When you need a basic shelter quickly, you don’t necessarily need an expensive tent. A heavy-duty tarp, some rope, and a few simple stakes can create a surprisingly useful shelter for camping, emergency preparedness, roadside situations, or temporary outdoor use.
Tarps are inexpensive, lightweight, easy to store, and available at places such as Harbor Freight Tools, Army-Navy surplus stores, hardware stores, and outdoor retailers.
This simple A-frame tarp shelter is one of the easiest designs to learn because it provides a roof, wind protection, and reasonably good protection from rain.
What You’ll Need
For a basic shelter, gather:
- 1 heavy-duty tarp, preferably about 8 × 10 feet, 10 × 12 feet, or larger
- 30–50 feet of strong rope or paracord
- 4–6 tent stakes
- 2 sturdy trees, poles, or other secure anchor points
- A small hammer or mallet for stakes
- A few extra pieces of cord for securing the tarp
- A groundsheet or second tarp for the floor, if available
Choosing Your Tarp
A larger tarp gives you more options.
An 8 × 10-foot tarp can work for one person, while a 10 × 12-foot tarp provides considerably more room. If you’re sheltering two people or want additional space for gear, consider going larger.
For repeated outdoor use, look for a tarp with:
- Reinforced corners
- Strong grommets
- Reinforced edges
- Waterproof or water-resistant construction
- Heavy-duty material
A bright-colored tarp is easier to see in an emergency. A camouflage or earth-tone tarp may be preferable if you’re using it for camping and want it to blend into the surroundings.
Step 1: Choose a Good Location
Location is just as important as the tarp itself.
Look for relatively level, well-drained ground. Avoid areas that could collect water during rain.
Do not set up directly beneath dead or damaged trees, large dead branches, or unstable limbs. Avoid low areas where water can flow during a storm.
If possible, position the shelter so the opening faces away from the prevailing wind.
Step 2: Find Two Strong Anchor Points
The easiest setup uses two sturdy trees.
Choose trees approximately 8–12 feet apart, depending on the size of your tarp and how much interior space you want.
The trees need to be healthy and strong enough to support a taut ridgeline. Never use a dead tree or questionable branch as an anchor.
If trees aren’t available, sturdy poles can be used instead.
Step 3: Create the Ridgeline
Tie a strong rope between the two trees.
This rope becomes the backbone of the shelter.
Position the ridgeline approximately 3–5 feet above the ground, depending on the tarp size and the amount of headroom you want.
A simple adjustable knot, such as a taut-line hitch, can make it easier to tighten the rope.
Don’t pull so hard that you’re damaging the trees or hardware.
Step 4: Drape the Tarp Over the Ridgeline
Lay the tarp over the rope so the ridgeline runs approximately through the center.
You should now have two sloping sides forming a basic A-frame.
Try to center the tarp so both sides are approximately equal.
The tarp should extend toward the ground on both sides.
Step 5: Stake Down the Corners
Pull the four corners outward and downward.
Place a stake through each corner grommet and drive the stakes securely into the ground.
Don’t pull the tarp so tightly that the grommets are under excessive strain. You want the fabric snug enough to shed rain but still have enough flexibility to handle wind.
If the ground is soft, angle the stakes slightly away from the shelter rather than driving them straight down.
Step 6: Tighten the Shelter
Walk around the shelter and adjust the ropes and stakes.
Look for:
- Loose sections of tarp
- Sagging areas where rain could collect
- Excessive tension around the grommets
- Corners that aren’t anchored securely
- Gaps where wind-driven rain could enter
A well-tensioned tarp should have reasonably smooth surfaces that allow rain to run off instead of pooling.
Step 7: Add a Floor
If you have a second tarp, use it as a groundsheet.
Place it inside the shelter, but don’t allow the edges to extend beyond the roof tarp.
This is important because rain can run down the outside tarp and underneath an exposed groundsheet, potentially creating a puddle inside your shelter.
A smaller groundsheet is often better than one that extends past the shelter.
Step 8: Improve Wind Protection
If you’re expecting wind, lower the shelter closer to the ground.
You can also use additional rope and stakes to secure the sides.
For particularly windy conditions, position the solid side of the shelter toward the wind and keep the opening on the protected side.
Avoid setting up a large tarp in dangerously exposed locations during severe storms. A tarp can catch a tremendous amount of wind, and the anchors can fail.
Step 9: Create a Simple Entrance
One of the advantages of the A-frame design is that you can leave one end open for easy entry and ventilation.
If you need more protection from rain or wind, use additional cord to pull one end of the tarp partially closed.
Don’t completely seal the shelter when using any combustion source such as a stove, lantern, heater, or fire. Never use charcoal, a campfire, propane equipment, or other fuel-burning devices inside a tarp shelter. Carbon monoxide can build up quickly.
An Even Simpler Emergency Setup
If you don’t have trees available, you can make a basic lean-to using a tarp, rope, and poles.
Tie one long edge of the tarp between two sturdy supports and stake the opposite edge to the ground.
This creates a sloped roof that protects from rain and sun.
The lean-to uses less material and can be faster to construct, but it generally provides less protection from wind than an enclosed A-frame.
Cheap Shelter Kit to Keep on Hand
One of the best things about a tarp shelter is how little equipment is required.
Consider putting together a small shelter kit containing:
- 1 heavy-duty 10 × 12-foot tarp
- 50 feet of paracord or utility rope
- 6–8 tent stakes
- 4–6 short lengths of cord
- Small mallet
- Work gloves
- Folding knife or multitool
- Emergency blanket
- Groundsheet
- Waterproof storage bag
Keep the entire kit together so you don’t have to search for individual pieces when you need them.
Practice Before You Need It
The best time to learn how to build a tarp shelter is before you’re depending on one.
Set it up in your backyard or at a campground on a calm day. Experiment with different heights, tarp sizes, knots, and stake positions.
Once you’ve practiced a few times, you can usually put together a basic A-frame shelter in just a few minutes.
Final Thoughts
A tarp isn’t a replacement for a properly rated tent in every situation, but it can be an inexpensive and extremely versatile piece of emergency and outdoor equipment.
For the price of a basic tarp and some rope, you can create a shelter that provides protection from rain, sun, wind, and damp ground.
The key is keeping the design simple: choose a safe location, establish a strong ridgeline, drape the tarp evenly, stake the corners securely, and keep the shelter properly ventilated.
For anyone building an emergency preparedness kit on a budget, a quality tarp, rope, and stakes are inexpensive supplies that are worth having available.
