Camping Tarps - How to Use Them
You don"t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that tarps are going to help keep your immediate area dry. The bigger the better for that matter. I"ve been in campsites with my kids, family campgrounds of course, and seen people that will go out and buy a big blue tarp like the ones you might find at Wal-Mart etc. I immediately thought that this was a great idea because it obviously allows you to sit outside of your tent or trailer whether it"s raining or not.The only problem I had at the time with using a tarp that size is that when you try to pack them down so you can transport them to your site, they"re huge. They ever pack down to the size they are when you buy them originally and this makes them increasingly difficult to take with you.
I suppose they"re not so much of an issue when you"re camping from your car or trailer, but I happen to be one of those backpacking/paddling type campers that likes to pack light. To be more accurate, I like to bring everything I think I"ll need on a backcountry trip, but in such way that my load is as light as possible.
I"ve opted to use nylon tarps for my trips. I have two of them. They"re both the same size, 9 feet by about 12 feet. These tarps were a little bit on the pricey side but I"m so glad I spent the money on them. The difference between tarps you buy from an outfitter and tarps you buy from Wal-Mart are that outfitter Ò€“bought tarps are built with camping in mind. They"re water-proof and light weight and they pack down to a very small size if you do it properly, making them almost unnoticeable to bring along with you when you camp. They"re small enough that I always bring two with me. I don"t always use two but it has come in handy to have both.
I sleep in a North Face Morraine tent which is a three person tent, and therefore doesn"t take up a lot of ground space. I put up one of the tarps above my tent in such a way that the water will run away from the tent if it rains, so I obviously need to be aware of the lay of the land while I"m setting up. I also try to set it up in such a way that I have a bit of extra room at the front entrance of my tent. I do this because it helps to create an area of dry ground should it happen to rain, which ultimately helps to keep the inside of your tent dry.
The second tarp I use only sometimes, depending on the conditions. Sometimes I set it up as tarp I can cook and eat under, other times I"ll set it up in such a way that it acts as a wall. This is helpful at times when you"re camping on the point of a lake and the wind is keeping you cold and making life difficult.
A little experimentation on your part will help to identify how they work best for you but the basic lesson here is this: always take two tarps with you, one for your tent and one for whatever else, and always spend your money on the right gear. These Wal-Mart tarps just aren"t that much cheaper and they don"t last nearly as long so in the end you"re saving money by spending a bit more now.