How To Set Up A Tarp Canopy

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The first thing we do when we go camping – besides getting the lawn chairs out, having a beer, and relaxing for a while – is to set up our camping tarp. This is my husband's job. I try to stay out of the way – of flying wood tied to ropes, and maybe a few flying curse words, but he always gets me to help out. Oh well, we are a team.

You'll need a camp tarp to keep the rain off your gear and campfire. They are also great for shade on a very hot day, and we have set up tarps as wind barriers when camping by the ocean.

After having tarps that were always too small, we finally bought a large one that measures 20 feet x 30 feet – enough to keep everything in the campsite dry, including the fire. This is the way we've found best to set up our tarp.

Steps to setting up your camping tarp:

Look at every tree surrounding the campsite and decide which two you are going to use for the main support line. They should align so that your main rope crosses the middle of your site – or as close as possible. If there are no trees in your campsite, move to another site. 🙂
Make sure the tarp will cover the firepit, and the trees are high enough to elevate the tarp and keep it from melting. Most times the firepit cannot be moved, so pick your trees accordingly.
You will need plenty of good, sturdy rope for the main line. You should have at least 30 metres/100 feet (you always need more than you think), with a thickness of 3/8" – 1/2".
Tie one rope end around a piece of firewood (or a rock) and throw it up into one of the trees you picked out. Get it up as high as you can. The trick is getting the piece of wood to arc over a branch or crotch in the tree, and drop to where you can reach it. After trying this unsuccessfully for 10 or 20 times, take a break, have another beer – or try climbing the tree. Getting the rope where you want it is usually the hardest part…
Learn to tie a few basic knots! When it's time to take the tarp down, you don't want to cut the rope. Not only is this a waste, but seeing rope and string hanging around campsites is unsightly – we're always cleaning up after other people.
After you get the rope looped over the tree branch, untie the piece of wood, wrap the rope around the tree's trunka few times, and tie it off with a knot that is easy to untie – you'll need to adjust it later. Some good knot choices are clove-hitch, half-hitch, or reverse half-hitch.
Lay your rope across the ground, stretching it over to the other tree you've chosen. This will be the ridgeline. Spread your tarp over the ridgeline so that it is roughly centered. You can run the rope through the middle grommets to make it stay centered, but this usually makes setup more difficult, and it's harder to adjust the tarp later.
Repeat throwing the firewood, tied to the loose end of the rope, up into the second tree and tie it off . Having another break is OK at this point. Pull the rope tight until you have the tarp at the desired height. It should be looking good by now. Tie off the same way you did the other side.
You'll need smaller pieces of rope for securing the sides of the tarp – at least six pieces of various lengths. Attach a piece of rope to all four corners of the tarp and the middle grommet on each side – a bowline is a good knot here. For windy days and added stability on the corners, my husband usually encloses a rock in each corner of the tarp and ties the rope around the wrapped rock. This is a useful tip to use when the corner grommets are worn or ripped out. Tie off the corners and the sides to the nearest trees.
After the tarp is up and the corners are pulled out you can adjust it to whatever position, pitch, and angle that suits your purpose by varying the tension on the ropes. If you are using the tarp for shade or wind you may want a long, steep pitch on one side. If it's for rain, make sure both sides of the tarp slope so the rain will run off. You don't want the rain to pool inside the tarp, so make sure the lines are fairly taught and you have a nice sloping pitch.

*Hint: You can adjust the position of the tarp by sliding it back and forth along the ridgeline. When you don't want it over the campsite – and the weather is looking good – simply untie the stays at one end and slide the tarp back out of the way. If it starts to rain, you can easily slide it back over your campsite.

Camping tarp and tent

As we were taking the tarp down it started to rain!

There are other methods of setting up tarps, such as using poles, but the ridgeline method is our favorite. You can use any size tarp and it is fully adjustable to suit your needs.

Using poles is an alternative method if there are not enough or no trees in the immediate area. This setup is not as sturdy as using trees, especially in very windy conditions.

You can use poles cut from the forest, old tent poles, adjustable tarp poles, or anything else you can devise. If you have a truck or roof racks on your car, you can lug a few pieces of lumber along with you for tarp poles. Use small pieces such as 2x3s or 2x2s – drill holes in the ends to attach your ropes.

You need poles long enough to elevate the tarp to an acceptable height so you can walk around underneath. The poles need to be extra-long if you plan to hang it above your fire pit so the tarp doesn't melt or catch on fire.

You will need sturdy pegs and rope to hold the poles erect, and a ridgeline between the poles to suspend the tarp. Once you have the ridgeline and tarp suspended, you can tie the remaining corners to ground pegs.

You could use a pole to support the centre of the tarp, but it is not a great idea. The pole may puncture a hole in the tarp. If you do have to set your tarp in this manner, use a pole with a flat end and protect the tarp by putting a piece of foam rubber, a towel, etc. on top of the pole.

If you have an extra tarp, you can extend your coverage area by fastening the extra section to your existing tarp setup. This works well in windy conditions to create a lean-to type shelter.

You can tie some of your support lines to your vehicle – just don't drive away without untying the lines! Put a note on your steering wheel to remind yourself…

Practice makes perfect. After a few successful tarp setups – and maybe a failure or two – you'll be able to do it with relative ease. You'll be enjoying a warm campfire in the pouring rain, getting the most from your camping experience.

Do you need tips and lots of info to help with choosing new camping equipment? Read our "How to Choose" series of posts.

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Happy camping!!

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