When bugging out on foot, it’s not realistic to take an entire tent with you. It’s too bulky and heavy. Plus, tents are a bit expensive for people prepping on a budget.
Tarps, on the other hand, are small and lightweight. They’re also very affordable, and there are dozens of things you can do with them besides build a shelter. Another huge bonus, in my opinion, is the ability to build a fire right next to your tarp shelter. With a tent, the fire has to be outside which means you can’t get as much warmth from it.
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So now that we’ve established that tarps are usually better than tents for bug out purposes, it’s time to talk about how to build a shelter using a tarp. There are dozens of configurations, but if you’re a beginner, I recommend the C-Fly. It’s relatively simple, and it has many advantages.
In the video below, Survival Know How explains exactly how to do it. Here are the instructions:
- Find two trees that are a little farther apart than the width of the tarp.
- Run a ridge line between the two trees and make sure it is taut. This line will be the top of your shelter.
- Fold the tarp over the ridge line with 1/3 hanging over the top of the cord, 1/3 from the line to the ground, and 1/3 lying on the ground.
- Put lots of insulation beneath the part of the tarp lying on the ground. Dry leaves, grass, or whatever you can find.
- Use two stakes to peg down the two corners of the tarp on the ground. If you don’t have stakes, find some sticks.
- Use three stakes and cordage to attach the other end of the tarp (the part hanging over the top of the cord) to the ground. Make sure it’s nice and taut.
Be sure to watch the video below. He goes into more detail, explains how to pick a good site for your shelter, and he goes over some common shelter-building mistakes to avoid.
Dave Cannon says
April 19, 2019 at 12:59 pmLynda, you would be advised to carry some walking sticks with you. Cut a few smaller sticks for stakes. tie a piece of cordage to one stake and keep tension on it. put a walking stick up with the a “V” carved in the top of the stick. pull it out about as wide as your tarp, and do the same with the other stick. Then stake the cordage about 6′ past the second stick. If you need more stable line to put your tarp over, you can run another line to each end and spread them out like a “Y” on each end. HAVE FUN,AND BE SAFE!
Bill tramontana says
April 19, 2019 at 11:08 amBrett there’s plenty like that. That’s why theirs books!
Bill tramontana says
April 19, 2019 at 11:05 amPlan ahead. Make stakes now .OR ,did a hole in a bank.
Lynda Buchholz says
April 19, 2019 at 10:29 amWhy isn’t there methods for tents and other survival methods for areas without trees? I live in an area that only has sagebrush and there aren’t trees high enough to make this shelter with. I would love some suggestions for these types of areas.
Diana Davies says
April 19, 2019 at 12:20 pmIf you have 2 sticks, you can tie a ridge line between them as you would 2 trees, then anchor them with cordage and proceed as the instructions say.
You could rig something up between rocks too, but I’d be a bit worried about snakes.
Cry Havoc says
April 19, 2019 at 3:18 pmWhat kind of shelters did the indigenous people build, before the white man wiped them out? I’m just saying, study the old ways, if it worked for the Apache, then it will still work today.
Andy says
April 19, 2019 at 7:40 pmLynda,
You should move to an area with trees. Life is much better in the wilderness
Matrix says
April 19, 2019 at 9:37 pmJust use a couple of sky hooks.
Brett says
April 19, 2019 at 10:21 amIt’s sad but there ARE people that could not figure this out for themselves.