Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

[James.]

Ok, oddly enough I have never strung up a tarp for shade or rain. I have a ezup canopy that I usually use but since I am headed out tomorrow and it looks like there is no way to avoid the rain (except to stay home and we all know that isn't going to happen) I am thinking it might be time to try this.

Ok, the time to try would have been in good weather but whatchagonnado? Anyway I am looking for instruction from those that do it often. (MacGyver? Are you listening?)

I haven't even bought the tarp yet so anything will be helpful. Can the tarp be too big? How much rope will I need? What SIZE rope works best? Best angles for the tarp, etc.

It seems like there was a thread on this before but I couldn't find it.

Anyway, I am kind of excited about this and the more I think about it the more excited I get. I wont have to pack that giant canopy in the truck and still have more coverage from the sun and rain.

[CMPR1966]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

I have used some big tarps in the past like 20x36. Makes a great place to hang out in the rain. If you do not have trees that cooperate to tie a ridge line to I always bring some expandable poles and use them instead. Keep the tarp taught to avoid water from pooling, that is why peoples tarps come crashing down with a flood.

This video is somewhat hard to watch, but he shows some good technique.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZumMfCrWgYg

[a65hoosier]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

I use a Kelty 12x12 tarp (they also come in 9x9 and 16x16 size) and use 9ft adjustable tarp poles I got at Cabelas. I always bring 3 or 4 of the poles just in case the campsite tree locations do not cooperate.

I like the Kelty because it can be pulled taunt which helps the rain run off quickly. As CMPR1966 indicated, keeping the tarp tight to preventing pooling is the main objective when hanging a tarp. The Kelty square is cut in a catenary shape and has grommets on each of the 4 corners (along with a tieout at each corner) and 3 tieouts down each side which gives you multiple options as to set-up. I normally set it up in the "flying diamond" shape using the seam as my ridgeline. With poles, I have not had to use a ridgeline and can still pull it tight enough to prevent sagging.

I use 550 paracord for my rope along with some bungee cord on the sides to give some flex if it's windy.

The larger the tarp, the more tie downs you should use....or the wind will turn it into a large sail. I use 3 tiedowns on each pole corner...and one tiedown on the other 2 corners (more if big wind/storms are predicted). Although...it is easy and quick enough to take down if a huge storm was coming.

The Kelty 12 folds up to the size of a kids lunchbox and weighs next to nothing.

I can even set it up by myself by first laying it out and staking out 2 pre-tied lines (in a V pattern in relation to the pole) at each pole corner. Insert the pole into the grommet, attach line to the pole tip and slightly tighten the line with the pole up. Then I grab the seam of the tarp and walk down to the other pole corner, keeping enough tension to prevent the first pole from falling over. Insert the other pole into grommet, attach lines again and pull tarp taunt. I then will add the 3rd line to that pole and raise it fully. Tighten lines. Do the same at the other pole. I then pull out the other corners, clip carabiners and pre-tied line to them, stake and tighten line (you could also use shorter poles on those corners to obtain more headroom underneath if you want). There are all sorts of videos on YouTube showing Kelty (and other tarp) set-ups.

It sounds/reads like it is difficult, but with pre-tied line and pre-staking, the whole thing takes only a few minutes to get up in the air and secured. I think you will like having a tarp rather than an ez-up shelter, if only in the packing space you'll save. But I've found they are very versatile and can accomodate almost any campsite, whether level or not, allowing you to run the rainwater off where you want it to go.

[michelliot]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

Afternoon James,

Funny, just watched a bunch of videos this morning on youtube regarding hanging tarps. For the most part they refer to personal tarps over hammocks but the techniques, hardware and knots incorporated are probably the same. See what you can find for some incite as how they can be used in your situations.

Be well.....elliot

[a65hoosier]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

Ooops...sorry James...missed the urgency in that you are leaving soon. I have used big box store tarps before also prior to getting the Kelty. Same concept except I would use a ridgeline (tied to trees or poles) underneath the tarp. I secure the tarp by running a second line through the grommets and on the top side of the tarp (it helps to have this line in place before raising the last ends-probably overkill but it I know that the tarp isn't going anywhere). Then pull out the sides and tie them down using the grommets. Using bungee cords for your side tiedowns will help give it some flex. Not sure how much line to use. I always bring plenty....depends on the site. YouTube will be helpful in quickly learning how to setup using a ridgeline and the best knots to use.

To me, the hardest part is getting the line high enough up on the tree to start my ridgeline. If a branch is available and at the right height, you can tie your line to a rock and throw it over the branch. I usually have to "walk" the line up the tree by using a stick/pole while keeping tension so it doesn't fall down before I can tie it off tightly.

[ScooterGirlinALA]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

If you get a chance, take photos and let us know how it goes. I'm wanting to do this in the fall.

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

For shade I would go with a blue 10x20 from a big box. Do you have trees or just the cactus. Are you hanging or supporting with poles?

[Shortpants]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

Because trees never seem to be in the right place for us to do a proper ridgeline, we basically tie off to whatever we can, trees, leanto, vehicles, whatever. Then we scavenge the woods for a downed limb or small tree to use as a peak in the middle. We cut the top off a disposable water bottle (or use whatever you have, coffee mug, empty tin can, etc) to cover the top of the stick so it doesn't poke a hole in the tarp. Pop up our center peak, and Voila! It's rednecky, but it works for us! LOL! When we are putting up tarps immediately, it's usually in the rain, so quick n' easy is our motto. For rope we use clothesline (don't judge, it's in the rope bag... it gets used if it's the right length. haha!) and 550 paracord mostly. But I will say we don't camp in high winds, but do keep a couple bungees handy for that just in case. Here's a couple pics, one of a smaller tarp and one of our monster tarp:



Good luck and have fun!

[hwc1954]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

James:

The easy way to pitch a tarp is to start with two opposite corners on the diagonal. Tie one to a tree as high as you can get it. Then, walk to the opposite end of the diagonal and tie that that to a tree, as high as you can get it. (or use poles with two guy lines in a V in place of each tree). At this point, your tarp is up in the air. Then, just pull the remaining two corners out and guy them to stakes in the ground. The lower you keep those last two corners, the better the tarp will shed wind. The higher you keep them, the more head room. I have found that it is best to stake them with two v-shaped guy lines, but I'm using lightweight backpacking guylines and stakes -- I've had the wind pull out a single MSR groundhog stake.

I actually have two short collapsible poles I insert in these final two corners for increased headroom. So the main ridge poles are 8 feet. The two short poles are 4 feet. But, I remove those extra two poles if it's raining or windy.

This photo shows my setup with one of the short poles closest to the camera. The tall poles have exactly the same v-shaped guy line configuration, just twice as long (up to 12 feet on each stake).



I use poles instead of trees just because I find it easier. I can collapse the poles to 6 feet and reach the top to attach guylines (I have them set up with s-biner clips) and then extend the poles to 8 feet to tension everything. I found it a lot more work to walk a loop up a tree and the tree was never in exactly the right place (I'm trying to center the tarp over a picnic table).

The poles are the 1 inch Kelty anodized aluminum poles. I took apart one pair and removed one of three sections to make the short poles. But, big box 1 inch poles would work perfectly fine.

I use MSR reflective tent guy lines, although paracord would be stronger in wind or with a blue tarp. Poly rope would work fine, too. I just really like the reflective stuff. With a headlamp, I keep from tripping and breaking my neck in the middle of the night!

I have all the guylines pre-configured. The two tall poles use a 24 foot guy line attached to a metal ring in the center, giving me two 12 foot lengths to go out to stakes, with an adjuster at each end. Same thing for the short pole guylines except that's a 12 foot length giving two 6 foot lengths. I got a few plastic kite line winders to keep the guy lines from becoming a tangled mess. Just a piece of plastic with an attached elastic to lock the guys. I have one for 24 foot guylines, one for 12 foot guylines, and one for 6 foot guylines. They live in my duffle with the tent and tarp, mostly for guying the tarp, but extras for additional length on the tent guys, etc.:



I have found that the 12 foot by 12 foot tarp on the diagonal is plenty big enough to cover the picnic table with some maneuvering room around it. I set up my grill just inside one of the tall poles at the end and grilled in the rain the other night.

If I were really getting hammered by 20 mph winds, I'd probably drop the tarp as they do act like a big sail.

[MacGyver]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

MacGyver? Are you listening?

Yep - I'm here, but it seems a lot of people got here before me. I hope you can follow all of this LOL

The video that was posted is pretty much how I do things, although I've never thrown a rope over a branch. Using a good heavy rope, I always walk a lasso-type loop up a tree with a pole for one side, then "I gots a couple of tricks". I use a ratchet strap between the first rope and the other side. For the other side, I use a 6 foot piece of 1/2" hollow braid rope with loops on both ends. Wrap it around the second tree, hooking the ratchet strap through both loops. Then I go back to the first rope and, standing on something (the truck bed if necessary), attach it to the other end of the ratchet strap and pull as much tension in as I can and tie it off. Ratchet 'til the line is nice and tight. If I'm putting up one of my larger tarps, I've found it best to try to raise the ridgeline rope from under the tarp - trying to spread out a large tarp out from a high ridgeline is a bit rough. That means laying the tarp out first and running the rope and strap under it.

For the back side, I've taken to angling them down almost all the way to the ground. I use 12" spikes, each with a washer, attaching a bungee cord right from the spike to each corner and the center grommet. The corner bungees are angled out at 45°. For the front side, if there aren't any trees in the right place, I use adjustable poles on the corners, each with a paracord line and a bungee cord going down to another spike with washer. If the tarp is extra large, the front corners get two lines each, one pulling forward, one pulling out to the side. If I think it's going to rain, the center front gets pulled down slightly with another paracord/bungee/spike to keep water from getting trapped.

I use bungees everywhere to give the whole setup some flex. Before I learned to do that, I'd had ripped grommets and poles that actually lifted up and wound up collapsing the tarp.

Not the most detailed pic, but it might help you to see what the finished product is.


I guess I should get ambitious and make a video of all of this because trying to explain it all in print ain't doing it justice.

[ScooterGirlinALA]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

Loving all the photos of the tarps up over the tent area. I think it's a great way to keep the camp area dry when raining, plenty of shade when it's sunny and it will keep the tent clean all the time!

I didn't learn to tie too many knots in Girl Scouts, but I can put some loops in a rope and use a ratchet strap. Do you think a strap with a cam buckle would work?

Short pants, what size tarps are you using?

[Shortpants]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

We have an assortment we bring actually, a huge 16'x24' that is mainly for covering our Taj Mahal family tent, but in fair weather gets used as our eating/cooking area cover, a 12'x16 originally bought as a groundcloth but now gets used as an extension of the front of leantos as it tends to be the perfect size (this works out AWESOME with leantos, you have the 10'x12' inside space plus a 12'x16' covered porch area, yay!), and a small 8'x12' as a spare that we can hang over the open front of a lean to in the case of high winds or sideways rain, but usually gets loaned to a fellow camping buddy that didn't bring one, but has also been used to make "connectors" between fellow campers dry tarp areas so there are no mad dashes through the rain to the next tarp or leanto.

[ScooterGirlinALA]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

Those are big tarps. I have a couple around, but I think I'd like the larger tarp.

[James.]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

A bunch of good ideas guys and I thank you all. I will let you know how it goes....good or bad And if it is all bad I will just blame it on my daughters boyfriend.

[MacGyver]

Re: Hanging a tarp for shade/rain

Do you think a strap with a cam buckle would work?

Without some fancy knot work, a cam buckle would be better than trying to get good tension on the rope. But it won't tighten as well as a ratchet.