When you are camping and experience inclement weather a tarpaulin can shield you from the sun or rain, so you aren’t couped up in the tent. I try to bring a few tarps when camping because they are so useful for so many things. Tarps have a wide range of uses and once you realize it you will likely never camp again without one!
Be Selective
Don’t settle for the bargain deals on tarps. Go ahead Splurge for the higher quality tarp. The cheaper tarps are great for covering items where tight tension is not required. A camping tarp should be a durable material. I have used coated cotton blended material tarps and they work well. They are normally well made and are very durable. The issue with the is the weight. Most tarps constructed with this material weigh much more than the synthetic polymer types of tarps. Many of the plastic material tarps are too thin and can tear easily. Look for poly tarps that have a thickness of 10mil or thicker. I like the 16mil tarps, they are strong enough to hold a large amount of tension. Like the one linked below. Normally any tarps that are 16mil thick will or at least should, have decent grommets or eyelets for attaching ropes and can handle enough tension to pull most of the sag out of the tarp. When selecting the tarp for canopy use, I like the white and silver colors. The darker colors will produce more heat during the warmer days. I live in Texas…..the Texas heat is always considered in anything I do. Keeping the color in mind when selecting your tarp will pay dividends later.
An Eye for an Eye
A weak point in most tarps is the eyelets. Eyelets are the rings along the edges of a utility tarp whereby you may attach a rope or connector. There are numerous types and the quality varies greatly. The thickness of the poly (if you are using poly tarps) and eyelet quality are the first things I look for when buying a new tarp. Personally, I like heavy brass eyelets. Brass will corrode slower than normal than high carbon steel and aluminum is my experience. I’m sure there are atmospheric differences that impact the rates of oxidation in certain locales, but in my experience brass is better. I look for thicker eyelet material when looking for a tarp. I have used tarps with thinner aluminum eyelets and have seen them bend and break and tear the tarp. This will easily ruin a camping trip when you must weather a storm while camping.
Comforting Canopy
Enjoying any measure of comfort while roughing it outdoors is nice. Keeping a canopy covering your head is more comfortable when there is hot or rainy weather. Many times, tarps have served as a sun shield while I have been camping deep in the wilderness or far from other shelters. Carrying an expandable, aluminum frame canopy like the one seen below, can be a challenge in some locations. There are lightweight options for expandable canopies, but they are pricey when compared to tarps, and they do not cover a very large space. But a benefit to the expandable canopies is the convenience. In a matter of seconds, they can be opened and provide shelter. They also provide upright poles, when needing a wind or rain block, for tarps to be attached. Other uses, solutions, and information related to tarps can be found here.
When packing supplies for your camping trip tarps take much less of your camping supply space. You can pack them in your car easily, it can even fit in or on your backpack depending on your backpack set up. A great way to pack out to a campsite is with a camping wagon. Stretching the tarps between trees with ropes (I will cover ropes later) can be a very useful and comforting way to use your tarps. Be sure to give the tarp a slant to avoid large amounts of puddling water that can cause the tarps to sag and possibly break the ropes and collapse. The steeper the slope of the tarp, the less water will accumulate. If you put too much of a slope on the tarp you lose valuable effective coverage area. I comfortable medium somewhere around 20 degrees will be fine.
Easy Sleeper
A canopy for a common area is only one use for a tarp, but that’s just a start. Other functions are almost countless when camping. I have used tarps for tent material, ground blankets, privacy shield, equipment cover, blanket, wind block, even a water collector during a Boy Scout outing when I was younger, as well as several other uses. Setting up a nice shelter much like a tent is another great and common use. Stretching a tarp over a prepped site for sleeping is a great cool way to sleep on a warm summer night.
Something to consider if you decide to sleep outside a tent and under a canopy like a tarp, is dew, fog, and moisture. I have spent many nights under a tarp and woke up to wet blankets or bedding just from the night dew and fog. It’s surprising how fast your bedding can become saturated. Tents will let in moisture to a large degree, but when there is no barrier at all it’s much worse. In lower humidity areas and dryer nights, it’s not a large issue.
Get the Ropes
There are a plethora of options for rope. Be selective here as well. When choosing your rope sturdy cotton ropes are great as ropes also. They are normally fairly durable and have decent tensile strength. The issue with cotton ropes when tying and pulling to build a small canopy is the elasticity. Cotton ropes stretch more than others and can be a challenge to ensure the tarps have little sag during rain pools on the tarps. The option I would elect would be synthetic climbing ropes. This type of synthetic blended rope is a great choice for tying knots and can be very durable. A camper can easily spend too much money on ropes when only using it to tie tarps, there are more finance-friendly options available than climbing ropes. Check out this option I like to use without breaking the bank.