4 Yard Tarp Challenge w/ Side Entry & 2 Stake Set-Up

Is that 4 roll yards, or square yards?  How ’bout poles?

This is 5 sq yd of fabric.  Trekking poles set to 52″ in an A-frame, 48″ wide at the base.  Over all length is 9′.  Short, horizontal rods at the ends are 18″ and 30″, 7′ apart.  The apex is dead center.  For entry, you either put a zipper up the side, or cut one side high.

Assuming a single straight pole, and no attachments to trees and what-not, then it cannot be done.
Three stakes are needed to define a plane. On that plane you can mount a pole for the fourth point (or 3rd dimension.) This is sample of a minimal configuration:
Using an offset pole for sleeping space, this leaves one corner for gear storage, assuming a 48″ high shelter and side walls about 96″-102″ long.

Yeah, like bob says, it is still basically a tetrahedron. In lieu of a third stake, you use a second pole. I think a stake is lighter.

For example: You could lay the triangular shaped poles sideways. Ie, one pole laid down and one offset pole to hold up. Of course then you need the two stakes to hold the pole from flopping one way or the other. But you cannot cheat physics. 4 points must be stable to create a tetrahedron. The first and simplest of a geometric structure. This can be made from a simple square tarp. Anchor the center and one of the far corners. Insert a hiking staff and pull the other far corner out and anchor it. Done.

Of course, using a flexible pole or two you can actually create a freestanding tent or tarp frame. This doesn’t require ANY stakes. With no definition on the number and type of poles, you can literally do anything. But, I don’t thing this is what you are after.

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My first model wanted 13′ on a roll.  Here’s one in 4yds, any width, 3 cuts, 4 seams.

Shown here using 54″ (DCF) roll width.  Trekking poles pin down front corners.  Tent length is ~10.5′, 14′ stake to stake (guy line at 45d); 43″ tall (not accounting for hem losses).  If you don’t like the sloping front end (poles lean away from guy lines), flip the main triangles before sewing to make it vertical – this loses about a foot of length and makes it a bit taller.

Here’s a side door cut out, 30″ tall, 6′ long, w/ a bivy foot print (84″, 30″/18″) and center line inside.  Bivy doesn’t get rained on when open.  7′ from the front end, it’s 18″ wide and 16″ tall – laying on your back, your feet will probably be pressing against the side walls.

This actually isn’t all that bad.  I’ve never taken this close a look at this paradigm due to the the cramped foot space and long foot print.  6 sq yd of fabric, and a yard of zipper.

I believe there was a 4 yd challenge for a tarp some time ago. But, this was not side entry. And it required a minimum of 6 stakes and two poles. Note that my pack also uses 16″ stays. So, I just clip these together (after some mods) to make a 30-1/2″ rear tent pole. My front pole is my 45″ hiking staff. The main body was from the 4 yd challenge. Roughly, laid out like this:

There are multiple erection options with only a single 7′ pole and some long lines at the front/side staking points, and the back tied off to a lean-to, it can stretch over the fireplace in rainy/cold weather.