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I am soon to be the proud owner of a new quecha tarp, I plan to use this as a shelter between our kitchen tent and our main tent for the kids to sit under for eating etc, can I be nosey and ask that you give me some hints and tips for how you set yours up, ie how many poles, do you attach to your tent, pics would be great if you can!

Jubilee TBA-
July - Blue Dolphin

We bought 2 extra upright poles from Millets (I think they were around £12.99 but don't seem to be on their website at the mo) to make ours a bit more versatile, and they were a bit taller than the ones supplied with the Decathlon tarp.

The tarp has eyelets at each corner, and halfway down each side, so you can pitch it in a variety of ways. We used ours between two Quechua pop ups, so simply used the poles to create an apex then sloped the tarp down over the top of both tents (which were opposite each other) and guyed on either side. You could also attach 'clingons' if you want few more guys, but we didn't find that was necessary for our set up.

As the Coleman Wyoming is a spread dome with a hexagonal 'hub', I  guess you could try to use it as a doorway canopy in much the same way (use the poles to support the front of the tarp then attempt to position it over the doorway and secure with long guys over each side? I don't honestly know how or if it would work, since synthetic dedicated doorway canopies usually have a throw over section and guy towards the rear of the tent. You might be better using it to create an independent covered area, or else attach it to your kitchen tent?

Best to just have a play around with it, methinks, and work out how it will suit...

A tenner gets you a set of 2 Outwell poles, guys & rock pegs http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-1428744-10475506?url=http://www.outdoormegastore.co.uk/acatalog/Outwell_Replacement_Tent_Poles.html .We used these in conjunction with the poles that come with most tents to make sun porches and more guys. Over the years I've amassed more poles than I quite know what to do with.

I also use market-stall clamps to secure tarps to my tents - never given way yet & safe to use on tent.

I've got useful pix on my profile & on the Vermont M review page

Quote: Originally posted by PigletandTigger on 18/2/2009

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We've got a couple of adjustable poles and a ridge pole that we use with our canopy (see profile piccy) and we also use clingons. TBH I don't find tarps very user friendly, I'm always concerned about leaving them up if we're not around and they don't give side sun or rain shelter!

I wouldn't connect a tarp to a tent, firstly because if the tarp takes off in the wind you are likely to damage your tent and secondly after an experience with a BBQ some (wet!) grass and a windbreak that nearly set fire to our tent I would always have a firebreak in between (I set fire to the wet grass around a BBQ, that ignited the windbreak and were it not for the quick thinking of a friend of mine would have spread to the tent in seconds

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Quote: Originally posted by PigletandTigger on 18/2/2009

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We've got a couple of adjustable poles and a ridge pole that we use with our canopy (see profile piccy) and we also use clingons. TBH I don't find tarps very user friendly, I'm always concerned about leaving them up if we're not around and they don't give side sun or rain shelter!

I wouldn't connect a tarp to a tent, firstly because if the tarp takes off in the wind you are likely to damage your tent and secondly after an experience with a BBQ some (wet!) grass and a windbreak that nearly set fire to our tent I would always have a firebreak in between (I set fire to the wet grass around a BBQ, that ignited the windbreak and were it not for the quick thinking of a friend of mine would have spread to the tent in seconds

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I would agree with this comment. We always set our kitchen tent well away from our main tent anyhow, for that very reason. The tarp set up between our two pop ups is just to give some rain protection over the doorways, and not to cook under (not sure I'd like to cook under, or near, anything polyester anyway!  

One good thing about a tarp, I reckon, is that it can be taken down in minutes if you do need to, hence it doesn't need to be left in situ if you leave the site. We tend to use ours for overnights and short stays and, because we secure the tarp at low level over the tents and double guy each of the uprights there isn't much chance of it going anywhere.

Quote: Originally posted by Liddenham on 18/2/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by PigletandTigger on 18/2/2009

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We've got a couple of adjustable poles and a ridge pole that we use with our canopy (see profile piccy) and we also use clingons. TBH I don't find tarps very user friendly, I'm always concerned about leaving them up if we're not around and they don't give side sun or rain shelter!

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I wouldn't connect a tarp to a tent, firstly because if the tarp takes off in the wind you are likely to damage your tent and secondly after an experience with a BBQ some (wet!) grass and a windbreak that nearly set fire to our tent I would always have a firebreak in between (I set fire to the wet grass around a BBQ, that ignited the windbreak and were it not for the quick thinking of a friend of mine would have spread to the tent in seconds

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Only you, Piglet, could set fire to wet grass!

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Check my profile (middle pic)

A cotton tarp rather than a Quechua but that doesnt matter.

Very versatile bit of kit :)

Angie