see also:

• bushwalking in Australia
• tarps for camping and hiking
• essential knots for campers
• choosing a tent for Australian conditions
• comparison of mainly mesh tents for warm nights
• comparison of full fabric 2P and 3P tents for colder nights
• tent vs swag for car camping
• swags for camping and sleeping
• condensation in tents
• shelters and tents for car camping or alpine 4 season use
• overnight ultralight bushwalking shelters and equipment
• tips for camping in the rain
• Youtube: 15 shelters with a 3x3m tarp
• tarp camping videos:
  • Wildbeare with DD Hammock superlight and DD Magic Carpet XL ground sheet in the rain - A-frame and a tarp tent in the wild but she is attacked by slugs in winter overnight while sleeping

• tarps are extremely versatile options for creating shelters
• see tarps for camping and hiking for a comparison of various types of tarps
• see tarp tents for tarp + tent kits
• the most popular for hikers is perhaps a 3x3m tarp, while for those with hammocks, a 3.5×2.4m tarp may be preferred.
• best to use lightweight polyester, ripstop nylon or Dyneema and avoid those heavier cheaper polyethylene NOISY tarps
• if you are planning on sleeping on a tarp on the ground you need to have some insulation under you such as either:
  • insulated sleeping mat
  • at least 8-12“ depth of leaf debris

• allows an ultralight, compact hiking kit eg. use a 3x3m DD Hammocks ultralight tarp and one or two trekking poles and some pegs and guy ropes
  • lighter hiking gear means less injuries, more distance able to be travelled, and more fun as long as the weather is nice to you
• are a great emergency option when you have not brought a tent hiking and you get caught out in bad weather
• provides a greater “adventure” experience, closer to nature and a sense of accomplishment with minimal gear
• depending upon set up, better visibility of surrounds and spacial awareness without having to find and undo noisy zips
• very versatile and generally easier to find a pitch than with tents
• larger floor space than a 1P tent
• can be used with hammocks
• can be set up with a lower profile for better wind protection or stealth camping

• needs practice to set up, especially in the wind or in the dark
• no bath tub floor so you are exposed to flooding issues if you set up in a low ground position
• strong winds will likely result in the tarp hitting against you continuously and keeping you awake as there is no frame to keep it off you as with a dome tent
• strong winds may blow over your centre pole which will need adjusting in the dark
• strong winds will whip in under most set ups causing wind chill
• they are NOT insect proof or animal proof - mosquitoes especially can be problematic but at least in cold weather insects tend to be much less an issue
• they generally do not have a floor and thus you may have to put your sleeping mat on wet or muddy ground
• depending upon set up, wind and rain can be problematic, especially if the wind changes direction overnight
• more enclosed set ups can have condensation issues
• are effectively only “single wall” tents and run the risk of rain seeping through contact points
• some set ups have a central pole(s) which can be annoying
• needs a bivy bag for added water and wind protection
• impossible to keep the air warm and hence your face will get cold on cold nights
• less amenity than a tent with a large vestibule

• this is an easy set up especially with a 3x3m tarp and has 1 high point set at about 7' from the ground with the other 3 corners pegged to the ground to protect against the wind
• a 3.5×2.4m DD Hammocks tarp works really well in this set up to provide shelter for a 2P free standing mesh tent (with or without a fly) - one can even get away with using a single trekking pole (instead of finding a tree) and a few guy ropes and pegs.
• Youtube demo of 3 set ups using a DD 3x3m tarp - plow point, modified Adirondack and an improved lean to

• a lean to with some triangular floor cover giving good visibility and some rain/wind protection
• uses a ridge line, 3x3m tarp;
• place tarp over ridge line as if setting up a diamond configuration with the 2nd grommet attached to the ridge line at each end with a Plusik knot to tension it
• peg out rear starting at the 2nd grommet on each side and fold excess under the tarp
• guy out the front grommet then peg out the corners as small side walls then guy out a rear grommet to give more room
• Youtube demo of 3 set ups using a DD 3x3m tarp - plow point, modified Adirondack and an improved lean to

• great for lots of visibility and air flow while providing tarp on the ground (if you have enough tarp try to double the floor layer) and one side
• uses a ridge line then drape a front section of the tarp over the ridge line and guy out
• peg out the floor
• Youtube demo of 3 set ups using a DD 3x3m tarp - plow point, modified Adirondack and an improved lean to
• this is often used for sleeping in a bivy in front of a long fire
  • wind should be coming from one end of the tent (ie. a cross-wind) so the smoke and embers don't go into your setup
  • the fire should be lower than your setup so logs don't roll down onto you
  • fire should be about 1.5m from the front of your setup

• tarp draped over, or attached to, a ridge line and guyed out to the sides
  • having tarp draped over rather than attached by the tarp loops to the ridge line allows the ridge line to be accessible for drying out clothes, or hanging a lantern, etc
• great for when you want to keep in as much heat as possible, or have head room for a camp chair
• not so good for sleeping with a camp fire
• can be modified to have “doors” at each end
• tip: peg out two sides then middles and lastly the corners to give a nice taut shape

• a great set up for sleeping without a tent or swag
• a 3x3m tarp can be set up with a triangular floor, both sides and a door which can full seal you in during inclement weather (although condensation can be an issue) and then allow one of the sides to be opened up as desired
• peg out the floor first with inside of tarp facing upwards on the ground and with pegs in to adjacent corners and a 3rd peg at the “ridgeline” loop position
• then bring the rest of the tarp over to a tall 5-6' pole placed at the right angle corner of the floor leaving sufficient tarp to drape down to the ground to form the other wall and the door.
• needs one tallish pole and guy rope
• see Youtube demo

• fold tarp in half and peg out the rear and sides then guy out the front to a tree or pole
• works best with a larger tarp at least 4m and up to 4.5×3.5m
• great for wind protection and for rain
• low pitch of the roof can be problematic in heavy rain

• using a 3x3m tarp and a centre pole plus 4-6 pegs (no guy ropes needed but can be used optionally in strong winds)
• lay out tarp on the ground (if raining you could cover your backpacks, etc) and peg the two rear corners
• then grab the other two corners and bring them together and join them and peg to ground to form a triangular base
• insert centre pole to taut height and this creates a narrow door way which can be folded over the tarp and pegged down in the middle of one of the walls (pegging accessible from inside the “tent”)
• Youtube

• 3.5×3.5m DD Hammock tarp with a 4-5' centre pole
• lay out on ground with underside facing upwards with ridge line running towards the front and peg out the two lateral central grommets
• fold in half bringing the rear half to the front
• peg the two touching corner grommets (bottom and top layer) to the adjacent front grommet of the bottom layer only, pull the excess materials into and onto the tarp
• do the same on the other front corner
• place the centre pole on the ridge line and one grommet back from the front
• guy out the door grommets to the rear pegs
• guy out the central door grommet forwards to stabilise the centre pole
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZkGKbTrmJA

• tarp draped over, or attached to, a ridge line and guyed out to the sides

• tarp draped over a ridge line but in a diamond shape to provide more length coverage at the expense of side coverage.

• this requires two tent poles and guy ropes and works best with taller 4WD vehicle roofs to give you better head room
• many 4WD owners opt for a fixed awning on the side of their vehicle instead of using a tarp