I couldn't quite find what I was looking for via searching past threads.

I'm kind of a noob, especially when it comes to hanging tarps. I realize how nice it is to have a good one that will keep you dry around camp though. Just wanted to get a thread going explaining/showing different rainfly/tarp hanging strategies.

Understanding that this can change greatly depending upon the product you're using, I'm open to any/all things you want to share, but I guess the most helpful info (for me, and other people using fairly basic setups) would be assuming I've got a tarp with grommets along the corners/sides, and plenty of rope & bunjees, but that's it. I know some nice products come with poles for support and other different systems of hooks, etc, but those I think would be more self-explanatory. Let's just say we've got trees, a tarp, and some rope.

One thing I always see on this site that impresses me is how high up in the trees some of you manage to get your lines...I've damn near killed myself trying to scale trees or stand on packs to get my lines nice and high.

Thanks for any input!

All you need to know at this link.

CCS Tarps

Everbody has their own way I suppose........But if you follow Cliff Jacobsons methods you can't go wrong IMO. Up and down easily and without hassle.........no throwing of lines or scaling of trees nonsense........you will have a drum tight tarp as well as learning how to use and store lines including the correct knots including "quick release". Your tarp will be tight with no annoying flapping in the wind to keep you up all night.

Just the tarp info is worth the price of admission but he also explains how to safely process wood and other valuable info. The best $20 I have spent thats for certain and rivals many of the longer "Expedition" books I have picked up.

He uses whats at hand for a center pole I much prefer a collapsible shock corded pole avaliable at REI specifically for the purpose.

Forgotten Skills

I generally/pretty much always start with a rope between two trees and improvise from there. Can either tie the tarp loops to that rope, or drape the tarp over that rope (to each his own, pros/cons to either).
Have a few go-to knots you know - trucker's hitch is popular here, I like taughtline hitch because it's pretty easy to tighten/loosen after the basic thing is up (and it's easier for me to remember than any of the other knots : ) ).

Well, since you're talking about a tarp with grommets - and I'm assuming no ridgeline loops across the middle - I'd consider pre-rigging one side with a fairly long rope. You can carry some extra shorter pieces of rope to lengthen it if needed. Since grommets tend to rip out under stress, I'd put some elastic, like "hair things" on each one to relieve the stress some. I'd feed the long ridgeline rope through those loops and secure each end of the tarp to that with short lengths of cordage and prussic knots. You can then quickly string it up between two trees. Put some cordage and hair things on the other corners and you can tie those to trees or stake to the ground for a lean-to. The hair things are good for bundling your cordage. having it pre-rigged makes set-up easier and quicker. which is a good thing in the rain.

this is something we have struggled with, as well, since we rarely hang a tarp. our recent trip we put one up to get out of the wind coming in off the lake. i had purchased a kelty tarp over the winter and didn't figure there was a need to monkey with it before the trip, the photo directions seem idiot proof! here is what we ended up with:



i'm not a fan of the kelty tarp shape.

quote Mocha: "this is something we have struggled with..."

As a wind break, that is sufficient. If there was rain, not so much.

I took a tarp class at Rei a few years ago and learned a lot, maybe look into that

quote boonie: " Put some cordage and hair things on the other corners and you can tie those to trees or stake to the ground for a lean-to. The hair things are good for bundling your cordage. having it pre-rigged makes set-up easier and quicker. which is a good thing in the rain. "

Are those hair things the round shock cord doo hickies that women put their pony tail in? I remember a thread years ago about the benefits of these.

here is the old thread you want .... show me your tarp

I favor the continuous ridgeline for my CCS 10'x12' tarp. Here's an excellent tutorial if you are interested: tarp continuous ridgeline

quote TomT: "

quote boonie: " Put some cordage and hair things on the other corners and you can tie those to trees or stake to the ground for a lean-to. The hair things are good for bundling your cordage. having it pre-rigged makes set-up easier and quicker. which is a good thing in the rain. "

Are those hair things the round shock cord doo hickies that women put their pony tail in? I remember a thread years ago about the benefits of these.


"

Yes, my wife and daughters always called them "hair things" :)

quote Mocha: "this is something we have struggled with, as well, since we rarely hang a tarp. our recent trip we put one up to get out of the wind coming in off the lake. i had purchased a kelty tarp over the winter and didn't figure there was a need to monkey with it before the trip, the photo directions seem idiot proof! here is what we ended up with:





i'm not a fan of the kelty tarp shape."

You don't like the Kelty tarp because you didn't pitch the Noah's tarp correctly. You pitched it like a rectangular/square tarp. A caternary cut tarp, stitched on the diagonal is designed to be pitched differently. Since you already have one, you might want to search this forum for one of the many threads that discuss the proper way to pitch a Noah's tarp.

we pitched it as a wind break not as the directions gave for hanging it.

Just a minor point of contention with the general consensus (long way to say I gotta be weird). I seldom use a ridgeline and never poles. Even an old short fat guy like me with no throwing arm, regularly finds a way to get lines up high.
Patience, perseverance, and a twisted thought process works!



butthead

My tip is to use a figure 9 carabiner at your tarp loops. This keep rope from abrading the loops and allows you to adjust tension at the tarp instead of at the tree which is nice in case it is raining and you want to adjust the tension.

quote : "My tip is to use a figure 9 carabiner at your tarp loops. This keep rope from abrading the loops and allows you to adjust tension at the tarp instead of at the tree which is nice in case it is raining and you want to adjust the tension."

Yep.

quote butthead: "Just a minor point of contention with the general consensus (long way to say I gotta be weird). I seldom use a ridgeline and never poles. Even an old short fat guy like me with no throwing arm, regularly finds a way to get lines up high.
Patience, perseverance, and a twisted thought process works!





butthead"

Now we are talkin'! Once I saw Buttheads umbrella technique, I will never go back to the ridgeline method.

I think I will skip the pink towel technique though.

Tomster

that's not your ordinary pink towel... that's a flying moose bandana!!

quote quark2222: "

quote butthead: "Just a minor point of contention with the general consensus (long way to say I gotta be weird). I seldom use a ridgeline and never poles. Even an old short fat guy like me with no throwing arm, regularly finds a way to get lines up high.
Patience, perseverance, and a twisted thought process works!



butthead"

Now we are talkin'! Once I saw Buttheads umbrella technique, I will never go back to the ridgeline method.

I think I will skip the pink towel technique though.

Tomster"

I think I will have to try this setup in a couple of weeks.