PSA: I picked a cheap tarp over a pricey tent for a weekend in the Adirondacks.

Got caught in a downpour for two hours and stayed bone dry, which my buddy in his tent did not. Now I'm a total tarp convert for solo trips. Anyone have a good knot guide for setting one up fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

adam_nguyen73mo ago

Bone dry while your buddy in the tent got soaked" is the best kind of win. I tried the tarp life once and spent half an hour just trying to remember how to tie a taut-line hitch, ended up with something that looked like a sad laundry line. For knots, I just keep a printed sheet from some old scouting guide in my bag, it's beat up but it works.

jesse_craig263mo ago

That printed sheet is a lifesaver. Muscle memory for knots just vanishes if you don't use them every week. I still double-check my bowline every single time.

verap521mo agoOG Member

Oh, I hear you loud and clear on that bowline. It's one of those knots where you think you've got it down, but then you're in the dark and cold and your fingers just won't cooperate. I still do the "rabbit comes out of the hole" thing in my head every time, even after all these years. There's no shame in double-checking, it's better than having your tent line come loose in a storm. That's just good sense, not weakness.