Tarp Camping Setup Guide
A tarp is one of the lightest and most versatile shelter options for backpackers. A quality tarp weighing 8 to 16 ounces replaces a tent weighing 2 to 4 pounds. Mastering tarp pitching opens a world of lightweight, open-air camping.
Why Choose a Tarp?
Tarps offer weight savings, ventilation, and connection with the environment that tents cannot match. Under a tarp, you hear every sound, feel every breeze, and see the stars until you close your eyes. The weight savings are significant: a silnylon tarp weighing 10 ounces replaces a 3-pound tent.
The trade-off is less protection from bugs, wind-driven rain, and cold. In bug-heavy seasons or extreme weather, a tent may be more appropriate. Many experienced backpackers carry a tarp and switch to a tent when conditions demand it.
Choosing a Tarp
Size: An 8x10-foot tarp provides full coverage for one person with gear. A 9x7 or 10x10 tarp works for two people. Smaller tarps (7x5) work in good weather but provide minimal coverage in storms.
Material: Silnylon (sil-poly) tarps weigh 10 to 16 ounces and cost $50 to $150. Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF) tarps weigh 5 to 10 ounces and cost $200 to $400. Both are waterproof and durable. DCF does not absorb water or stretch, while silnylon sags slightly when wet.
Shape: Rectangular tarps offer the most pitch options. Catenary-cut tarps (curved edges) pitch tighter with less material but offer fewer configuration options.
The A-Frame Pitch
The most basic and most useful tarp pitch. It creates a symmetrical tent-like shelter with equal coverage on both sides.
Set up a ridgeline between two trees at about 4 feet high. Drape the tarp over the ridgeline so equal amounts hang on each side. Stake out the four corners, pulling them taut. Adjust the ridgeline height and stake positions until the tarp is taut with no wrinkles.
This pitch sheds rain well, blocks wind from both sides, and provides reasonable living space. It is the pitch most tarp campers use most often.
The Lean-To Pitch
One side of the tarp angles to the ground while the other side is open. This creates a large covered area with one open side.
Useful for socializing, cooking, and enjoying views. Provides wind protection on the closed side. Not ideal for rain from the open side. Orient the open side away from prevailing wind and weather.
The C-Fly Pitch
A variation where one end of the A-frame is staked to the ground while the other end remains open. This creates an asymmetric shelter with maximum headroom at one end and full ground closure at the other.
Excellent for stormy weather when you want the security of ground closure at your head end but the ventilation of an open foot end.
The Flat Roof
The tarp pitched flat as a rain canopy. Maximum coverage area with minimal wind protection. Useful for group sheltering and cooking areas. Requires the least amount of cord and setup time.
Tarp Accessories
Ground cloth or bivy: A thin ground sheet or waterproof bivy sack beneath you provides ground moisture protection and adds warmth.
Bug net: A mesh inner net hangs beneath the tarp during bug season. Several companies make tarp-compatible bug shelters that add 5 to 10 ounces.
Guylines and stakes: Carry 50 feet of thin cord for ridgelines and guylines. Six lightweight stakes cover most tarp pitches.
Tips for Success
Practice pitching at home before relying on a tarp in the field. Each pitch has nuances that are easier to learn in your backyard than in failing light with mosquitoes.
Choose a campsite with trees at appropriate spacing for your ridgeline. Tarps need anchor points, and open meadows may not provide them.
In rain, ensure your tarp extends beyond your sleeping area on all sides. Wind-driven rain enters from angles that a dry-weather pitch does not anticipate.
Recommended Gear
Based on this guide's topics, here are some top-rated products to consider:
- Marmot Birdhouse 3-Shelf Hanging Tent Organizer ($34.95, 119 g)
- MSR Blizzard Tent Stakes ($29.96, 20 g)
- MSR Carbon Core Tent Stakes ($48.95, 6 g)
- Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Backpacking Tent - Olive Green / 2 Person ($549.95, 1.2 kg)
- Snow Peak Aluminum Tarp Pole ($59.95, 1.0 kg)
- Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Graphic Hoody for Men - Fitz Roy Tarpon: Wispy Green X-Dye / L ($49.98, 181 g)
- Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Graphic Hoody for Men - Fitz Roy Tarpon: Wispy Green X-Dye / M ($49.98, 181 g)
- Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Graphic Hoody for Men - Fitz Roy Tarpon: Wispy Green X-Dye / XL ($49.98, 181 g)
Conclusion
Tarp camping is a skill that rewards practice with dramatic weight savings and a more immersive outdoor experience. Start with the A-frame pitch, add configurations as your comfort grows, and enjoy the minimalist elegance of sleeping under a simple piece of fabric strung between trees.