bobframe

No, not THAT TARP.

Here's what I'd like to do. I bought a Granite Gear 8x10 catenary cut tarp and would like to include this on my tour along with my 2 man BA Copper Spur tent.

I'd use the tarp as a sun/rain shelter- maybe pitch it over a picnic table at my camping site.

If the campsite planners were thoughtful enough to plant two trees about 10-12' apart and situated things just so, then I'd erect the tarp between the trees.

Unfortunately, I'm not expecting that much and would like to be able to pitch the tarp freesatnding. To do so, I think I need a couple of long poles to create the ridge line.

Any suggestions on how to do this? Can I pack a tent pole that is shock corded and expands to 7-9'? I'd expect this to beak down to a 20" length or so in order to strap it onto my bike's read rack.

Thanks in advance.

cyclist2000

go to a camping store and look at repair poles for tents or possibly look at trekking poles.

bobframe

Like the scene from "No Country For Old Men"....

AKA, I'm headed for REI in the morning- will see what solutions they have.

Trekking poles seems to be a common solution for creating a tent- but they're not long enough to create a shelter under a table.

Bekologist

not much good out there. there are poles for tepee style shelters, rei should be able to get you a couple of BD megamid poles. they are 6 or 7 feet, not 9.

bring about 100 feet of paracord, often you can find trees spaced 40-60 or 100 feet apart that have the picnic table between them and you're in business.

arctos

Before MSR absorbed Moss tents and tarps I bought the Moss 12 foot and 19 foot Parawings. Each has 6 foot or 8 foot multi-sectional poles to support them.

The larger one I use on kayak tours for a dry area for cooking in the rain in places like Glacier Bay NP or for shade in Baja along the Sea of Cortez.

The smaller one I use on bike tours for the same shade or dry space in rain benefits. A side benefit unanticipated is as a water source flowing off the tarp during rain.

The poles came from Easton. Maybe they sell direct to the public. Black Diamond uses CF poles for their Megamid but they are only 66 inches long. Ti Goat in Utah makes CF hiking and tipi poles. They do some custom work and might be helpful to you. Some shelter makers use a pole jack to link 2 hiking poles together to support their tarps, tents and tipis.
See MLD:https://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/

AsanaCycles

https://www.kifaru.net/paratarp2009.html

depending on your touring, weather, etc...

i have this to say about shelter...
generally, the bigger it is, the more time you're going to spend in it.

if you're trying to spend time on the bike = mileage
the more complex your campsite, the more time you spend setting up/tearing down/packing, etc...

you can try to use sticks,
you can mark alongside the tarp, a pre-measured length.
in that you may use that measure to break/cut a piece of deadfall to suite the need.

a cable saw is light, and works well for these types of light duty
https://www.survival-gear.com/wire-camping-saw.htm


or if the tarp has eyelets atop the pole inserts, you could string it from a limb up above, tie a rock to the end of some nylon cord and toss it over something.

as in the way i have this tarp pitched. no poles.

Bekologist

heck, if he's got sticks and some cording the man's in business!

the nights i don't string the tarp are usually the nights it rains on the picnic table.

bobframe

I found this site and called them. They sell aluminum tent poles (diameters range from .312" to .742"), shock cord by the foot and an assortment of tips. So, I could roll my own and have a lightweight pole that was customized to my specific need.

Here it is: https://www.questoutfitters.com/tent_poles.htm#.433%22

Am I barking up the right tree here?

Bekologist

maybe more along the lines of this pole

but i guess the large diameter tubes from questoutfitters would do the trick. go big, the narrow tent poles as found on modern geodesic tents wouldn't hold a tarp upright but buckle under the tension.

n4zou

Tarp shelter designs here.
https://www.equipped.org/tarp-shelters.htm

Camel

Check out the tarp poles at gossamer gear see:

https://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/...q:24.34.20.162

Pretty nice light weight option even in aluminum. I haven't used these poles, but have used the orange colored kelty (car-camping), it's pretty nice-but heavy.

Cycling I used a trekking pole. It is a combination trekking pole, camera pole (has a screw to mount most cameras), rifle mono-pod.

Interestingly the rifle monopod mount is the perfect y shape to use as a bike prop pole. Just lock your front brake with a rubber band or velcroe. The pole doesn't extend enough to use a tarp as shelter comfortably, but it extends nicely to use a tarp as temp shelter & as a very nice tent extension/super large vestibule. I used the combo pole a whole bunch on tour, and will likely continue to in the future.

I think I bought mine online from Cabella's, but not sure.

Edit: a quick google, and... this is the hiking pole I took on tour: :"Cabela's Alaskan Guide Guide Hiking Staff"

Booger1

You want to pitch the tarp 7-9 ft in the air? Like a shade over a picnic table? Your going to need at least a 1/2" pole,maybe even 3/4' poles.Otherwise the are going to bow out on you when you guy them out.

If your going to pitch it like a regular tarptent style,.340/.344 poles will be fine.

TheBrick

No need, just carry an xe then you can can down and whittle your own poles.