Making an awning for a tent

[Photojunkie]

Hello,
We will be headed up to Aspen/Redstone, CO at the end of this month and have read to expect daily rain showers in the afternoon. *I would like to create a covered area that we can get under while it rains. *I gave read about using a tarp with tent poles but we can't seem to get the details solidified in our heads. **Husband and I went over to Cabelas this weekend to ask the sales staff and just got blank stares.

Lots of googling has turned up very little. *Do any of you know of a YouTube site or just a regular website that could explain the how to . **The tent poles we have found just have a rubber bottom and don't appear to have a way of being staked down.

Ideally we would like to attached it to our tent so it would function as a sort of front porch.

Hope I am describing this clear enough to provide a good description!

Thanks for your help in advance,
Sharon

[Flibitygiget]

Re: Making an awning for a tent

Sharon,

Take a look at the thread on wet weather camping. There are a number of pics of tarp setups there. Also take a look at the Flibitygiget videos at world-interactive.com

Tarps can give you as much space as you want and they are really pretty inexpensive.

[MikeB]

Re: Making an awning for a tent

Sharon,
You will need.
18 feet of small diameter nylon rope.
Two aluminum telescoping tent poles that extend to 5+ feet (Walmart $10)
two stakes
One tarp with corner grommets - 6X8 or 8X10
a small hand saw (optional)
This is what I do. You are going to have to find a Boy Scout to to help you with the knots but it is cheap and works.
Pick out two trees that are about 6 to 8 feet apart. Find a piece of deadfall that you can use as a crosssmember to span the distance between the two trees with about a 2 feet extra. (This is the boyscout part) Lash (wrap and frap) the crossmember to the two trees at a height of about 6+ feet. Tie one side of the tarp to the crossmember, both corners first and then the middle section.
Using the telescoping tent poles, insert on in each of the corner grommets opposite from the fixed end of the tarp. Using a couple of 8 foot lengths of the rope, tie off on the tent poles above the grommets and stake the opposite end of the ropes to the ground.
You now have a rain shelter.