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<\/a>Setting up a tarp may seem daunting at first, but the good news is: all you have to do is understand the basic setup<\/strong> and all your remaining questions will be answered (more or less)! Once you\u2019ve understood the basic construction<\/strong>, it will be relatively easy to do, even with all the variations mentioned above. Assembly and disassembly should go off without a hitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To keep things simple, we\u2019d like to teach you how to set up a tarp without all the poles, pegs, guy lines and the like<\/strong>. That way, you won’t be completely helpless if something breaks during your holiday. Plus, you\u2019ll be able to leave all the little metal and plastic bits at home and save some weight as well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the basic construction: you have a square tarp with eyelets or the like at each of the four corners to which a long cord is attached. And a single person who sets it up. The tarp is spread out between four trees that just so happen to be standing about two metres away from the corners of the tarp. A short time later, the tarp is pulled tight between these trees, shielding you from the rain. This is the setup we\u2019re going for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first step is to find a suitable place<\/strong> to set up your tarp. The same criteria apply to selecting a site for your tarp as for a tent<\/a>: find a natural windbreak and avoid water-related issues. Other than that, the site should be spacious enough for you to sit or lie down comfortably and offer enough anchor points to secure the tarp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The site should have at least four fixed points<\/strong>, or one cliff edge or the like along with three other anchors. If you only have three, one corner of the tarp will always flutter in the wind and\/or hang in rainwater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s always better to look for a potential site in advance than to find out later you don\u2019t have enough space to put up your tarp or that the lines are too short and you have nothing to extend them with. Which is why you should know the dimensions<\/strong> of your tarp and the length of the lines!<\/p>\n\n\n\n This may sound trivial, but it\u2019s not, especially if you borrow the tarp last minute or are travelling with a friend and use their tarp (the tarp set up with two or more people can make things easier or even super complicated – more on that later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve found your ideal site, spread out everything you\u2019ll need for assembly and move anything that might get in the way off to the side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best way to go about this is to make use of the things Mother Nature<\/strong> has to offer, especially since you can save the weight of your poles and pegs. The downside to using the little things you find along the way is that they usually don\u2019t allow for as much flexibility as the artificial stuff. Not to mention, tent poles and pegs save you a lot of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When travelling in mountainous areas at higher altitudes, it can be especially hard to find suitable “tree constellations”<\/strong>, strong enough branches or enough heavy rocks. That being said, when planning your trip, you should definitely take the terrain into account<\/strong> as well. If you\u2019ll be travelling for a longer period of time and don\u2019t know were you\u2019ll be setting up your tarp, you should take a set of at least one (telescoping) poles and two or three small pegs. If you have walking poles<\/a> with you, you can use them as well. Pegs can be made using (sharpened) sticks and branches found in denser areas of the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe basic construction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where to set up your tarp<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/a>The setup: Spread out your materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Got your pegs and poles?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a>Guy lines<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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