How to Set Up a Tarp Ridgeline: The Knots and the Steps

A tarp shelter is only as good as the line it hangs from. A loose or sagging ridgeline lets the tarp drift, fold and collect water. A tight one gives you a clean pitch you can adjust as the weather changes. This guide walks through how to set up a tarp ridgeline between two trees, the four knots that do most of the work, and how to finish the pitch.

How to set up a tarp ridgeline, step by step

The order matters: run the line first, hang the tarp second and stake the corners last.

1. Pick the trees and the ground. Look for two sturdy, living trees a little farther apart than the length of your tarp, over level ground that isn't a low spot where water collects. Look up before anything else and move if there are dead branches overhead.
2. Thread the tarp. If your tarp has loops along its centerline, run the cord through them. If it doesn't, the line can run underneath the tarp's center.
3. Tie off the first tree with a bowline. Pass the cord around the trunk and tie a bowline to make a fixed loop that won't slip. Leave a tail long enough to work the knot loose later.
4. Tension at the second tree with a trucker's hitch. Walk the line to the second tree, pass it around the trunk and tie a trucker's hitch. Pull the slack out now; tight guylines later won't fix a loose ridgeline.
5. Attach each end of the tarp with a prusik. Tie a short loop of thinner cord around the ridgeline at each end of the tarp and connect it to the tarp's end loop or grommet. Slide the two prusiks apart until the tarp is taut along the ridge.
6. Stake the corners and sides. Run a guyline from each corner to a stake and adjust it with a taut-line hitch until the panels sit smooth.

The four knots that hang a tarp

Each of these knots has a specific job. Practice them at home with the cord you plan to carry before you need them at camp. If you are new to knots, start with our guide to basic camping knots, then come back to this setup.

Bowline: the fixed end

The bowline makes a loop that holds its size. To tie it around a tree, form a small loop in the standing part of the line, pass the working end around the trunk, bring it up through the small loop, around behind the standing part and back down through the same loop. Dress the knot so its parts lie neatly, then pull it snug.

Trucker's hitch: the tension end

The trucker's hitch works like a simple pulley, which makes it easier to pull the ridgeline tight. A little more than an arm's length from the second tree, form a loop in the standing part of the line. Pass the working end around the tree and back through that loop, then pull the tail toward the tree to tighten the line. Lock it off with two half hitches. Tying them with a bight, as slipped half hitches, lets you release the line with a tug on the tail when you pack up.

Prusik: the sliding grip

A prusik is a loop of cord wrapped around the ridgeline two or three times and passed back through itself. Pushed by hand, it slides; under the pull of the tarp, it grips. Use cord noticeably thinner than the ridgeline, or the prusik may not hold. Two prusiks, one at each end of the tarp, let you center the tarp and then stretch it tight along the line.

Taut-line hitch: the adjuster

The taut-line hitch makes an adjustable loop, which is why it is a common choice for guylines. Pass the line around the stake, then wrap the working end twice around the standing part, working back toward the stake. Finish with one more wrap around the standing part on the side of the first two away from the stake, and snug it. Slide the knot to tighten or loosen the guyline. If a corner goes slack overnight, you can retension it at the stake instead of re-pitching the tarp.

Finish the pitch

• Smooth the panels. Adjust the guylines until the fabric is even. Wrinkles and sagging panels give water a place to collect.
• Set the pitch for the weather. A steeper A-frame sheds rain more readily, while a lower, wider pitch gives more coverage. Lowering one side can also help block wind.
• Add drip lines. Many campers tie a short piece of cord to the ridgeline just inside each tree so rain running along the line drips off before it reaches the tarp.
• Add anchor points where you need them. If your tarp has no loop or grommet in the right spot, or a grommet has torn out, a clip such as the BattleGear Heavy-Duty Tarp Clips grips the edge with a screw-down jaw and gives you an eyelet to tie a guyline to.
• Recheck after the first hour. Cord can stretch and knots can settle. Tighten the ridgeline and guylines again before dark.

Practice first, and keep it to shelter jobs

Set up the tarp once in a yard or park before you rely on it on a trip, ideally in daylight and dry weather. Inspect your cord for wear before each use, and protect the trees you tie to by keeping the line from cutting into bark. This setup is for a rain shelter. Don't use it to hang a hammock, support a person's weight, or lift or tow anything. Those jobs need equipment and techniques rated for them.

For a ridgeline and guylines, keep a supply of cord such as BattleGear 550 Tactical Paracord Rope, which comes on a spool in 50M or 100M lengths, along with a smaller cord for your prusik loops. After the trip, see our guide on storing camping gear after a trip so the tarp and lines go away clean and dry.