staking down a tarp an unpleasant experience. When this happens, I use my kayak as the tarp’s anchoring point when I encounter soft sand and strong win.

tarp 3a — Lean to configuration, with kayaks as anchor points, kayak paddles as poles. There is a tarp under the bivy bags.

Keeping a tent dry: A simple trick to setting up a tent in the rain is to first setup a tarp head high. Then under the tarp you have the comfort of assembling the tent, and then moving it into the rain to where you want it. This technique works best if you are setting up a freestanding tent.

integral designs siltarp mountain hardwear tent — I used bowline knots and taught line hitches to attach the corners of the Integral Designs Siltarp to three trees and two stakes. The paddle is the highest point with a rope staked to the ground. The lowest corner is staked to the ground.

The below closeup shows two bowline knots tied to one corner of the tarp. The red reflective cord is tied at a 90′ angle to a tree with a taught line hitch. The white cord wraps once around the throat of the paddle and is tied at a 90′ angle to a stake with a taught line hitch.

Bowline Knot: Make a small overhand loop in the standing part of a rope. Bring the rope end up through the loop, around behind the standing part, and back down into the loop. Tighten by pulling the standing part away from the loop.

Taut Line Hitch: Pass the working end around the anchor object. Bring it back alongside of the standing part and make a half-hitch around the standing part. Continue with another wrap inside the loop, effectively making a round turn around the standing part. Complete with a half-hitch outside the loop, made in the same direction as the first two wraps, as for a clove hitch. Dress by snugging the hitch firmly around the standing part. Work any slack out of the knot, then slide the hitch to adjust the tension on the line and adjust as necessary.

tarp 1a — Modified A-frame tarp shelter. This style provides good rain protection, and wind protection from the back. Reflective heat from the fire in front is an added bonus when the back is lowered to the ground.

Ideal Mylar shelter: Use two mylar blankets. Make a modified lean to with one mylar sheet. I find having one corner raised with three corners staked down works well. Then take a small portion of the second mylar sheet and make a two foot reflector semi circle wall. Between the lean to and the semi circle place a small fire. Use the rest of the second sheet on the ground in the lean to or wrap it around you.

Shelter without tying downs: In an emergency a tarp could make the difference between surviving and dieing. make an emergency bivy sack to protect a person from exposure or hypothermia to keep in body heat. A first responder possibly would use this to transport an injured person out of the wilderness on a stretcher to give added protection to rain or falling snow. The key to making this easy shelter is placement. Lay the tarp 90′ to the wind, and have the opening of your sleeping bag downwind. Fold the tarp over the bag at an angle and giving yourself at least 6 inches of clearance to move around under the tarp.

Hypo Wrap NOLS WFR — Use a Hypo Wrap to Treat Hypothermia also known as a “themal burrito”. This picture uses a Visqueen tarp

bothy bag style shelter — bothy bag style Kisu Shelter, using a Visqueen tarp and four of your closest friends. In actual practice all edges would be held down on the ground to prevent cold air, and wind driven rain entering into the shelter.

Other uses for the tarp:

catching rainwater with a tarp: funnel rain water into a container. Make a rain trap also known as a water pit. Dig a large circular pit, line it with a tarp (weighted by large stones). Rainwater is clean and safe to drink, but it will go stagnant in just a few days. Make a solar still.
Floatatin. You could build a raft with a tarp.
Tow a car out of the mud.
Wrap a cargo bag on the roof of your car.
Make a rain poncho.
Craft a hammock
Make a horse-shoe pack (improvise back pack) to hall food or gear