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Camping under canvas - Tent talk. Advice, info and recommendations

Topic: Tarps, tents, and shelters

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Jiddle

27/5/2025 at 5:06pm
Location: London & South East
Outfit: Berghaus Air 400

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We’ve just invested in a Berghaus Air 400 (it’s brilliant and perfect for the two of us and dog!) and whilst we have the canopy option at the front, it’s very much a fair weather choice. Hence, we’re pondering whether to tarp the whole tent and create some shelter by the side door, or whether a porch or air shelter is a better option. Obviously price is a factor here too. If I can protect the tent and save some money, even better. Does anyone have thoughts?

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RainMagnet

28/5/2025 at 8:14am
Location: End of the road.
Outfit: Karsten+350

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We have experimented with tarps and personally found that they are great in fair weather, but tend to to struggle in windy conditions, but this might be down to our pitching technique.

We now have a Hi-Gear Haven Shelter 300 which is great and can stand up to a good battering by the weather (tested over the bank holiday), however this comes with a different issue, that a large proportion of sites will charge extra for gazebos, and while a tarp could be argued as an add on for the tent, this shelter is pretty obvious as a gazebo.

Jiddle

28/5/2025 at 4:26pm
Location: London & South East
Outfit: Berghaus Air 400

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Hi there, thanks for responding, this is really helpful. I fully agree on the extra charging point, it is very much a thing! I’ll take a look at the Haven 300 and add it to the mix!

dk168

29/5/2025 at 12:22am
Location: Devizes Wiltshire
Outfit: PVC_VWCrafter_MWB

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I learnt to rig a tarp using the Ridge Line technique, for the tarp to be attached to the Ridge Line and pegging points via karabiners so that it could be taken down with ease.

This way, the Ridge Line can remain rigged up without having to take the whole thing down.

I would strongly advise for a tarp to be taken down at night or when the tent and tarp are unattended for a long period of time, unless it can be certain of light winds and no heavy rain.

I learnt the hard way to find one side of my tarp had collapsed due to rain water pooling overnight; partly my fault for not rigging it with sufficient gradient for rain water to run off effectively.

Have a search for tarps as there are many threads on the subject.

Have fun!

DK

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Jiddle

29/5/2025 at 10:09am
Location: London & South East
Outfit: Berghaus Air 400

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Thanks DK, all excellent insights and lessons already learned - so I don’t need to 😂 I’ll have a hunt for threads now. Cheers, John

dk168

29/5/2025 at 10:56am
Location: Devizes Wiltshire
Outfit: PVC_VWCrafter_MWB

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Photo of one of my earlier efforts when I was a tenter:

Jiddle

29/5/2025 at 6:33pm
Location: London & South East
Outfit: Berghaus Air 400

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This is incredibly helpful, visual inspiration! We’ll test it out on our forthcoming trip in a couple of weeks.

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