Do you like to set your tarp up as close to the fire pit as possible or generally keep a certain distance? The seating area is usually around the fire pit, do you try to keep that area covered? I know that sometimes you're limited in tarp placement, just looking at what some of you do especially with a group.

Thanks,
Ron

If its a cheap one from the local store sure... My good expensive ones (sil nylon), nope, I prefer them without melt holes in them..

agreed.....don't want sparks on my tarp! Only on certain campsites will I set the tarp over the "fire pit seating". The tree/rope set up must be right and the wind....and then only if it works to set it fairly high. Otherwise, I set it back in a different camp clearing to set our gear and chairs under.

Yes, I try to set it up over the seating around the fire pit because I don't bring a chair, but then again, I don't usually have a fire either. I would not build a fire underneath mine.

Agreed, my silnylon tarps don't go anywhere near fire.

+1

We set it up over the grate to keep off sun or rain while I am using the grate to set my stove on for cooking. Then after supper, we will drop it to have a fire. I agree - no "stark holes" in my tarps, Please!

wind, weather and campsite dictate if or not to put it up, and where to locate it. Doesn't go up if not needed. Carry cheap blue tarp to use over fire pit if needed there, and also able to use it as a wind break when needed.

A cheap tarp I'd consider near the fire but a CCS one would stay a nice ways back.

I've set my CCS tarp up near the fire many times. Just close enough so I can sit in the dry and still enjoy the heat of the fire. Haven't burned a hole in it yet, and if I did I would patch it. I don't think the sparks that go high very often have any heat left by they time they would settle on the tarp, unlike the sparks that fly out and hit you directly (my hiking pants generally have holes in them from sparks). If it rains, sitting under a tarp tending a fire is one of the joys of life, and I get gear to use.

Same here. I enjoy fire on a rainy day. Tending to fire is most relaxing for me. My gear/tarp is well used that way.

We usually bring a second cheaper tarp for when we need to set something up by the fire. Most of the time we end up just dropping it lower to keep our gear and wood we have collected dry from rain or evening dew.

quote marsonite: "I've set my CCS tarp up near the fire many times. Just close enough so I can sit in the dry and still enjoy the heat of the fire. Haven't burned a hole in it yet, and if I did I would patch it. I don't think the sparks that go high very often have any heat left by they time they would settle on the tarp, unlike the sparks that fly out and hit you directly (my hiking pants generally have holes in them from sparks). If it rains, sitting under a tarp tending a fire is one of the joys of life, and I get gear to use."

Us too. We typically don't build very "tall" fires either so sparks haven't been an issue.

Always goes over the fire.
We've got a $5 tarp from fleet. 10x10ish. we've used it multiple times a year, for at least 5years.
The grommets have been torn out, so we now use rocks around the corners to tie them out
Never have huge fires. Just something small (touching the top of the grate), that is relaxing.
There is something magical, about those brisk evenings, listening to wtip come over the scratchy radio, listening to their eclectic music.

Over the fire if needed. Last year I spent 3 cold days of rain under the tarp with a fire in Wabakimi. We were not nearly as miserable as we might otherwise have been. Small fire, high tarp.

I have never set my tarp up over the fire pit.

I like my tarp away from the pit and where I can see the lake. One of the best uses for the tarp is just keeping the dew off your gear in the morning and the sun off your shoulders at noon. Rain really doesn't affect our tarp placement, it is more the wind that concerns us. We can start and keep a fire going in the rain so I'm not worried about that. Firewood might be stored under the tarp though.

I guess I'm the outlier, I frequently set up my tarp over a fire, provided I can get one corner up high enough for a "chimney". I might not be so likely to do so if I didn't sew them up myself and had a big monetary investment in them, but silnylon holds up pretty well ive seen small embers touch my tarp and float on without burning it. I am mindful of how I tend the fire, not the best idea to throw a pile of birch bark on the fire for fun.

I typically travel with a couple of nesting poles so I can always set my tarp up over the sitting area. I do try to do it so the front edge of the tarp is up to the front of the grate, but not over it, not by much.

I own CSS 1.1 oz tarps and I do this a lot. Only had a problem once on a trip with some friends from work. We got a little carried away with the fire and a big brand popped off some pine and landed on the tarp.

No tarps over fires for me.

If the setup allows for it I set up my tarp over the seating area but not the grate. We set it high and before we go to bed we put the fire out and drop it down to cover the gear.

I usually set my tarp pretty close to but not directly over the fire grate like shown. I vary things a bit based on wind and likely rain. My old MSR parawing tarp (show) was traditional nylon and never got any burn holes. I switched last year to a silnylon tarp and will continue to set it about the same. If I should get a tiny hole in it, I'll just repair it. No bid deal.

I don't set up a tarp unless I know it is going to storm and pour.
There really isn't the correct tree placement, or any (because there is a huge impact) around the fire grate area. Keep you ridge line taught, and keep the tarp low to the ground. Watch pooling and use small rocks and P-cord to hang off side loops if needed.

Between tents, vestibules and under the canoe, no need to keep a tarp up.
If it is storming and raining hard, they are nice to hang out under (but I always have to sit because I keep them low) or cook under with camp stove; if it's stratus cloud raining for days.
Keep it simple and enjoy the real nature.

I set up a tarp as close if not over the firegrate every time. Not hard nor difficult in most campsites. The way I setup enables one corner to be undone and the tarp folded in half while still up. If I keep the fire low like it should be it is no trouble even with the tarp over it. Course if you have to have flames shoulder high------------


butthead

quote butthead: "I set up a tarp as close if not over the firegrate every time. Not hard nor difficult in most campsites. The way I setup enables one corner to be undone and the tarp folded in half while still up. If I keep the fire low like it should be it is no trouble even with the tarp over it. Course if you have to have flames shoulder high------------



butthead"

BH you must climb like a bear!

quote butthead: "I set up a tarp as close if not over the firegrate every time. Not hard nor difficult in most campsites. The way I setup enables one corner to be undone and the tarp folded in half while still up. If I keep the fire low like it should be it is no trouble even with the tarp over it. Course if you have to have flames shoulder high------------



butthead"

Nice setup!

I know Dan makes a great tarp, but IMO, tarps belong in the fire pit, I don't use 'em, they are for girlie boys

quote ZaraSp00k: "I know Dan makes a great tarp, but IMO, tarps belong in the fire pit, I don't use 'em, they are for girlie boys"

Ohh! A real man!!

Kind of depends on the season. If its May or October and a warm fire is key to an evening and rain is in the forecast we put a cheap camo one up over the fire as the blue or green ones are a bit tacky. I've had one whole October trip stuck in the rain under the tarp near the fire and couldn't imagine it with out.

quote ZaraSp00k: "I know Dan makes a great tarp, but IMO, tarps belong in the fire pit, I don't use 'em, they are for girlie boys"

Anyone have a picture of ZaraSpook using an umbrella? :)

I don't want any holes in my expensive tarp. Got holes in my pants and chairs, don't need any in my tarp.

BH,

How do you get your ropes to high? Do you climb trees? Or use a pole to push the ropes higher once they're on the tree?

Last fall one tree was much lower than than the firepit, so I had to climb the tree to get the rope high enough. I did the set up and take down without incident, but the entire time I was thinking...this could end poorly.

marsonite: "I've set my CCS tarp up near the fire many times. Just close enough so I can sit in the dry and still enjoy the heat of the fire. Haven't burned a hole in it yet, and if I did I would patch it. I don't think the sparks that go high very often have any heat left by they time they would settle on the tarp, unlike the sparks that fly out and hit you directly (my hiking pants generally have holes in them from sparks). If it rains, sitting under a tarp tending a fire is one of the joys of life, and I get gear to use."

I concur. But then again. I have a cheap tarp :)

Chuckles: "BH,


How do you get your ropes to high? Do you climb trees? Or use a pole to push the ropes higher once they're on the tree?


Last fall one tree was much lower than than the firepit, so I had to climb the tree to get the rope high enough. I did the set up and take down without incident, but the entire time I was thinking...this could end poorly. "

Often a small bag tied to a hunk of cordage and tossed, the small mesh bag used for mini biners and such trinkets. I have use a tent pole with the bag held to the pole by a BDB, poke it over a limb and pull the pole loose from the bag.
Too fat and old now for "climbing like a bear".

butthead

I used to be no tarp over the fire but after a really rainy trip once, I've since put at least a corner over the fire. Fires don't need to be so big they threaten to burn the country-side down. I keep mine small and its rare for the flame to go much more than 4-5 inches above the grate. I've got a relatively cheap 12x12 Kelty tarp for this.

Its hard to see that the tarp is over this fire but it is ...

OMG....didn't realize this thread started in 2017!! If I want fires in the rain on a trip I'll bring a small 8×8 cheap silnylon for above the pit and my CCS tarp for staying dry "near the fire"......

I like to set it up half over and high whenever I can. Never had an issue.

The difficulty is not in keeping the fire small, it's the resins in the black spruce and pines of the boreal forest that crackle and pop hot embers that go for your nylon tarps or tents like they have a homing beacon.

I've never setup my tarp over the fire grate yet. I could see how if it was a doomy gloomy trip and you had not much else planned or to do it would be nice to have something to do w/ a fire. There are also a few sites I've been to where you couldn't really put a tarp over the fire grate unless you brought all your own tall poles

I don't build a fire that often when I'm out in the backcountry but then again, a good number of the sites I've been at have trees further away from the fire. When I'm setting up a tarp, I usually have to string it up further away from the firepit anyway. With my luck, I'd probably burn a couple of holes in a tarp near the firepit. I already have a helinox with a nice burn hole in the seat!

Typically set up the CCS tarp a little ways away, rarely over a seating area, and never over the fire pit. We also only set it up if we expect rain. I have the smallest size cheap blue tarp that we use to cover firewood overnight and use as a dirt free cooking ground cloth during meals. This sits on the ground very near the fire grate. Could be hung over fire area if really needed.

Been setting up my CCS 1.1 oz. tarp over the fire for 15 years now. If ya can’t have a fire on a cold rainy day why the heck did ya waste the pack space and carry the weight of the tarp:)

Just use common sense and you won’t burn a hole in it.

butthead: "I set up a tarp as close if not over the firegrate every time. Not hard nor difficult in most campsites. The way I setup enables one corner to be undone and the tarp folded in half while still up. If I keep the fire low like it should be it is no trouble even with the tarp over it. Course if you have to have flames shoulder high------------



butthead"

Nice !

Dan Cooke weighs in himself in this thread

butthead: "

Chuckles: "BH,
Often a small bag tied to a hunk of cordage and tossed, the small mesh bag used for mini biners and such trinkets. I have use a tent pole with the bag held to the pole by a BDB, poke it over a limb and pull the pole loose from the bag.
Too fat and old now for "climbing like a bear".
butthead"

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll have to do some experimenting on this technique.

We seldom have fires. However, if we did, I would still set up my tarp in an area that won't get flooded by the average rain. I look for a place where I would be OK sitting out the rain without being in the tent. I've found that many sites (the majority?) do not have trees close enough to the fire grate for adequate tarp stringing.

Mike

Yep, I set my CCS tarp over or near the firepit all the time. Nothing like grilling steaks and potatoes during a deluge under a tarp. During a May or September trip that little extra captured warmth is nice.

Keep the fire small and mostly in the grate. Hang the tarp high and with options to flip it back incase the fire gets too sparky.