The tarp in my pic is a poly-cotton one from Obelink, 3.75m x 3.75m square.
DK
------------- * Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest And Play! *
- 2025 - inc. FR & DE
- 2024 - 10/56 inc. FR & NL
- 2023 - 48 inc. FR
- 2022 - 49
- 2021 - 34
* Ex-tenter & solo female camper *
* Treat life events like a dog: If you can't eat it, play with it, or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away! *
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
Quote: Originally posted by alecspoons on 03/6/2017
dk168: is your tarp rectangular? It looks much wider than ours at the front.
Nope - it is a square as previously mentioned.
DK
------------- * Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest And Play! *
- 2025 - inc. FR & DE
- 2024 - 10/56 inc. FR & NL
- 2023 - 48 inc. FR
- 2022 - 49
- 2021 - 34
* Ex-tenter & solo female camper *
* Treat life events like a dog: If you can't eat it, play with it, or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away! *
I'm looking again more closely at the picture you posted. It's the most similar to the way we set up. I'm guessing that you started with something like this. Have you then used two poles right at the back against the tent to support the tarp? Or is the tent supporting the tarp?
I think I'm beginning to see where we went wrong. Because we are putting a tarp on the side of a tunnel tent which curves upwards away from the doorway, and because the tarp is hexagonal, we put the tarp too far back and too close to the tent. That meant that all of its supporting guys are too close to the tent guys and therefore the wind break is also closer and its guys are muddled up with everything else!
I could be wrong, however, I believe Mucker's tarp was not drapped over the ridge line, and that it was attached to the ridge line via a Prusik Knot on each side using a karabina.
JimCall of UKCS fame posted in this board how to rig a tarp using the ridge line method some time ago.
DK
------------- * Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest And Play! *
- 2025 - inc. FR & DE
- 2024 - 10/56 inc. FR & NL
- 2023 - 48 inc. FR
- 2022 - 49
- 2021 - 34
* Ex-tenter & solo female camper *
* Treat life events like a dog: If you can't eat it, play with it, or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away! *
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
Quote: Originally posted by alecspoons on 04/6/2017
Mucker1884:
I'm looking again more closely at the picture you posted. It's the most similar to the way we set up. I'm guessing that you started with something like this. Have you then used two poles right at the back against the tent to support the tarp? Or is the tent supporting the tarp?
I think I'm beginning to see where we went wrong. Because we are putting a tarp on the side of a tunnel tent which curves upwards away from the doorway, and because the tarp is hexagonal, we put the tarp too far back and too close to the tent. That meant that all of its supporting guys are too close to the tent guys and therefore the wind break is also closer and its guys are muddled up with everything else!
DK is spot on. The first diagram in your 3 stage link is bang on, but my tarp then hangs below the ridge line via prussic knots/carabiners (with thanks to Jim Call!) due to my tarp having external/top hanging points along the centre line.
The "rear" of my tarp was attached to carabiners lashed to the top of my (steel) tent pole legs, with poles in the extreme corners.
These from my initial test pitch of this set up in the garden, than first try out with the tent, hence the loose/dangly guys (which I ultimately tidied up, and left attached to the tarp, as it proved to be an oft-used set up...
------------- 2024: 38 nights thus far...
2023: 47 nights
2022: 40 nights
2021: 30 nights
2020: Just 24 nights
2019: A personal best 50 nights
2018: Just the 30 nights
2017: 34 nights
2016: 32 nights
2015: 38 nights
2014: 34 nights
2013: 36 nights
From July 2012: 23 nights
My Tarp is the polycotton Tatonka 4TC - 4.0m x 2.85m with a total of 14 attachment points. Link
The 4 corners are thus...
and the rest are more "tab-like", thus...
plus a single hanger point under top centre, for a lantern...
Cannot recommend this tarp highly enough. £ for £, it is right up there as one of my best purchases. Just a shame my new tent set up doesn't call for the need of a tarp, as I really miss using this beauty...
Apologies for some very blurred pics in the last two posts!!
------------- 2024: 38 nights thus far...
2023: 47 nights
2022: 40 nights
2021: 30 nights
2020: Just 24 nights
2019: A personal best 50 nights
2018: Just the 30 nights
2017: 34 nights
2016: 32 nights
2015: 38 nights
2014: 34 nights
2013: 36 nights
From July 2012: 23 nights
Thank you so much for taking the time to post those detailed pictures. That's really helpful. I'm going to get a better tarp and then use your pictures as a starting point to try some different configurations in my garden. I'll have some fun (with my 'little helpers', no doubt!) finding out what works best for us.
Quote: Originally posted by DeborahTurner on 05/6/2017
That is a great tarp - I might have got that had I seen it before I got my Obelink one. For the loops on top and the lantern point.
Thanks also Mucker for the close ups of the fixings.
Ewan, do you put the metal ring of the krab over the top of the tent pole, with yours?
Off to search the ridge-line method post.
First port of call should be Here as there's some excellent step by step instructions re the ridge line... as well as the usual top quality banter and pretty pics!
If you're really committed (and you probably will be by the time you've finished!), take a trawl through This lot... concentrating on posts from 2013 onwards. In amongst the personal abuse and tomfoolery, there's quite a lot of bloody good advise, and plenty of tempting pics to whet your whistle!
Oh... put the kettle on first... you'll need it!!
------------- 2024: 38 nights thus far...
2023: 47 nights
2022: 40 nights
2021: 30 nights
2020: Just 24 nights
2019: A personal best 50 nights
2018: Just the 30 nights
2017: 34 nights
2016: 32 nights
2015: 38 nights
2014: 34 nights
2013: 36 nights
From July 2012: 23 nights
Over the top but under the guyline, Deborah.
The DD tarps have central loops too.
Post last edited on 05/06/2017 14:28:59
------------- Hypercamp Alaska
Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
Eureka! Solitaire
Dutch army goretex bivvy bag