Holy Tarp-O-Rama

[CMPR1966]

Re: Holy Tarp-O-Rama

For me, a tarp isn't just to protect a tent from rain. They keep me from being stuck in a tent when it rains - especially when I'm in a one or two person tent. They're also good for shade, which in the long run, prolongs the life of the tent. Tarps also keep tree sap and gifts from birds off the tent.

All of these are my reasons as well and if it is raining when you get to camp, put your tarp up first for a dry place to pitch your tent and no wet tent to take down. Also, on a muggy rainy night being able to sleep without the rain fly on can make all the difference.

[hwc1954]

Re: Holy Tarp-O-Rama

Tarp always goes up first! Glad I did it that way on Sunday as the showers hit just after the tarp, tent, and rain fly were pitched. Gave me a dry base of operations that I wouldn't have had. Noah's tarp is first thing up, last thing down.

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Holy Tarp-O-Rama

I just take a 10 foot length of paracord and tie it around a rock. I then tie the loose end to my tarp rope. I throw a rope over a high tree branch. I then untie the paracord and trap rope and tie off the tarp rope. I leave the paracord tied around the rock until I am finished hanging the tarp. That way I don't have to keep tying a rope around the rock.

[JimSuz]

Re: Holy Tarp-O-Rama

Yes, have to agree. A good tarp well rigged is a must. I "think" ours is 12X16.

My ridgeline is normally ~8' high. Offers a lot of sun protection in the desert. And

rain protection up north. Comfortable or not...I can not sit in the tent all day.

The tarp is a nice "porch".

[CMPR1966]

Re: Holy Tarp-O-Rama

I went to Big Lots to get a new camping tarp for the upcoming trip, since I used mine at home to cover a project. With 50 - 80% chances of thundershowers I went for the 12x24 for plenty of room to sit and watch it rain. I then talked myself into the larger one because it was only $4 more. Now I'm wondering if I need to hire a crew to erect this massive 20x40' tarp that is so neatly factory folded with my camping stuff. Holy Tarp-O-Rama!

[Mike]

Re: Holy Tarp-O-Rama

I went to Big Lots to get a new camping tarp for the upcoming trip, since I used mine at home to cover a project. With 50 - 80% chances of thundershowers I went for the 12x24 for plenty of room to sit and watch it rain. I then talked myself into the larger one because it was only $4 more. Now I'm wondering if I need to hire a crew to erect this massive 20x40' tarp that is so neatly factory folded with my camping stuff. Holy Tarp-O-Rama!

Ha ha. Sounds like a Chinese can-0-worms. Unfolding it will be the easy part. Getting it all folded back and into the car will be the real challenge. It will probably take a whole truck just to get it back home.

[MacGyver]

Re: Holy Tarp-O-Rama

Ha ha. Sounds like a Chinese can-0-worms. Unfolding it will be the easy part. Getting it all folded back and into the car will be the real challenge. It will probably take a whole truck just to get it back home.

Two people can easily fold the largest tarp neatly and compactly. With each of you standing on the short side of the tarp, grab the center and, keeping some tension on it while holding it up, both of you walk to one side. That will fold it in half longways. Lay the tarp down and, again, both of you grab the center of both layers and do the walk again. If needed, repeat it again. Then one person can walk one end of the folded tarp to the other end. Repeat folding until it's a manageable size.

I've done this alone using a rope tied to a tree, using the rope as a ridgeline for each longways fold but it takes a lot of room to swing the tarp and usually requires a little tweaking to get the folds neat.

[bulldogdiver]

Re: Holy Tarp-O-Rama

I got a Kodiak 10 X 14 because it would be large enough that I would have plenty of room in case it rained and I was stuck inside. One of the things that I liked about the Kodiak Flexbow was there wouldn't be any guy lines to trip over. After reading these posts, I see the benefit of having a tarp over the tent, but it will take a LARGE tarp to to cover this large a tent allowing for pitch and some extra coverage in protect from a blowing rain. Unless the campsite has ideally placed trees, I will then windup with guy lines after all. I have a large boat shelter (and don't have a boat anymore). Would it just be easier to rig up a system to suspend a wet tent under the boat shelter to dry it if it happens to rain and not try to put up such a large tarp?

[Gearspoke]

Re: Holy Tarp-O-Rama

I would normally agree, but we are in Washington where rain is so unpredictable that the weather man is constantly wrong, and getting trapped in the rain can suck. Its always nice to have an area besides the tent to hang out in, while waiting for the rain to stop. But agreed, some of us do get a bit over kill when it comes to tarps.