For a lot of people, camping with a tarp for the first time can be quite a daunting experience. Having just moved to a tarp as my main shelter, I’ve decided to share a couple of my tarp camping tips.
Pay Attention When you Pitch
Of all the tips, this tip is key for tarp camping. Paying attention when you pitch your tarp can make the difference between a warm and dry camp under the stars, and a miserable night in a wet and cold bog. There are three key aspects for this tip, ground, weather. Firstly, make sure you pitch your tarp on a dry patch of ground, that wont become a bog if it rains. Then when pitching your tarp, if you know the weather will be bad, make a more enclosed pitch. Finally, since many pitches only offer wind protection from a certain direction, make sure your pitch offers shelter from the wind.
Look Online
This is one of the best ways to see the many ways you can use your tarp. There are number of helpful guides on the internet (even just googling is really helpful). Here are a couple I looked at: DD Hammocks, Google Images, Youtube. In my opinion, video tutorials are the easiest for learning a setup.
Practise Pitching your Tarp
This tarp camping tip can help in a number of ways. Firstly, this tip helps you get an idea of what shelters to use. It also helps with options for when you get to that first campsite. Practising setting up your tarp (as with anything) also massively speeds up your pitching.
Get a Groundsheet
This makes a huge difference for your comfort while tarp camping, as it keeps both you and your gear dry overnight. I use Polycryo (double glazing film) as its dirt cheap, lightweight, and surprisingly tough. It’s also lighter than taking a bivi, and you can cut it to size.
Bug Net
This is more of a niche tip, but if you are going to a place renowned for bugs, make sure to bring a bug net. These come in a couple of different varieties. I have the wedge type as these are often the cheapest (and lightest), and I can hang it from the top of my tarp to give me some headroom.
You can also get ones which come with a groundsheet, or are just big enough to barely fit into.
All in all, these tarp camping tips can make a huge difference to your tarp camping expeditions, but this is still only a basic introduction to tarp camping. There are a number of other guides on the internet, and a quick google search is a great idea.