Outdoor Tarps: Why Tarps Are Great for Camping, Hunting and More

There are many reasons why tarps are great to keep around your home or business, but did you know they can serve many purposes in the great outdoors too? Keep reading to learn how tarps can come in handy while you're engaging in your favorite outdoor activities.

Protect Your Tent

At A1 Tarps, virtually all our tarps make good camping tarps. That's because our poly tarps, vinyl tarps and canvas tarps are made to be strong, durable and resistant to UV rays. Our tarps made of poly and vinyl are waterproof tarps, and our canvas tarps, while not waterproof, are water-resistant.

That means that when camping with one of our tarps, you can use it to help protect your tent in several ways. For instance, it can act as a barrier when secured above or beside your tent, shielding it from rain or wind gusts. You can help keep the bottom of your tent protected from rips and moisture by laying the tarp on the ground before you put your tent down.

Use the Tarp as a Shelter

You can also use a tarp as a shelter, especially if you're camping within a small space where you don't have room for a full tent, like a canoe. Or, you may prefer to camp with a tarp instead of a tent. This is a growing trend called "tent camping."

The best part about creating a shelter from your tarp is that there are many ways to do it. With just a few additional accessories (depending on the type of shelter you're building), you can create everything from a lean-to to an A-frame structure. You can even lay your sleeping bag on top of a tarp on the ground to help keep your bag dry, bug-free and sleep under the stars.

Create a Tarp Canopy on Your Porch or Patio

Sometimes "the great outdoors" can refer to your own yard. If you want to create an outdoor space at home where you can enjoy being outside while also having nice, cool shade, outdoor tarps are a great solution. Creating porch or patio tarp shades can be as easy as securing your tarp to some poles and erecting them, forming a taut covering overhead. Just secure the poles to the ground using rope and some tent stakes. Then, add another pole at the center for extra stability. If you want a patio tarp shade that offers ample breathability, try using a mesh tarp.

Keep Out of Sight While Hunting

A1 Tarps has a wide range of durable poly camo tarps that can provide hunters with a variety of benefits, including stealth. Use tarps with camouflage patterns to conceal yourself and your gear so that deer, ducks or whatever you're hoping to bag are less likely to spot you.

Stay Warmer While Reducing Fire Hazards

If you are building a fire at your campsite, it's a good idea to have a fire-retardant tarp on hand. One way to use it is to hang it between the fire, your tent and other gear. Especially if you secure the tarp so that it's angled toward you, it can help keep the heat from the fire directed at you so you stay warmer. Better yet, it can help keep an errant spark from sending your gear up in flames, potentially causing an even bigger problem.