Tarp - An ultralight wind protection

With us you can buy tarps, we have lots of different sizes and types. Below is our guide to tarps and how to use your tarp. A tarp is basically a piece of wind and water protecting fabric, often around 3 x 2 meters that is hung up to protect when resting or sleeping in the wilderness. A poncho can be used as a tarp if the hole for the head is sealed.

An advantage of a tarp is the light weight and flexibility. Many people find it wonderful to have the freedom to sleep under the open sky and supplement with a tarp in case it looks like it will rain during the night. A personal favorite is to have a sleeping bag with a pupa (sleeping bag cover) and a light tarp as weather protection.

A tarp can be used in many different ways by using ropes, sticks and tent pegs to fold and shape the tarp in different ways. Below we go through a couple of different ways to set up your tarp.


General tips and tricks

A tent is often designed relatively stable to withstand wind and deflect rain. With a tarp, you have to think about this yourself. A tarp becomes light as a sail, which catches the wind and can, in the worst case, break or blow away. Place the tarp so that it directs the wind away or place the tarp sheltered from the wind.

The rain rarely falls straight from above, but slightly slanted with the wind. Position the tarp so that you are protected even if the rain comes in at an angle. Do not place the tarp too high and have a tarp that is a little bigger than you.

Protect the tarp against stones and excessively high loads in the eyelets. Anchoring a tarp with stone directly against the tent canvas is directly unsuitable. Also try to use as many eyelets as possible and relieve the roof ridge with a ridgeline that relieves, if possible.

An adjustable tent pole or hiking pole is an excellent accessory. Also properly with strong rope, preferably paracord, and tent pegs adapted to your particular tarp's eyelets are preferred. Sticks or nails can also be made on site in the forest


Classic A-shaped windbreak

Perhaps the most common way to use a tarp is to shape it like a house roof, the tarp folded along the long side in the middle. The nock is formed with a rope attached to the ends, or bone a rope seam runs under the nock. Some tarps have the attachment point along the ridge, you can then use a so-called "ridge line", which relieves the tarp's attachment points.

You can fasten the tarp between two trees, or use tent poles. If you use tent poles, you should use two ropes at a 30 to 45 degree angle per side, to stabilize. The corners and edges at the bottom are attached to the ground, either directly with tent pegs or with a rope that makes the tarp float in the air. This is especially useful if you sleep in a hammock a bit above the ground, but also if you expect calm winds and want an extra feeling of freedom.


Diamond shaped windshield

If it's windy or cold, you might want to get the tarp tighter against your sleeping bag, almost like a tent. Depending on your tarp's size and attachment points, you do this in different ways. For a normal 3x2 meter, you attach the middle of one short side to a tree or ridgeline about 1 meter above the ground and the other middle of the short side to the ground. At the front, attach the corners. The remaining tarp along the sides is tucked under the tarp sleep protection from soil moisture.

You can instead sleep under the diagonal on a square tarp. especially good is if there are attachment points along half the sides, then you can get the tarp lower and tighter.


Wind protection with or without ground protection

Our personal favourite, is basically a classic wind protection, but you fold excess tarp under (or on) the sleeping mat for extra protection against the ground's moisture and dirt. If you want, you can also let part of the upper part hang forward like a small "cap". IMPORTANT! Protect the tarp against rocks, sharp sticks and roots. If you have an ultralight tarp, the sleeping pad should be placed between the trap and the ground

A camp fire or kitchen can be placed in front, but keep in mind that a tarp is often made of thin material that quickly melts if fireflies get on it. A big fire with crackling pine wood and an ultralight tarp is a bad combo.


Tent structures

If you have a slightly larger tarp, preferably with several attachment points, you can use your origami skills and fold a tent. Imagination sets the limits, but usually you need a slightly longer tent pole and a slightly shorter one. In addition, it makes it easier to have several attachment points and preferably a reinforcement in the nock, so that the tent pole does not damage the fabric. DD-hammocks have thought of this when they made their tarps and have instructions for just such a small tent, which you can see below.

Curiosity and history

Humans have always wanted protection from the elements. Most people build more permanent homes, but for example in the military, soldiers have long had to arrange their own shelter, when larger tents could not be arranged. Scores of different tents, ponchos and tarps have been tested and used.

A famous example is the British "Basha", the word is still used today but is originally from British special forces that operated around Burma. Basha roughly means hut in Assamese, and the temporary bases these soldiers made with tarps got this name. Later during the Malayan crisis this word continued to be used and is still used today both military and civilian.

Below you see examples of military tent parts and wind protection that work like a tarp.

A video where we go through 3 ways to set up a tarp (Swedish)