Hi, everyone has been great for hints and tips, and had successful camping trips. I came across it googling "advice on camping" embarressingly I have only just joined. This site is certainly addictive.
I wondered if anyone could tell me the best way of using the tarp, so it would keep me dry when coming and going from the tent on those occassional rainy days!! I bought it instead of a canopy. My son now wants a tent of his own, maybe do the same, so the tents would be facing each other with the tarp between? does this make sense!
I have a quechua tarp which I plan to use to cover the entrance of my kid's pop up tent but quite like the idea of making a covered walkway between their pop up and the front canopy of our sunvalley 6. I think that just having it freestanding using the two poles so it is a high tent shape and just place the two tents at either end of the tent shape next to the poles. Does this make sense? as long as the edge of the tarp overhangs the tent door it will stop water getting into the tent, however much higher above the tent the tarp is. I would definitely recommend haing a covered area where you can stand up, especially if you can't stand up inside the tents.
Claud
Thank you for replying to my post claud. I am trying to visualise it. the poles either end would be at the side of the enterance of each tent, the main tent is the one which i can stand up in, so the edge of the tarp can be brought over that tent, the pup tent would easily fit under with no problems. is that right
Yes that sounds right. if you can stand up in the main tent it might be ok to lower the side next to your son's smaller tent, (the poles can be as short as you want) as that will make it snugger and more tight to the tents thus stopping wind blowing inbetween the tarp and the tents.
I think you made a good choice buying the tarp rather than the dedicated canopy. Although I have a canopy pre attached on my sunvalley 6 the tarp gives me much more versatility, especially when the kids are sleeping in a seperate tent.
Claud
Thats what i am hoping for, is the versatility as well. I am planning to go camping in the easter hols. I will be using the tarp then. I have already practiced putting it up, so far the easiet way i have found for me, is to peg the guy lines first in each corner, then insert the pole as the pole go up, slacken the lines,but tight in enough to keep stable, and peg down the pole guy line. then do the same at the other end.
Thats what i am hoping for, is the versatility as well. I am planning to go camping in the easter hols. I will be using the tarp then. I have already practiced putting it up, so far the easiet way i have found for me, is to peg the guy lines first in each corner, then insert the pole as the pole go up, slacken the lines,but tight in enough to keep stable, and peg down the pole guy line. then do the same at the other end.
heather
Good tip about guying the corners first. When i put mine up for the first time i put a pole in then tried to guy it whilst still keeping the pole erect. Didn't work and i had to get OH to hold the pole.
Thanks
Claud
When i put mine up for the first time i put a pole in then tried to guy it whilst still keeping the pole erect. Didn't work and i had to get OH to hold the pole. ___________________________________________
That was the way i did it the first time around, the tarp morphed itself into a kite. lol
Hi flash1264 thank you for your suggestion as well, and for your reply. I do have extra poles.
Has anyone actually cooked under a quechua tarp ? I bought one last year after the rave reviews here, but I struggle to use it. If you set it up free standing its not tall enough to cook under. I've used it as a Canopy but I'm not convinced it would stand up to seriious weather.
Tarps are brill, but when they tear it's generally the eyelets.
Adding inexpensive Clingon detachable eyelets http://www.clingons.co.uk/ greatly adds to the tarp's strength & anility to handle weather - I've never had one fail.
Take a look at my pix.
------------- Camping Gear expands so as to fill the space available for its transportation.
Hi Caradan, I have just had a look at your gallery. The configeration works well, and has a good shape I am well impressed. when i tried mine the tarp was very flappy, but i will have another go, after seeing how you have yours, especially having the three poles at the front. I was trying to see, do you have 3 guy lines at the back or just the two. I may well buy some clingons as well hairywol
Hi Happyhiker when i put mine up i thought the same about the stability under certain weather conditions. But looking how Caradan has his, it looks stable. I suppose you could adjust the height at the front to how you want it. I will be given it another go.