Before getting into knots and setups, it’s worth understanding why people choose these systems in the first place. This isn’t just about saving weight, it’s about changing how you camp.

1. Travelling lighter and faster

A tarp or bivvy setup can weigh less than half of a traditional tent system. That means:

• Less strain on your knees and hips

• Faster travel over steep or technical terrain

• Easier bush bashing and river crossings

• More room in your pack for food, optics, or extra insulation

For hunters pushing deep into the backcountry or trampers linking long routes, this is a massive advantage.

2. Camping closer to nature

With a tarp you’re not sealed away from the outdoors. You hear the wind shift, feel the temperature drop, and wake up with the light. For many keen adventurers, this connection is the whole point.

3. Flexibility in tight or rough terrain

You don’t need a perfectly flat tent site. Tarps can be pitched:

• On steep sidles

• In dense bush

• On river terraces

• On alpine tussock benches

• Under rock overhangs

As long as you’ve got decent anchors, you can usually make it work.

A tarp is a powerful tool when it’s used for the right reasons, in the right conditions, by someone who understands its strengths and limitations. Let’s break those down properly.

The Pros of Using a Camping Tarp

1. Exceptionally Lightweight and Packable

One of the biggest reasons experienced trampers and hunters move to a tarp is simple – weight.

A tarp weighs a fraction of even the lightest one-person tent. It also packs down incredibly small, which frees up valuable space in your pack. That extra room can be used for food, insulation, optics, or just making your pack easier to live with over multiple days.

On long approaches, steep climbs, or trips where you’re covering serious ground, shaving weight off your shelter can be a game-changer.

2. Highly Adaptable to Terrain and Conditions

Unlike tents, tarps don’t lock you into one shape or footprint.

You can pitch them:

• Low and tight in foul weather

• High and open in settled conditions

• Narrow in tight bush

• Wide on river flats or alpine benches

This adaptability is gold in New Zealand, where perfect tent sites aren’t always available. If you can find something to anchor to – trees, scrub, rocks, trekking poles – you can usually make a tarp work.

With practice, you’ll start choosing pitches based on wind direction, terrain, and forecast, rather than just looking for a flat pad.

3. More Than Just a Sleeping Shelter

A tarp isn’t just for sleeping.

Used well, it can double as:

• A cooking shelter in the rain

• A lunch stop or glassing cover

• A sunshade in exposed country

• An emergency rain fly if weather turns

This multi-use nature makes tarps incredibly efficient. You’re carrying one piece of gear that earns its place in your pack throughout the entire trip – not just when you crawl into bed.

4. Develops Proper Bushcraft Skills

There’s no denying it – tarp camping forces you to learn.

You’ll get better at:

• Reading weather patterns

• Understanding wind behaviour

• Choosing good campsites

• Tying reliable knots

• Managing exposure and warmth

These are real, transferable outdoor skills. Once you’ve dialled in tarp camping, you’ll find you’re calmer, more adaptable, and more confident when things don’t go perfectly in the bush.

Many seasoned outdoorsmen credit tarp camping with making them better all-round adventurers.

5. Surprisingly Tough When Used Correctly

Modern tarps are built from strong technical fabrics that handle wind, rain, and abrasion better than many people expect.

Because there are no poles or complex structures, there’s also less to break. A well-pitched tarp sheds wind rather than fighting it, which can actually make it more reliable than a tent in certain conditions.

Durability comes down to pitch quality and site selection, not just fabric thickness.

6. A Closer Connection to the Outdoors

This is harder to quantify, but it’s a big reason people stick with tarps once they try them.

You’re more aware of:

• Changes in the weather

• The sound of the bush at night

• Light, temperature, and wind

You wake up with first light. You feel part of the environment rather than sealed off from it. For many keen adventurers, that closeness is the whole point of going bush in the first place.

The Cons of Camping with a Tarp

As good as tarps are, they’re not perfect. Understanding the downsides is what keeps tarp camping enjoyable instead of miserable.

1. Less Protection from Insects and Wildlife

A tarp is an open system. That means:

• Sandflies can be brutal in some areas

• Mosquitoes can make evenings uncomfortable

• Curious rodents are harder to exclude

This is especially noticeable near rivers, lakes, and coastal bush in warmer months. Many people solve this by pairing a tarp with a bivvy bag, head net, or bug bivvy – but it’s something you need to plan for.

2. Reduced Margin for Error in Severe Weather

A tarp can handle bad weather – if it’s pitched well.

The problem is that mistakes are less forgiving than with a tent. Poor orientation, loose lines, or an exposed site can turn into a rough night very quickly when the wind swings or the rain sets in sideways.

In truly severe alpine conditions, a tent still offers more all-round protection for most people.

3. Not Freestanding or Site-Independent

Unlike a tent, a tarp relies on anchors.

That means:

• You need trees, poles, rocks, or pegs

• Hard ground or rocky terrain can limit options

• Snow or sand requires more thought

Most of the time this isn’t an issue, but there are locations – particularly above the bushline – where pitching a tarp can be more challenging than throwing up a freestanding tent.

4. A Learning Curve Is Inevitable

Tarp camping isn’t plug-and-play.

There’s a genuine learning curve around:

• Knots and cord management

• Efficient pitching

• Adjusting tension as conditions change

Expect your first few nights to be a bit clunky. This is why it’s smart to practise close to home or in low-risk environments before relying on a tarp deep in the backcountry.

5. You May Need Additional Components

A tarp rarely works as a standalone system.

Depending on conditions, you may also need:

• Extra cord or guy lines

• Trekking poles

• A bivvy bag or groundsheet

• Bug protection

Individually these items are light, but it’s important to factor them in when comparing systems honestly.

6. Not Always Ideal for Cold or Winter Conditions

In winter, tarps demand more from the user.

Cold wind, snow loading, and long nights make setup precision critical. Heat retention is lower than a tent, and condensation management becomes more important.

Plenty of people tarp camp year-round in New Zealand, but winter tarp camping is best suited to experienced users with strong gear and decision-making.

These are some of the most common ways to set up a tarp shelter when you’re camping or hiking to maximise wind and rain protection.

1. A-Frame (Ridgeline Setup)

Best for: Wind and rain, bush camping

How it works:

• Run a ridgeline between two trees (or trekking poles)

• Peg out both sides evenly

Why it’s good:

• Excellent weather shedding

• Stable in strong winds

• Good headroom

2. Lean-To

Best for: Fair weather, views, cooking shelter

How it works:

• One side pegged to ground

• Other side propped up with poles or trees

Why it’s good:

• Quick to set up

• Great airflow

• Easy access

Watch out: Offers minimal protection if the wind shifts overnight.

3. Plough Point / Storm Pitch

Best for: Alpine and high-wind conditions

How it works:

• One corner anchored high

• Remaining edges staked tight to ground

Why it’s good:

• Sheds wind exceptionally well

• Very low profile

Trade-off: Limited space and awkward entry.

Essential Tarp Camping Gear

These are the foundation of any reliable tarp setup. Leave one of these behind and you’ll feel it when the weather turns.

Camping Tarp

This is your primary shelter. Look for a tarp with multiple reinforced tie-out points so you can adapt your pitch to wind direction, terrain, and conditions. Size matters here – bigger tarps offer more protection, smaller ones save weight but demand better site selection.

Guylines

Guylines secure your tarp to the ground or anchors and are critical for wind stability. Lightweight cord is ideal, but it needs to be strong, low-stretch, and easy to handle with cold fingers.

Prusik Loops

Prusiks slide along the ridgeline and lock under tension, allowing you to fine-tune tarp positioning without retying knots. Once you start using them, it’s hard to go back.

Micro Line Locks

Line locks make quick adjustments simple, especially in bad weather or low light. They’re not strictly necessary, but they speed things up and reduce faffing when conditions are average at best.

Ultralight Pegs

Good pegs matter more than people think. In NZ’s mixed ground – from river shingle to soft bush loam – carrying a few reliable, lightweight pegs can be the difference between a bomber pitch and a flapping mess.

Optional (But Nice-to-Have) Tarp Camping Gear

These items aren’t essential in every scenario, but they can significantly improve comfort, versatility, and resilience.

Supports (Trekking Poles or Natural Poles)

If trees aren’t available, trekking poles or sturdy sticks become your structure. Many tarp setups rely on poles to create headroom or shape, especially above the bushline.

Carabiners

Small carabiners speed up setup and pack-down, particularly when clipping guylines or attaching tarps to ridgelines. They’re also handy for gear organisation around camp.

Groundsheet

A groundsheet protects your sleeping mat, keeps moisture off, and adds a small buffer against cold ground. It also gives you somewhere dry to sort gear under the tarp.

Bug Protection

In sandfly country, some form of insect defence is close to mandatory. This could be a bug bivvy, mesh inner, or even just a head net, depending on how minimalist you’re going.

Secondary Shelter Component (Bivvy or Swag)

Many experienced tarp campers pair their tarp with a bivvy bag. This adds warmth, blocks wind, protects your sleeping bag, and provides redundancy if the weather turns ugly overnight.

Camping Tarp Site Selection

A tarp or bivvy will only ever be as good as where you pitch it.

Look for:

• Natural wind breaks (banks, bush edges, rock ribs)

• Slight elevation to avoid pooling water

• Well-drained ground

• Overhead hazards (dead branches are killers)

Avoid:

• Gullies and dry creek beds

• Exposed ridgelines in unstable weather

• Long grass soaked with dew

Is Tarp or Bivvy Camping Right for You?

Tarp and bivvy camping isn’t about suffering, it’s about intentional simplicity. If you’re the sort of adventurer who likes to move fast, travel light, and feel properly immersed in the outdoors, this style of camping might just change how you think about shelter altogether.

Once you’ve dialled it in, it’s hard to go back.

Check out the Bushbuck Bivlite Tarp