Flat Tarp Tips for a Perfect A-Frame Pitch, by ultralightnerd on YouTube. 4 min 14 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 14 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick a flat, clear spot and lay the tarp out with the ridgeline running into the wind. Clear stones, sticks and roots from the ground where you will sleep.
Stake the two corners at the foot end first, keeping the tarp square. Drive each peg at a low angle, about 45 degrees, pointing away from the shelter.
Set a trekking pole at the head end of the ridgeline at your chosen height, usually 110 to 120 cm. Put the second pole at the other end of the ridgeline.
Guy out both ridgeline tie-outs to the pole tips so the line runs straight and tight from end to end. This is the spine of the pitch, so get it right before anything else.
Pull each head corner out along the line of its seam before you peg it. The fabric tightens from the direction of pull, not from force on the stake.
Tighten in order: ridgeline first, then the four corners, then any side tie-outs. Take up small amounts at the line tensioners and watch the wrinkles disappear.
Walk the whole pitch and smooth out creases by shortening the longest guy line, not by pulling harder on the shortest one. A drum-tight pitch has even tension everywhere.
Retension the lines after about 20 minutes and again before bed. Fabric relaxes and stakes settle once the shelter is loaded.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the ridgeline dead straight between the two poles; a sagging spine is what makes most A-frames flap.
Peg lines out in line with the seams so the pull runs along the fabric instead of across it.
Use line tensioners on every guy line so you can adjust without moving stakes.
In strong wind, lower the poles and add extra stakes; a tight low pitch sheds wind far better than a tall one.
Questions
Can I pitch an A-frame tarp without trees?
Yes. Two trekking poles or two cut sticks replace the trees, and the whole shelter is held by stakes and guy lines.
How high should the poles be?
Around 110 to 120 cm is a good starting point for one person. Lower the poles in wind or rain and raise them if you need more headroom.
Why does my tarp still wrinkle?
Usually because the corners were pegged before the ridgeline was tight. Loosen the corners, tension the spine, then pull the corners out again.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
