Bikepacking tarp setup inspiration

Hi all. Am planning a couple of nights out soon and want to leave the tent behind. I have a light bivvy bag and an alpkit rig 3.5 tarp (it’s 2.4m x 1.4m). I’ve used it plenty of times with walking poles, but never on the bike.

I’m after some experiences of what folk have used in terms of tarp setup. I do have some old tent poles I can butcher to give me some options, but am wondering about using the bike/wheels to keep things up instead. Any stories of these setups would be gladly accepted – good or bad!

Thanks.

Not the biggest tarp so would be looking to maximise space. Maybe use the bars (front wheel removed, resting on fork dropouts) to raise the front of a small tent setup? Getting in and out may still prove a problem though, depending on physique/flexibility. Often a problem if using a bike as a structural component. I usually prefer to cut a small pole or two from a hazel or whatever, much simpler. The bike/wheel option is useful if camping far above the treeline etc but even then it’s fairly easy to tape a couple of poles to the frame or carry some folding alu poles. I’m currently working an ‘alpha’ tent/shelter by combining 2 x alu poles (I’d saved from a derelict Vango) with a poncho tarp.

Should look like this

But back to the bike/wheel options

Do you want to cook? The Alpkit suggestion looks sensible, IIRC the Alpkit Rig is the same size as yours?

https://alpkit.com/blogs/spotlight/be-tarpsmart

Poles take up such little room stored in the top tube loops of a frame bag it’s a no brainer for me. Get a far more stable and versatile set up than trying to tension set a balanced bike on uneven ground.

I generally have two poles one in each front corner and pitch the low side to the wind.

I’ve used the bike as support with a similar sized tarp.

A wheel at each of the short sides as uprights.

One long side pegged down.

Changing the position of the wheel (left to right in the photo below) changes the height of the opening a bit.

It’s certainly lighter than carrying poles and gives good coverage of your bivvy bag with plenty of space below for your kit. Nice big front opening is great for seeing out of if you’re relaxing in your bag.

It can sag in the middle so needs good tension.

It’s a faff, especially if you have manky wheels.

The long edge being upwind means it can blow in on you (in my photo my bike has a guy pulling the central guy line tight)

Not very high so you need to roll/slide in and out.

For the weight difference I prefer a couple of short poles. Buy from Stu at Bearbones and he can make up any length you want and in short enough sections that carrying is easy.

There’s a series of YouTube videos by a guy by the name of Papa Hiker that go through most of the sensible configurations – here’s his channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6DiGjUqw-2HB9xQJXdjGrw.

I have the Alpkit Rig3.5 and also a Trekkertent DCF tarp that’s about 100mm bigger in both dimensions but it’s effectively the same. I started out with the dropped tail A-frame (big pole at front, smaller pole at back but the attachment point is at the 3/4 ridge tie-out) it’s #6 @2:40 in this video:

I made the poles up from some old Wild Country tent poles I had lying around and just cut them down to a size that would fit in my frame bag.

I then moved to having the tarp at right angles which gives a bit more room (this is known as The Holden apparently), front pole in the centre of a long side. In this shot I’m using the bike’s handlebars as the short pole, if you have the wheel towards the tarp it takes a surprising amount of force to pull the bike up so no need to have a line going the other way to peg it down. The other pole is a carbon fibre pole from Stu at Bearbones, 125cm I think.

I now use the Asymmetric Holden (#11 at 3min44 in the above video), the front pole is offset, it’s at the 1/4 way tie-out. The rear tie-out is fixed to the opposite end 1/4 ridge tie-out (if that makes sense) and again uses the bike’s bars for the pole.

I have used the wheels at either end of the tarp, PostieRich likes this setup, but for me there’s sod all headroom.

Just have a play around in your garden and see what works for you.

Thanks for the tips so far! I particularly like the look of that asymmetric holden idea.

Just have a play around in your garden and see what works for you.

Very much the plan once this week’s RAIN OF DOOM has passed over.

Lightweight I have done this but its really low profile and you have to make sure wind is behind you.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COaNcrFBvsh/?igshid=nkfrpzf8aj69

https://www.instagram.com/p/COaNZvshNtI/?igshid=i1k47pann3vi

However if not going for lightweight I can get all of this

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3zmDI9lVrD/?igshid=15m27jbs7x1co

Into this

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtIvJl8nB5f/?igshid=yrycwz1ggp05

But i still need a backpack for lots of stuff. Like food and water!

@matt_outandabout – tarp pitches are like knots: it’s all very well knowing lots but when you need to use one then really knowing just a few is worth far more.

@matt_outandabout – tarp pitches are like knots: it’s all very well knowing lots but when you need to use one then really knowing just a few is worth far more.

Are you trying to say it might not be the best use of time to learn how to make my tarp into a laundry bin?

I tend to use this sort of pitch. Better with a larger tarp but works ok with this small one, as long as it’s not a biblical downpour. Usually have a tarp to reduce condensation on the bivi and if the weather’s really bad we’ve found some shelter like a barn or a BnB.
Bike is held up with a long section of cord over the bar, looped around the brake lever to lock it in place. 2 pegs hold it upright.

Have also used the tunnel Scotroutes has up there ^, that’s a good one. Can be done with a line off the tarp, over the tyre and to the ground to use the wheel in place of a pole. The Bearbones poles are so light and they do make life easier. On more minimal/wing it local trips a stick usually works ok.

(2nd attempt)

Back home so found a slightly better photo of my 2-wheel setup.

I know some of this is down to personal preference but when I’m using a tarp I expect it to be fairly open, with good views and lots of fresh air. Lots of alternative pitches just look like tents and if I wanted that, I’d take my tent 😊

I ended up with this setup:
+ protected from wind/weather on 2 sides
+ if you have a frame bag, you can reach your glasses/phone/snacks on the bike from your sleeping bag
+ easy to tension up to stop it flapping all night
+ front wheel as a lifter stops the tarp rubbing your feet

If its rainy, you can set it up with the bike flipped round, less headroom but better protection from the weather (or in this case, I just put the bike the wrong way round by mistake!)

Rab siltarp 2. An old tent pole with 3 links. 3 bungees. 6 tent pegs.

It’s quite robust against the wind and plenty of admin space inside. If I take a couple of more bungees then I could use trees or fences to make it taller, but for stealth camping it’s served me well.

I know some of this is down to personal preference but when I’m using a tarp I expect it to be fairly open, with good views and lots of fresh air.

Absolutely agree, and on this trip if the weather’s bad enough that I need a tent-style pitch then I’m going home 🙂

Just had a go in the garden and managed to do the pole-less alpkit one. Had a go with an old tent pole to make a Holden but the pole just keeps popping through the hole in the tarp. Do folk use wee grommets or something for this?

Do folk use wee grommets or something for this?

Have yet to do this. When I put new shock-cord in the custom poles I’ll knot something onto the end.

In the US I see they often use plastic ‘wire nuts’ for the job

http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/ponchotent.htm

Think I might have solved it with a bit of broken track pump.

A thing pic.twitter.com/PaXlyEzQUO

— t w i t t w o o (@mrstevious) May 9, 2021

Will try it tomorrow

Had a go with an old tent pole to make a Holden but the pole just keeps popping through the hole in the tarp. Do folk use wee grommets or something for this?

I wrap the guyline around the pole tip. My tarps don’t have holes, or grommets, all tie-outs that I can tie lines to. So for the Holden, the guyline is tied to the tarp tie-out, then almost immediately is wrapped around the pole tip then off to the peg/stake. Doing it this way means I can adjust the height of the tarp simply by moving the pole further away. A bit hard to describe but once you see it in action it’s pretty obvious.

The problem with holes/grommets is that they are hard to reinforce, all the tension of a guyline is concentrated in that 8-10mm cross-section. A fabric tie-out stitched/glued to the tarp has a width of maybe 100-150mm so there’s much less strain on the material. Here’s a link to the articles about tarps on Bearbones – https://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/?s=tarp, there should be something there to help you.

I know some of this is down to personal preference but when I’m using a tarp I expect it to be fairly open, with good views and lots of fresh air.

On if the reason I take a 3×3 tarp m I st often (other than the fact there would be two of us generally) is that even when it’s raining its wide enough to be kept quite high and airy.

And if it’s properly rank it can be made in to an extremely effective tent with the exception of a sizable entry hole, whilst still being high enough to sit up.

I’m on a bivi-a-week project, sometimes on foot and sometimes on the bike. I’d echo comments in favour of lightweight poles. I’ve done the wheel support thing. It makes for a nice Insta pic but it’s too much ball ache for me.

These might help for cords slipping over pole tips, they’re what I use for poles from the same site.