Tarp Camping

Friend pointing to our waterside luxury suite

I’m not saying a tarp and rope setup is the best shelter out there. It’s not. But for $20, you can get yourself a pretty decent shelter.

If you’ve got the money and you're expecting rain, sure — a tent is the obvious choice. But for anyone with a little know-how and some creativity, a tarp and rope isn't a bad option. It’s cheap, it’s light, and it turns setting up camp into a creative endeavor.

There’s something satisfying about walking into a patch of woods and figuring out how to turn what’s around you into your home for the night. You start thinking differently about tree spacing and spend a large chunk of your hike subconsciously identifying great places to make ridgelines.

It also gets people involved. You’re not just putting together the same thing again and again, you’re building something, improvising, problem-solving. And when it works, it feels earned, and if it doesn't, well, hopefully you can learn a thing or two from it.

Of course, there are downsides. Tarps rip. But you can knot the tarp and tie it around that to keep going. They’re not the most durable, but they’re waterproof enough for most rainstorms—just check the forecast. And if all else fails, you can always burrito. I’ve done it. It’s not glamorous, but it's warmer.

On the flip side, if there is no bad weather on the horizon, just roll out the tarp and sleep under the stars!

A final note: if you’re going this route, please use proper tree straps. Don’t just cinch paracord directly onto the bark, as it does real damage to the tree. Hammocking straps are cheap and easy to wrap around anything alive without hurting it.

At the end of the day, if you only camp once or twice a year, do you really need an expensive tent? A tarp and some rope will do the trick, especially if you just backpack once or twice a year. And hey—if you build something cool, send a photo. I’ll add it to the blog.

Here are some set up from past trips