Summer 1996 I was car camping with friends on Cape Cod Massachusetts when Hurricane Bertha came through. Winds around 80 mph. I set up my girlfriend's cabin tent then set up my backpacking tent. Because we expected some weather I put a large tarp as a lean to over her cabin tent. My one man backpacker I put on a slight hill and set up a smaller tarp as a cave over the tent. I used the big construction sized stakes and 3/16" cord to tie everything down. Everyone else was using little tent pegs, sometimes the aluminum rods that often come with tents, and using the little cords that come with tents. The tents I set up were about the only tents standing in the entire campground when it was all over. Because trees would be swaying in the wind if I tied anything to a tree I kept it tied to the lower part of the trunk, 1-2 feet off the ground. When the sun came up people were huddled in their cars dripping wet. We were dry.
Of all the tarp tent demonstrations on the internet, this is the best configuration I've seen. A brilliant idea. But, instead of using a peg to hold down the door, you could put a cord on it and attach a small pully to the peg where you would have tied it and run the cord inside. Once in the tent, pull the cord to shut the door. It might also be useful to peg down everywhere possible, maybe pile leaves all around to shut out bugs and small critters. That would not work in high winds, of course. Thanks for giving me the configuration I will always use.
This is the first time I have seen a tutorial for total beginners that could be learned easily thanks to your attention to detail. You are an excellent teacher. Thank you so much for this video.
THIS is what I was looking for. Simple set up. 3 stakes and a stick or trekking pole to give you a rain resistant, wind resistant emergency shelter with no cordage. You could do this set up with a blade and tarp and no other tools or equipment. THANK YOU!
This is the first setup I ever used and Slept in because its so easy and tarpology is like origami. It's probably the most storm proof set up there is. Here's how you can stop any condensation problems - use a forked stick to raise up a couple of sides about 3 inch from the floor, this allows for some nice airflow and it really works. If you have a fire out front like I did you can use a stick to raise the front maybe 6 or 7 inch and let heat from the fire fill the pyramid with warmth and keep it there. I have since learnt many many tarp setups but if I got caught up kinder scout (England, Peak District) in winter in a snowstorm and it was a whiteout I would use this setup without a doubt.
Con getting in and out, bringing gear in and out cumbersome, Pro easy to set up, especially if windy, NO guidelines required. Can fully close entry way, Only 3 tent pegs. Good design, nice video.
Great camera work and instruction. Never thought of this configuration. I’ll certainly use it. I have one of those tarps as well it’s been a great tarp. Thanks for the hard work.
Love this!! Was looking for a simple tarp tent setup for making an camping sauna. This is the best design I've found so far. Thanks for the lovely video! ❤
Love it when i hear the jets coming in on final approach......must be hard for you living in these areas of this wonderful country while still living in the city.......i can see your heart is in the country......great vid......
Fast and simple, how it should be. Thanks for the pitch tip!! This setup can also be done with shock cords to fly it just off the ground to allow some ventilation if the winds aren’t too high
This a great set up. Ive only seen it once before on another video however, this demonstration is clean simple and quick. I wish they where all like this. Very effective demo.
It's nice seeing someone Actually go inside of the set up. I always have fairy lights or string lights wrapped up around my sock stick. Great little set up
Great demo. This is a really good setup. Presumably if you had the ridgeline with the loops running perpendicular to the entrance, once erected the tarp would have 2 useful tie-outs.
Climbing out of that looks a bit like.... Well, you know. To further protect your tarp put a scarf or small item of clothing between the top of your walking pole and the tarp. Also helps prevent it moving about when the wind gets up.
Instead of pulling the two sides together, leave a foot or so- so you can climb in and out. Also, a square of velcro attatched to the roof where the pole goes, and use a tennis ball on the tip of the pole.
I have not yet slept in this configuration, but I have practised pitching it several times; once in a stiff wind on the edge of Dartmoor. If you are worried about the stick slipping out of place, you can gather the tarp around it in a little pouch and tie it off with some paracord. I also have some shock-cord through the tie-downs so that you can tension the tarp without accidentally overdoing it. Another piece of paracord attached to the loop at the 'top' of the door flap allows you to easily close it from the inside (just hook it around a peg and pull - then tie off). Nice video - thanks very much!
Excellent explanation and really informative. This is so simple. I also appreciated your additional comments below about setup in high winds. I suspect you will get some condensation, but in high wind and driving rain that is the last thing you worry about.
Nice video, thanks. One more point is that if all you need is a respite from the wind and there is no rain to concern you, a second telescoping walking stick (or, any stick) horizontal tied from grommet to grommet will allow for a window effect in the doorway.
Ooh good thought! I was just pondering how to make it not super miserable in a desert situation. Would still need a vent on the “back” wall for actual circulation, and to cut down on drag with the “window” open
Interesting, when you speaking I understand almost everything. What I can’t say about other RUclips channel authors who speak English. Despite the fact that I do not know English well.
As tarp setups go this is pretty bulletproof. Tarps with open side(s) don't really account for changes in weather so if I'm a backpacker trying to save on weight substituting a tarp for a tent this is the way to go.
Closing the flap from the inside looks a bit messy if you attached a length of cord to the flap and a tiny carabiner to the peg you could feed the cord through the biner and leave it loose in the tent. When you step in pull the cord and bingo!! the flap gets pulled shut
Brilliant, I'll be doing some camping on Loch Lomond here in Scotland, stunning loch and Islands, and one is known as Wallaby Island, I think they were introduced and adapted well and they say there's 50-60 on the island now. I'd camp here, but with my Intex 2 Seater Kayak, inflatable will be good for trips around the loch, got life jackets, red light flashing at back, and white one at the front. I've been doing this Loch since I was 12 years old and was trained in the use of a Canoe, it's never left me, and I'm 52 now, how time flies. I'll be looking forward to this, but going in the cold weather, so that tarp design looks just cosy enough. Thanks for sharing it, as I've saw a few, and they didn't show half the intricate stuff either. Would you recommend it for the more chilly weather? Will it stand up to it. Okay I'll, leave you in peace, happy camping. Sincerely...Paul.
I've seen a video where you can take the flap and pull it inside the tarp tent and then secure it . I really do like this configuration. I'm going to try it with my DD 3×3m tarp.
@@MeetMeOutside Well, if it's dry and windy that might not be a problem. And it's something you'd have to test - it's a huge overlap and might well not leak in practice.
The section you have as a door is facing into the prevailing wind. It would be interesting to see you set this up in windy conditions and not in a woodland
Try pegging down halfway along the sides as well so you don't lose so much room inside. And tie off the top of the tarp to a branch above so you don't have to worry about the internal support.
I liked the video and learned a lot from just watching how you did this pitch. Great Job! I'm going to try it out this week in my backyard. Do you know anywhere in the US where I can get a great, strong 3 meter X 3 meter or 10' X 12' great tarp that has tie outs all along the edges of the tarp, like yours has, that is also light weight enough to be able to backpack with it without needing a sherpa to carry it around for me? Please advise. Thanks.
I have some doubts about how well that walking stick would hold up in high wind, but this is an elegant design. I am tempted to modify a damaged tarp shelter to have a grommet for a staked-down pole, as well as guy wires. Though, waterproofing around the grommet would be it’s own extra thing.
Hi, I've started building my house on the top of a hill and it is semi complete. the roof is up but we have not covered the verandah. I need to know how I should tie a tarp over where the veranda is going to be also, I have put all the timbers for the verandah where the verandah is going to be, just to be away from the sun and rain.
I just bought a 3x3 and thought maybe I should have got the 4x4. But that extra metre either side adds 500g to the total weight. From 790g for the 3x3 to 1290g for the 4x4 May not be much. but it adds up
Very nice, thanks. 3x3 meters is nearly 10 feet, not 9. For high wind, I would stake it down all the way around and lay logs or rocks on the windward side...even dirt or gravel helps. For heavy rain with wind, I would ditch around the tarp and plan to fix it before I left. *Leave no Trace* is a good idea, not a religion.
Great vid! Can anyone tell me if they have tried a very large config with this set? Say, 15’x25 or maybe even bigger for like five people? I’ve heard it can work but would like to hear some testimonials.
Just tried it with an 8x10 tarp. The rectangular geometry is slightly different, which makes staking down the door flap a little trickier, but otherwise it works fine.
convert the extra 2 ft to ground cover at the back of the tent, resulting in an 8x8 configuration with some protection from the ground/dry area to store your gear.
I tried this config on the weekend in moderate wind and it did not stand particularly well! I love the set up but one side blew almost flat to the ground and it wasn't long before the pole slipped over. I'm yet to find a tarp set up that will stay strong in the wind and allow a fair bit of space inside. however, I will deffo use this set up for low wind!
+Matt Thompson Hi Matt, thanks for watch and thanks for the comment! I've used this setup halfway up a Scottish munro in a full gale, so it works, but your comment made me think about a few things I didn't include in the video and have discovered since that really make a difference. As I think about them, I really should do a second video and cover the details more extensively, but I'll try to at least touch on them now so you have the info.The first thing about tarps in high wind, whatever setup you use, it that it's going to be loud. In a full gale - it's going to be really, really LOUD. Also, because you generally aren't using rigid poles with a tarp, you are going to have wind sag. It's critical to get a tarp super tight in the wind (especially this config), but because fabric (or plastic sheeting) stretches, you are going to have wind sag. It's also going to be drafty, but actually that's one of the advantages of a tarp - less (or no) condensation).A few tricks: you need to get it super tight, and then tighten some more. Anything less than drum tight is going to increase sag. Fabric has a very high tensile strength, so as long as your pole doesn't have a sharp edge and your tie-downs are well made, you aren't going to rip the fabric, so really crank down until it's as tight as a drum.The intermediary tie-downs along the edge are critical, especially on the leading (windward) edge. You should be able to pull them out past a straight line between the corners - as long as the tarp is tight with the just the corners staked in, that's ok.Make sure a corner is pointing directly into the prevailing wind, and one of the sides isn't side-on into the wind. That will help with the wind sag.Use your backpack and other gear against the windward wall to help with wind sag - that can make a big difference, and win back a lot of usable floor space.The pole blowing down is a big problem - I found that if I attached a guy to the top of the pole and ran it down the *inside* of the tarp to the corner stake, and made sure that guy was tight and secure, the wind could blow and gust (gusting is a big culprit in the pole falling over) all it wanted, but that pole wasn't going to move. You can of course use as many internal guys as you want, but I found just one on the windward side is all that is necessary. This tip I think is the most important, and actually could be used in any tent-style tarp setup to good effect in even moderate wind.Finally, there are a couple tricks with the stakes which are helpful in high wind to prevent blow out, but I'll save that for a video, as it's easier to explain there. It also doesn't sound like you had that problem, so probably not as urgent.I'm glad you want to use it for a low wind scenario, but honestly I'd really only use it for a high wind scenario (or possibly very heavy rain with variable rain direction, or very heavy rain with two people in a smallish tarp) - in my view condensation is too much otherwise (if there is a high wind, the wind dissipates it quickly). I've found another set-up which might even work a bit better in high wind, but I'll save that for another video. Hint - simplest is often best.
If I had a light plastic sheet cut 10 ft on three sides could that work as a detached bathtub floor? Run the extra 1ft up walls inside. I need to try this configuration. Looks fantastic and will keep me warmer when camping northern MN in Sept. Thanks.
Three things I learned about tarp camping: 1) Ditch whatever tarp you're using if it isn't a 12'x12' 2) Learn how to make a TyVek bathtub using stakes 3) Carry two tennis ball halves in the event you want to create a configuration using posts to protect the fabric
with a 12'x12' a standard trekking pole might be too short. They usually top at 135cm don't they. You probably want something nearer 150cm to make sure there is some proportionality between headroom and floor space.
Well put, personally I don't use trekking poles anymore, the woods have plenty to offer in the way of poles (which is why I carry the tennis ball halves
It's a nice setup but with the wind we getting here in South Africa you will be running after your tarp in 5 min after you put it up. You need to ty down the walking stick so that the wind can't push it over and you need longer tent pens when the ground gets wet short tent pens will pull out if you getting strong winds and rain. I'm looking for a setup that will work for 30-50 km per hour winds. We have wooden frames where we put our tarps over in the area where we hike a lot but i need another set up for when we go up into the mountains.
Really appreciate how you didn’t do a 7 minute introduction to a 7 minute tutorial. Refreshing.
Summer 1996 I was car camping with friends on Cape Cod Massachusetts when Hurricane Bertha came through. Winds around 80 mph. I set up my girlfriend's cabin tent then set up my backpacking tent. Because we expected some weather I put a large tarp as a lean to over her cabin tent. My one man backpacker I put on a slight hill and set up a smaller tarp as a cave over the tent. I used the big construction sized stakes and 3/16" cord to tie everything down. Everyone else was using little tent pegs, sometimes the aluminum rods that often come with tents, and using the little cords that come with tents. The tents I set up were about the only tents standing in the entire campground when it was all over. Because trees would be swaying in the wind if I tied anything to a tree I kept it tied to the lower part of the trunk, 1-2 feet off the ground. When the sun came up people were huddled in their cars dripping wet. We were dry.
Of all the tarp tent demonstrations on the internet, this is the best configuration I've seen. A brilliant idea. But, instead of using a peg to hold down the door, you could put a cord on it and attach a small pully to the peg where you would have tied it and run the cord inside. Once in the tent, pull the cord to shut the door. It might also be useful to peg down everywhere possible, maybe pile leaves all around to shut out bugs and small critters. That would not work in high winds, of course. Thanks for giving me the configuration I will always use.
Bugs and critters LIVE in leaves. You don't get out much?
This is the first time I have seen a tutorial for total beginners that could be learned easily thanks to your attention to detail. You are an excellent teacher. Thank you so much for this video.
Excellent! what i would also do is dig a rain canal around the tent so that any rain water would be directed away from the tent..
That is so neat the way you put it up so fast. I love it.👍
Very good explanation and demonstration. You received a thumbs up from me and deserve far more than you have.
Far North Bushcraft And Survival that’s quite an endorsement. Agreed well none.
Jeff Purcell I agree. Exceptional endorsement from the great outdoors man himself! Tfs. Atb, Nikki
Most definitely 🤔
''What could he do with more than 2 thumbs ??"...
Could you. If you wanted to configure it so you could put a hot stove in the tent? Or is this type of tarp not suitable for a hot stove?
THIS is what I was looking for. Simple set up. 3 stakes and a stick or trekking pole to give you a rain resistant, wind resistant emergency shelter with no cordage. You could do this set up with a blade and tarp and no other tools or equipment. THANK YOU!
This is the first setup I ever used and Slept in because its so easy and tarpology is like origami. It's probably the most storm proof set up there is. Here's how you can stop any condensation problems - use a forked stick to raise up a couple of sides about 3 inch from the floor, this allows for some nice airflow and it really works. If you have a fire out front like I did you can use a stick to raise the front maybe 6 or 7 inch and let heat from the fire fill the pyramid with warmth and keep it there. I have since learnt many many tarp setups but if I got caught up kinder scout (England, Peak District) in winter in a snowstorm and it was a whiteout I would use this setup without a doubt.
Con getting in and out, bringing gear in and out cumbersome, Pro easy to set up, especially if windy, NO guidelines required. Can fully close entry way, Only 3 tent pegs. Good design, nice video.
Great camera work and instruction. Never thought of this configuration. I’ll certainly use it. I have one of those tarps as well it’s been a great tarp. Thanks for the hard work.
That is the best tarp tent I have ever seen ! Thank You for sharing this.
Great explanation. Very clear and simple. A triangle with 3 pins and a stick. Done! Perfect. Thanks, man!
Love this!! Was looking for a simple tarp tent setup for making an camping sauna. This is the best design I've found so far. Thanks for the lovely video! ❤
Definitely one of my favorite set-ups.
So simple yet I don't think I would have thought of that:-) thank you for sharing great little tutorial and demo.
Love it when i hear the jets coming in on final approach......must be hard for you living in these areas of this wonderful country while still living in the city.......i can see your heart is in the country......great vid......
Fast and simple, how it should be. Thanks for the pitch tip!! This setup can also be done with shock cords to fly it just off the ground to allow some ventilation if the winds aren’t too high
This a great set up. Ive only seen it once before on another video however, this demonstration is clean simple and quick. I wish they where all like this. Very effective demo.
❤ I love this. I've been looking for a quick, easy tarp tent set up for both Shelter and a meditation tent. This is awesome and ingenious. Thank you
It's nice seeing someone Actually go inside of the set up. I always have fairy lights or string lights wrapped up around my sock stick. Great little set up
Nice video and demonstration. Appreciated you showing the room inside as well. Thanks!
This has been quite helpful since I am new to tarp camping. Thanks for the great video.
Easiest explanation I've every seen of this. Thanks.
Great demo. This is a really good setup. Presumably if you had the ridgeline with the loops running perpendicular to the entrance, once erected the tarp would have 2 useful tie-outs.
brilliant, concise and informative - what's not to like? great video.
I tried it last week, it was perfect. Thanx!
Much enjoyed. Always interested in stable, high-wind tent solutions that work. Good vid ...
Climbing out of that looks a bit like.... Well, you know.
To further protect your tarp put a scarf or small item of clothing between the top of your walking pole and the tarp. Also helps prevent it moving about when the wind gets up.
Instead of pulling the two sides together, leave a foot or so- so you can climb in and out. Also, a square of velcro attatched to the roof where the pole goes, and use a tennis ball on the tip of the pole.
Nice setup, quick to make. Will try it this weekend probably. Just need to find a way to install the sticks in the snow.
I have not yet slept in this configuration, but I have practised pitching it several times; once in a stiff wind on the edge of Dartmoor. If you are worried about the stick slipping out of place, you can gather the tarp around it in a little pouch and tie it off with some paracord. I also have some shock-cord through the tie-downs so that you can tension the tarp without accidentally overdoing it. Another piece of paracord attached to the loop at the 'top' of the door flap allows you to easily close it from the inside (just hook it around a peg and pull - then tie off). Nice video - thanks very much!
Excellent explanation and really informative. This is so simple. I also appreciated your additional comments below about setup in high winds. I suspect you will get some condensation, but in high wind and driving rain that is the last thing you worry about.
Thank yew so much, THIS is exactly the config i have been seeking. It works for me.
Thank you for this tarp demonstration. Great video!
Clever ! The best way to make a tent with a tarp, thanks !
Excelente la demostración..!!! The best. Thank you Sr.
What a great configuration! Many thanks mate.
Sweet tarp set up ill be using this set up this weekend
Nice video, thanks. One more point is that if all you need is a respite from the wind and there is no rain to concern you, a second telescoping walking stick (or, any stick) horizontal tied from grommet to grommet will allow for a window effect in the doorway.
Ooh good thought! I was just pondering how to make it not super miserable in a desert situation. Would still need a vent on the “back” wall for actual circulation, and to cut down on drag with the “window” open
Great video! Thorough explanation! Thank you
It was a great learning experience for me.
Very good set up , I like .
Not bad. Thanks. Would not have thought this would resist high winds.
Interesting, when you speaking I understand almost everything. What I can’t say about other RUclips channel authors who speak English. Despite the fact that I do not know English well.
Wellll...l gotta say l am totally and happily impressed with your high wind tent!Thanks for sharing this with us !! New sub just now! Peace....;)
As tarp setups go this is pretty bulletproof. Tarps with open side(s) don't really account for changes in weather so if I'm a backpacker trying to save on weight substituting a tarp for a tent this is the way to go.
Great video and very well explained - cheers
Closing the flap from the inside looks a bit messy if you attached a length of cord to the flap and a tiny carabiner to the peg you could feed the cord through the biner and leave it loose in the tent. When you step in pull the cord and bingo!! the flap gets pulled shut
Good setup fr a tarp. Thanks and take care.
And outside tripod for tying off the three wall and get rid of the walking stick 4x4 works great
Thank you. I have watched many videos on tarring and this one was simple and easy to understand. Perfect.
Brilliant, I'll be doing some camping on Loch Lomond here in Scotland, stunning loch and Islands, and one is known as Wallaby Island, I think they were introduced and adapted well and they say there's 50-60 on the island now. I'd camp here, but with my Intex 2 Seater Kayak, inflatable will be good for trips around the loch, got life jackets, red light flashing at back, and white one at the front. I've been doing this Loch since I was 12 years old and was trained in the use of a Canoe, it's never left me, and I'm 52 now, how time flies. I'll be looking forward to this, but going in the cold weather, so that tarp design looks just cosy enough. Thanks for sharing it, as I've saw a few, and they didn't show half the intricate stuff either. Would you recommend it for the more chilly weather? Will it stand up to it. Okay I'll, leave you in peace, happy camping. Sincerely...Paul.
I've seen a video where you can take the flap and pull it inside the tarp tent and then secure it . I really do like this configuration. I'm going to try it with my DD 3×3m tarp.
Yup - pulling it inside would make it easier to secure, and stop it from flapping in the wind.
@@tullochgorum6323 And that would make it NOT waterproof.
@@MeetMeOutside Well, if it's dry and windy that might not be a problem. And it's something you'd have to test - it's a huge overlap and might well not leak in practice.
@@tullochgorum6323 Rolling flap might be tied with rope up & down to let H20. flow to f’d triangle roll? Double same dimension tarp?
Very impressed!!! I'm sure a modified ground sheet could also be created to seal the deal, again thank you
Informative and beneficial video!
Interesting tarp tent style. That I can use. Thanks.
the tarp just gave birth to him
ahah I agree
😆🤣I was just about ready to say it looks like a huge vag
Great configuration ! 😀
Nicely done. Good idea.
A very good setup.
Absolutely great video! Very educational and to the point, very much appreciated!!! Thank you!!!!
Is that a particular tarp or special brand tarp?
I like this. Might give it a go. Thanks.
The section you have as a door is facing into the prevailing wind. It would be interesting to see you set this up in windy conditions and not in a woodland
My thoughts entirely. 'High Wind Tarp Configuration', demonstrated in conditions so calm that even the leaves on the ground aren't disturbed.
Brilliant video
Try pegging down halfway along the sides as well so you don't lose so much room inside. And tie off the top of the tarp to a branch above so you don't have to worry about the internal support.
In a high wind situation the branches are going to be moving ...
great job
Thanks for share this very easy and util tarp configuration. Best regards.
I liked the video and learned a lot from just watching how you did this pitch. Great Job! I'm going to try it out this week in my backyard. Do you know anywhere in the US where I can get a great, strong 3 meter X 3 meter or 10' X 12' great tarp that has tie outs all along the edges of the tarp, like yours has, that is also light weight enough to be able to backpack with it without needing a sherpa to carry it around for me? Please advise. Thanks.
I have some doubts about how well that walking stick would hold up in high wind, but this is an elegant design.
I am tempted to modify a damaged tarp shelter to have a grommet for a staked-down pole, as well as guy wires. Though, waterproofing around the grommet would be it’s own extra thing.
Hi, I've started building my house on the top of a hill and it is semi complete. the roof is up but we have not covered the verandah. I need to know how I should tie a tarp over where the veranda is going to be also, I have put all the timbers for the verandah where the verandah is going to be, just to be away from the sun and rain.
Thanks. Good video!
Nice demonstration. Would get a 4 x 4 to get rid of the interior space issues.
I just bought a 3x3 and thought maybe I should have got the 4x4. But that extra metre either side adds 500g to the total weight. From 790g for the 3x3 to 1290g for the 4x4 May not be much. but it adds up
grazie per il video!
Very nice, thanks. 3x3 meters is nearly 10 feet, not 9.
For high wind, I would stake it down all the way around and lay logs or rocks on the windward side...even dirt or gravel helps.
For heavy rain with wind, I would ditch around the tarp and plan to fix it before I left. *Leave no Trace* is a good idea, not a religion.
Good video mate
Great vid! Can anyone tell me if they have tried a very large config with this set? Say, 15’x25 or maybe even bigger for like five people? I’ve heard it can work but would like to hear some testimonials.
Good idea. I wonder how it would be with a 12x12 feet tarp. Maybe the extra height would not work so well in the wind.
Just adding a comment so google sees that your video stays relevant. Thanks for sharing, Roger
Very nice solution! Is there a formula or ratio for determining the usable space inside relative to the size of the tarp? Thoughts?
Great video
Just tried it with an 8x10 tarp. The rectangular geometry is slightly different, which makes staking down the door flap a little trickier, but otherwise it works fine.
convert the extra 2 ft to ground cover at the back of the tent, resulting in an 8x8 configuration with some protection from the ground/dry area to store your gear.
How cool is that?! Thanks :)
New one for me; thanks!
DD Hammocks makes a good Tarp! I have a 3x3 multicam! Also, consider caribeaners...
I tried this config on the weekend in moderate wind and it did not stand particularly well! I love the set up but one side blew almost flat to the ground and it wasn't long before the pole slipped over. I'm yet to find a tarp set up that will stay strong in the wind and allow a fair bit of space inside. however, I will deffo use this set up for low wind!
+Matt Thompson Hi Matt, thanks for watch and thanks for the comment! I've used this setup halfway up a Scottish munro in a full gale, so it works, but your comment made me think about a few things I didn't include in the video and have discovered since that really make a difference. As I think about them, I really should do a second video and cover the details more extensively, but I'll try to at least touch on them now so you have the info.The first thing about tarps in high wind, whatever setup you use, it that it's going to be loud. In a full gale - it's going to be really, really LOUD. Also, because you generally aren't using rigid poles with a tarp, you are going to have wind sag. It's critical to get a tarp super tight in the wind (especially this config), but because fabric (or plastic sheeting) stretches, you are going to have wind sag. It's also going to be drafty, but actually that's one of the advantages of a tarp - less (or no) condensation).A few tricks: you need to get it super tight, and then tighten some more. Anything less than drum tight is going to increase sag. Fabric has a very high tensile strength, so as long as your pole doesn't have a sharp edge and your tie-downs are well made, you aren't going to rip the fabric, so really crank down until it's as tight as a drum.The intermediary tie-downs along the edge are critical, especially on the leading (windward) edge. You should be able to pull them out past a straight line between the corners - as long as the tarp is tight with the just the corners staked in, that's ok.Make sure a corner is pointing directly into the prevailing wind, and one of the sides isn't side-on into the wind. That will help with the wind sag.Use your backpack and other gear against the windward wall to help with wind sag - that can make a big difference, and win back a lot of usable floor space.The pole blowing down is a big problem - I found that if I attached a guy to the top of the pole and ran it down the *inside* of the tarp to the corner stake, and made sure that guy was tight and secure, the wind could blow and gust (gusting is a big culprit in the pole falling over) all it wanted, but that pole wasn't going to move. You can of course use as many internal guys as you want, but I found just one on the windward side is all that is necessary. This tip I think is the most important, and actually could be used in any tent-style tarp setup to good effect in even moderate wind.Finally, there are a couple tricks with the stakes which are helpful in high wind to prevent blow out, but I'll save that for a video, as it's easier to explain there. It also doesn't sound like you had that problem, so probably not as urgent.I'm glad you want to use it for a low wind scenario, but honestly I'd really only use it for a high wind scenario (or possibly very heavy rain with variable rain direction, or very heavy rain with two people in a smallish tarp) - in my view condensation is too much otherwise (if there is a high wind, the wind dissipates it quickly). I've found another set-up which might even work a bit better in high wind, but I'll save that for another video. Hint - simplest is often best.
It can help to run a cord from the top of the pole, inside, to a stake on the corner or edge of the tarp, on the wind side, to keep the pole up.
Matt Thompson don’t be cheap; buy a real tent.
Outstanding 😊
Perfect sir
Thanks for sharing
Awesome, thanks!
Good video thank you
If I had a light plastic sheet cut 10 ft on three sides could that work as a detached bathtub floor? Run the extra 1ft up walls inside. I need to try this configuration. Looks fantastic and will keep me warmer when camping northern MN in Sept. Thanks.
Did you try it and did it work well?
Thank you good video👍
Thanks Whitecap217
This video is superb! Sorry I'm 7 years late saying thanks :) But, thanks! :)
You know your stuff✌️
I watched it 3x thank you
How long of a pole will I need if Im making this same set up?
Three things I learned about tarp camping:
1) Ditch whatever tarp you're using if it isn't a 12'x12'
2) Learn how to make a TyVek bathtub using stakes
3) Carry two tennis ball halves in the event you want to create a configuration using posts to protect the fabric
with a 12'x12' a standard trekking pole might be too short. They usually top at 135cm don't they. You probably want something nearer 150cm to make sure there is some proportionality between headroom and floor space.
Well put, personally I don't use trekking poles anymore, the woods have plenty to offer in the way of poles (which is why I carry the tennis ball halves
It's a nice setup but with the wind we getting here in South Africa you will be running after your tarp in 5 min after you put it up. You need to ty down the walking stick so that the wind can't push it over and you need longer tent pens when the ground gets wet short tent pens will pull out if you getting strong winds and rain. I'm looking for a setup that will work for 30-50 km per hour winds. We have wooden frames where we put our tarps over in the area where we hike a lot but i need another set up for when we go up into the mountains.
Check out "Papa Hiker" on RUclips. He does more with tarps than anyone else and some are much better pitches for wind than this.
how much warmer does this tent make things? If it is a cold night, will this tent help with temperature help?
auwsome! thanks bro