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Reader Tips: Best Way to Pitch a Tarp with Fewest Stakes or Guylines


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Home Forums Campfire Editor’s Roundtable Reader Tips: Best Way to Pitch a Tarp with Fewest Stakes or Guylines

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Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)
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    Posts
  • #1265309
    Addie Bedford
    BPL Member

    @addiebedford

    Locale: Montana
    #1662751
    Steven Evans
    BPL Member

    @steve_evans

    Locale: Canada

    Very slick idea Jhaura. I can actually see using a similar technique for a half pyramid. Stakes all the corners directly to the ground without guylines and simply tie the front center guyline to a tree.

    Not the nicest pitch, but kinda like the picture below…just remove the pole and attach the guyline directly to the tree. Actually, this would be 5 stakes and one guyline ;)

    Tarp Setup

    #1662780
    James Marco
    BPL Member

    @jdm27cornell-edu

    Try this:
    1 stake in the center, rear of the tarp.
    1 stake holding your hiking staff guy line.
    1 stake at each front corner.
    The tension on the lower triangular sections will hold them down pretty well. You can fold the corners under you as a partial ground cloth, too. Note that you can also do away with the front stake holding the hiking staff, since the angle lets the front corner stakes hold it up. But, it is not good in any wind.

    #1662953
    george carr
    BPL Member

    @hammer-one

    Locale: Loco Libre Gear

    How about 3 stakes and one guy line:

    flying a

    Tie off to a tree and stake the opposite corner to the ground. Stake out the other 2 corners and you're good to go. Eliminate the load lifter visible in the right side of pic and replace with a trekking pole inside in the center.

    #1662956
    D G
    Spectator

    @dang

    Locale: Pacific Northwet

    Steve,

    You can do that half pyramid pitch also with no guyline if you carefully angle in the trekking pole. So same setup minus one guyline and minus 1 stake!

    #1662969
    Lynn Tramper
    Member

    @retropump

    Locale: The Antipodes of La Coruna

    Any tips on how to efficiently pitch something like the MLD cuben poncho?

    #1663297
    George Matthews
    BPL Member

    @gmatthews

    A line stretched between two trees and two stakes works.

    tarp 1

    tarp 2

    tarp 3

    Or line between trees, low on one end with two stakes and a couple more lines on front.

    tarp 4

    tarp 5

    Gear
    Tarp: MLD sil poncho
    Bivy: new BPL Vapr
    Quilt: new BPL 240

    #1664184
    William M
    BPL Member

    @33972

    I came here to say exactly what George Carr already said, but I don't even have a supporting picture. That setup sheds snow well, and if the wind shifts, a golite umbrella across the front (as a door) seals things up quite weather proof.

    #1664371
    Frank Deland
    Member

    @rambler

    Locale: On the AT in VA

    One could also run a long guyline betweeen two trees, have it run over the the top and tie out the hood to it in the middle. This is a way to get various heights for your tarp. The lower it is hung, the wider it gets. It gives a bit more support to the middle by keeping it up.

    #1664771
    Addie Bedford
    BPL Member

    @addiebedford

    Locale: Montana

    Where were you guys when I posted the solicitation?!

    You could have been PAID for those pics of nice set-ups. I'm trying to tap the collective wealth of knowledge in our community, but it's awfully hard when you're so shy.

    What's it like to be shy? :)
    Addie

    #1664796
    Lynn Tramper
    Member

    @retropump

    Locale: The Antipodes of La Coruna

    I'm guessing I would just replace the trees with trekking poles above bushline, but I'm also guessing I would not choose to do this unless it was a) and emergency, or b) it was a lovely evening with little chance of bad weather. These ponchos are pretty minimal looking for excluding windblown rain and mist IMHO, but I always carry a poncho "just in case" on days trips, so good to know what the minimum I need is.

    #1664808
    Gary Dunckel
    BPL Member

    @zia-grill-guy

    Locale: Boulder

    Addie, does that count as one of those "smackdowns" you alluded to a couple months ago?

    #1664810
    Addie Bedford
    BPL Member

    @addiebedford

    Locale: Montana

    It's as close as I can get in polite company. :)

    #1664812
    BlackHatGuy
    Spectator

    @sleeping

    Locale: The Cascades

    What polite company!? ;-)

    #1666196
    George Matthews
    BPL Member

    @gmatthews

    >>> could have been PAID for those pics of nice set-ups

    I'll buy you a diamond ring my friend if it makes you feel alright
    I'll get you anything my friend if it makes you feel alright
    'Cause I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

    Addie,

    Just knowing you love us is all we need.

    #1666307
    Daniel Fluri
    Member

    @dani

    By omiting the guyline altogether and substituting the stakes with twigs and the poles with two rather heavy branches (leaning them outwards so that they keep the tarp under tension) you can build a very low, rather wobbly A-frame.

    Which is what I had to resort to on one trip, when I found out late at night that I packed only my poncho tarp but forgot stakes and guylines. As it was an easy two-day trip in the woods I neither carried any trekking poles either.

    I must admit, it wasn't a very comfortable night though, but it kept off the rain.

    Unfortunately I wasn't in the mood then of taking any pictures of this construction.

    #1666605
    JW
    BPL Member

    @litetrail

    Very cool ideas, that's what I love about SUL backpacking – so much creativity and cooperation with nature to succeed! The talented BPL crew has really added value with this thread. Thanks all for the inspiration. And thanks Addie for being so "persistent" and committed to getting us to step up and share our experience.

Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)
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