Tarp setup

As for packing my Kelly tarp....., after the first use on the road, I just fold it into a crude 18 inch square, and stuff it into my 47 L top box. If it's wet, it goes into a black garbage bag.

I have a 3m x 3m (10' x 10') Aquaquest light weight tarp which is incredibly handy. The whole thing including pegs and guy ropes takes up about the volume of a wine bottle and weighs about 2/3 the weight.

Do you tie off the pole with rope and stakes? Dumb question i know.

What size is the tarp in the picture?

If the above question is for me, mine is a 12' x 12' Kelty Noah's tarp. I use one or two poles on the long, diamond corners, and guy lines go to the ground to 8 inch aluminum stakes. I use trees, posts, and other things as available. Again, if the question was for me, feel free to ask for more details..., Greg

Thanks Greg, it was for you. Damn work distracted me. :)

The magic for me, regardless of tarp brand, is leaving the guidelines and tent stakes attached. I use truckers hitches on my guidelines, with the line passing through the loops on the stakes. Things are tensioned with the truckers hitch, and sinched down with half inches. This lets me stick stakes in the ground and sinch things up quickly when setting up in the rain. I usually have to tweek a knot or two, but with a truckers hitch, it is a quick and easy affair. I'll be happy to provide more details of "the hitch " if desired. Greg

Moar! Moar! Moar!

The MOAR the better. I'm currently in a crash course in setting up camping tarps less than a week out from a major road trip .

-Jake

I don't do the truckers hitch (just can't remember it when I need it for some reason.....). My "go to" is the taut line hitch:

https://www.google.com/search?q=tau...TztfTAhUJVyYKHfw3BWwQ_AUICigC&biw=360&bih=560

Works well for me anyway.

so buying a tarp on the cheaper side what do you recommend?? would this also be a way to use it for a hammock setup as well or is that a totally different setup??

I use a couple of Prussick knots on a ridge line over my hammock to slide and adjust the tarp

its one knot that I can remember... haha

I have also been using a figure 9 carabiner thing on one end of the ridge line, that makes a fast and tight set up for me.

Look a page back or so where I posted a link from the pre-buy for some outdoor vitals tarps, or just get a kelty 9 or 12

Not sure if I posted this video earlier in this thread, but these are the knots I use for setting up my tarps

Outdoor Vitals is a good company. I have a 20 deg down bag from them that I really like. Thanks for this; I'm going for that 4-sided tarp!

Anyone have any tips on poles?


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Above discussions on knots are all great, thanks all....! I took this (discussion) opportunity to add some new stakes that I got awhile back to my tarp, and take more detailed pictures of my setup at the same time. I hope they will be of use to some. Again, the most important thing for me is leaving the lines and stakes attached when you pack it up. I don't even do it neatly, I just pile the lines and stakes in as I fold it up; they seem to be easier to work with than having to untie some neatly wound up package when I want to set up quickly in the rain. Pictures to follow......, Greg

My packed tarp and poles (once on the road, I don't put it back in this little bag, I just stuff it in my tail box).


Two guy lines, with stakes, attached to a long corner (poles are holding things down because its windy out).


Two stakes set, about six feet apart (in lower corners of picture).


Pole inserted into tarp grommet, and the corner is raised to the point where there is light tension on the lines. This is the magic moment for setting a tarp up by yourself, and not having the pole fall over as it would with one line. I am holding light tension on the tarp, to the left, just out of the photo. I then keep that tension and move to the other long corner, where I have a pole waiting.

At the other corner, I put the pole in the grommet, then walk back with both lines. Keeping some tension on each, you can reach out and push them in the ground, about six feet apart. Hammer the stakes in (I forgot to mention that for the first pair). Now you have this, a freestanding structure.


Then stake out the sides, and go back around and tighten things if needed (or just move the stake)


Another shot....

In my first post (about ten or so up in this thread) I didn't give a correct number for the length of my lines. All four are about 12 feet long. I use two colors so that I can identify which corner I am looking at (black for long corners, and yellow for sides). For the long corner lines, I have my stakes about eight feet out. For the side corners, only three or four feet out. To handle the excess line on the sides, I don't use a truckers hitch, but instead just loop the line two times between the stake loop and the grommet, and cinch it with a few half hitches. I have the extra line on the sides in case it is real windy, I can use it with two stakes, in a triangle pattern, to hold the corners down better. I only had to do this once, but is nice to have the line there if you need it. Here are a few pictures that might shed light on things. Other than that, this concludes my additional info post......, Greg

Oh, one more thing, and I said it in an earlier post - I always tie off to trees, bushes, etc. if they are available. The poles are for when they aren't, or if they aren't tall enough. I still leave the stakes dangling on the lines when I do tie to trees.