Do I need a tarp under or above my tent

Many campers have this question: There is already a tent, so why should I bring a tarp? In fact, anyone with experience knows that tarps are widely used in outdoor activities, and they are not heavy and do not occupy much space in a backpack. Setting up a simple tent: For areas with mild weather, tarps were first used in the field as the minimum requirement tent. 

Just simply construct it with ropes, some trees at the right distance, stones, or even your trekking poles, and an ordinary tarp will become a simple shelter, sheltering you from wind and rain, and from the sun. Today this method is still used in the construction of outdoor kitchens. In addition, everyone knows that the high waterproof requirement of tents sacrifices its ventilation. In hot weather, many tents can give people the feeling of sleeping in a steamer.

On the contrary, this kind of simple shelter built by tarpaulin has good ventilation effect, and effectively blocks the fog, allowing you to have a cool and comfortable sleep. Waterproof cloth can be used as a protective cloth for the bottom of a tent. More than ten years ago, backpackers gave up shelters built with tarpaulins and began to use tents in general, and tarps changed their roles into “ground cloth”. It is very thin but very effective to separate the bottom of the tent from the dirty and irregular ground; it can more effectively prevent water vapor from directly penetrating into the tent, and keep your tent as dry as possible. 

A piece of nylon cloth or plastic cloth can prevent some sharp stones from directly piercing the waterproof bottom of your tent. (Nevertheless, you still have to carefully remove these substances when checking the campsite) A tarp can reduce the wear on the bottom of the tent when you move inside, and extend its service life.

When camping and resting, tarps can give you a clean place for you to fold or roll up your tent, pack other equipment and eat. And when your journey encounters a rainy day, you can use the rope to pull the tarp to make a simple awning above the place where you plan to camp, and then start to set up a tent. This will ensure that you do not wet the inside of the tent and other equipment before setting it up.

At present, good-made tarpaulins are sold in general travel goods stores. The materials are mainly waterproof nylon, and metal buckles are already installed. The price is relatively cheap, and it can cost tens of dollars. Of course, you can also buy a large piece of plastic film instead, which is even cheaper.

If the tent you are using does not have an umbrella, or there is no tent specially prepared for this, then you can buy a hammock umbrella. Although hammock umbrellas must still be hung overhead, they are very light and easy to install.