How to rig a rain tarp without trees -- poles, maybe??

[profdant139]

Whenever we go camping in the Pacific Northwest, I am always impressed by the huge rain tarps that the experts rig up over their campsites. And after watching a few YouTube videos, I think I know how.

But in the off-season (in cooler weather), we often boondock in areas with few or no trees, and we have had a few "mud festivals" in rainy weather.

So my question is obvious (and there may be no solution): is there a way to rig up a rain tarp without trees, maybe using some sort of arrangement with poles? I have done a search and have come up empty, which is not a good sign.

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

[profdant139]

LS, sorry to hear about the hospital!! I'm trying to rig up a really big and high rain tarp, like they do in the Northwest. I am trying to create a dry area over a picnic table, with room to do chores. The photo at the beginning of the thread illustrates the idea -- the tarp is at a diagonal, with the roof line about 8 or ten feet above the ground, and the side "triangles" staked out wide.

The trick is to support one end of the roof line at the trailer (not difficult) and then support a couple of poles way at the other end (not easy). But thanks to the suggestions above, I think I can do it.

Now the only trick is getting to go on a trip, instead of sitting at home.

[LenSatic]

I'm not exactly clear what you are trying to do. (I spent last week on a surprise visit to the hospital.) Do you have an awning? I know that you both have hiking poles. Got line/rope? You're good-to-go.

LS

[profdant139]

Fortunately, Jon, weight and bulk will not be key factors here -- cost is a big deal, as is sturdiness. Our travel plans are on hold, unfortunately, due to some infirm elderly relatives, but someday soon, I hope to try out this tarp idea.

[vermilye]

During my much younger days, I built a hang glider using 2024 alloy Aluminum tubing. You can choose diameters & wall thicknesses so that they slide into each other. Very stiff, very light weight, but pretty expensive. I've used left over pieces for masts, etc.

By the way, schedule 80 pipe or conduit is thicker (and, of course, heavier) than schedule 40, but is still both heavier & more flexible than thin wall 2024 Aluminum tubing.

[LenSatic]

profdant139 wrote:
And OR biker, that is a great tip about paracord getting too tight to adjust or release. I can see you've spent a lot of time with ropes! I will try quarter-inch cord instead.

For some reason, knot tying is an extremely perishable skill. Tall ship sailors used to carry "rope and spar" and practiced on their off time. I've been tying all kinds of knots all of my life and can never remember the correct one when I need it. Now, I have an app for that. 😉

LS

[Busskipper]

profdant139 wrote:
Buss, very helpful -- thanks!! I am saving the videos for later in the day, after the chores are done. (Am I the only nerd in the world who prefers watching "how to" stuff on YouTube instead of regular TV?? Maybe . . . . )

Must be at least two of us 🙂

[profdant139]

And OR biker, that is a great tip about paracord getting too tight to adjust or release. I can see you've spent a lot of time with ropes! I will try quarter-inch cord instead.

[profdant139]

Buss, very helpful -- thanks!! I am saving the videos for later in the day, after the chores are done. (Am I the only nerd in the world who prefers watching "how to" stuff on YouTube instead of regular TV?? Maybe . . . . )

[Busskipper]

profdant139 wrote:
This is an example of the diagonal setup I am talking about, with a very big tarp:


Click For Full-Size Image.

Dan this is really not that hard;-)

Think volleyball net on the beach.

For poles only you can determine what will be strong enough but I'd guess that 2" schedule 40 would work. with 3-5 feet being the common cut size to give you a 8 - 15 foot high post using coupling to join, actually a couple of 3' couple of 4' and a couple of 5' should give you most common sizes you will need 8-10 2" couplings and you should be good to go.

You will need a few stakes (10+ -) that are fairly substantial -

Figure the location of the post, drive stake that is straight up and down that the 2" schedule 40 will fit over the add 2 more stakes on 90 degrees, to hold the pole up.

Set one pole.

Pull line to next location.

Set second pole just like the first. If needed, run the connecting rope to a new stake in the ground, on both ends.

Connect one corner to the Trailer's back side, so as to not drip on covered area.

Now either add a shorter third pole or pull tarp's last corner, to a new stake in the ground.

Any size necessary will work.

Use this Knot to pull all the stakes tight. Look at the 4 minute mark.

Knot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LqQ06o51DU

On Edit - this may help also - Tarp set up - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnlaQHIoCs8


If you ever need any help - the Grands can do this in the living room every time they get together, they always want a new fort.

Enjoy the RAIN - but I enjoy the Awesome pictures you share with the SUNSHINE and Blue Skies.

Hope this helps,

Busskipper

[ORbiker]

profdant139 wrote:
Ken, I am impressed -- you sound like you have actually tied a Prusik, and until today I had never heard of such a thing! I would probably use paracord for the Prusik. (I always carry a duffel bag full of various kinds of rope and cord in my truck, so I will experiment.)

The paracord might have a hard time coming loose when you are done. I like braided nylon cord. 1/4" or 3/8" would be better.

1/2" or so for your ridge rope. The para-cord should work for your guy lines.

Cub Scouts
Boy Scouts
SAR Explorer Scouts
Navy
Oregon Logger
Cub Scout Master
Boy Scout Master
SAR Explorer Scout Leader
Cross country Ski Patroller
Biker
RV owner
Appliance Technician for over 30 years
Jack of all trades too

[profdant139]

Yeah, this is sounding like a lot of work. But there are times when it would be really great to have a large dry work area. This is especially true for those of us (like me) who have very small trailers, or truck campers.

There is no room inside the cabin for packing and unpacking backpacks, refilling water bottles, hanging up wet garments, etc. And the very small area under the awning is not very useful.

So if I could arrange a decent outdoor "dry zone," that would be a great convenience. Whether it is worth the bother of setting up (and then repacking a wet tarp -- fun!!), I am not sure.

[greenrvgreen]

Prof--

The tent poles I'm talking about are VERY cheap two-piece mild steel tubular extendables, typically four feet long extending up to eight feet intended for awning use. Not the kind of tent poles (shock-corded, bendy, etc) you may be used to.

REI sells a very expensive kind that IS shock-corded, 1-inch diameter alu tubing, but I can't remember how high they go, even though I have two of them sitting in a storage cabinet right now.

Look on the Cabelas site or similar for reasonably-priced steel poles.

I assumed you'd guy it out like crazy. Go to Wally to find cheap 3/8 X 12 inch spikes for tent pegs. I have a huge collection of tent pegs of all kinds, and the (heavy) spikes work best unless you're in deep sand dunes.

FWIW, I did pretty mush the same when I first got my TT and eventually gave up because it became such a whopping bother to set up.

[profdant139]

green, I had to look up what a jumar is -- it is a mechanical device that does the same thing as a prusik knot, only better. But I have no climbing equipment, so I will make do with the sliding knot.

I am not sure that tent poles could withstand the lateral force of the weight of the tarp. I plan to "guy out" the PVC poles to counteract the pull of the rope at the vertex, probably with two guy ropes tied to two stakes in the ground.

The other minor problem with tent poles is that they are not long enough, I think. I am trying to get the whole tarp pretty far off the ground, so that the sheltered area underneath would be more useful.

I know for sure that a big tarp will fit into a duffle bag, so that is how I will transport it.

But all of this assumes that we are going to get to take a trip sometime soon -- right now, we are stuck at home due to family obligations (very elderly and infirm relatives).

[greenrvgreen]

I had no idea prussiks could be used for tarps. How about Jumars?

I'm wondering why a tarp can't be flown using your TT roof as the high point, and then cheap extendable tent poles at the edges and corners.

Walmart sells a VERY high-quality 40X 20 tarp fairly cheap, and this will work fine for you. Question is where you will stow it when not flying it.

And ORbiker thinks he knows about rain growing up in western Oregon? HA!! We used to drive to Oregon to get OUT of the rain!