If you fancy a lighter backpack and are not afraid of monsters that lurk in the dark, a tarp shelter might be your thing. We have both new bushcraft tarps and used army surplus tarps, and they both have their uses. If you prefer to sleep in a tent, don’t close this page yet. A tarpaulin is also a fantastic additional shelter for your camp kitchen and living room as long as you keep the sparks away from it. When the sky keeps falling for the fifth day in a row, you won’t need to huddle in the tent all the time.

Modern bushcraft tarps

Modern bushcraft tarps are light and take very little space when packed. They dry easily and are easy to set up. They also come in many sizes. An ideal choice for weight-conscious hikers. You can set up a tarp in many different ways. Click on the images of various products in this group and you’ll get good tips for different setups. The basic idea is that the campers and their stuff stay as dry as possible.

Army tarps, surplus

Smelly, heavy, ugly, yet ever so wonderful. Old army tarps combine the bad characteristics of a tent and modern tarp, but they do take you on a fantastic journey back in time. Finnish long-range recon troops slept under tarps in all kinds of weather during WWII. Tarp shelters were also used by many hunters and trappers in the old days. Modern armies, of course, have these in more advanced materials. However, sometimes we get lucky and get the good old stuff. Put on your trusty lumberjack jacket, surplus backpack and follow the call of the wild. You will sleep beautifully on a soft mossy bed listening to sweet songs of the wilderness.