I'm back, with Tarp questions!

[midnite-penguin]

Hey guys, been awhile since I posted but I just recently relocated to Wilmington, NC - from Maryland and its been a little hectic getting settled.

ANYWAY I did sneak off to a gnarly military surplus store down here - they have a ton of great stuff. Finally got a hold of some 7-strand parachute cord I've been reading so much about(it was tough to find the real stuff in Maryland). And also an old surplus ground mat to keep my sleeping bag off the ground and add a bit of insulation. All in all the trip cost me about $10 - The parachute cord was 8 cents a foot - sound pretty reasonable to you folks?

Anyway I plan on doing a little beach camping in a few weeks for my birthday. On Carolina beach they let you drive right out on the beach and you can even make fires and camp in certain spots. Seeing as I love the beach, and I love camping - I figured it will be a great way to spend a weekend. A fire under the stars and maybe some beers and a surf pole :thumbup:

Anyway I really want to just throw up a tarp to sleep under. If I don't find a good deal on a small one then I might just end up using a mil-spec poncho. I only plan to spend 2 nights out there and if crap really 'hits the fan' I have the truck to get in anyway.

My only concern is being that its a coastal area - wind will probably be a big factor. Any tips on how to set up a tarp to resist high wind gusts. Common sense tells me that I should build it low to the ground and with the grounded sides facing the wind. I'll make sure I do a good job staking it in the sand with long tough stakes.

Basically just looking for any advice from you folks that have Tarp-camped in windy conditions.

Also - does dew become a big factor for tarp camping ? any suggestions on how to keep it from soaking me in the morning?

Thanks!

 

[j williams]

You might try something like brian andrews did in on his recent winter camp. Instead o stakes, he made small square tarps with grommets, and tied em like a parachute, filling with snow and burying them. Tied the tarp off tho those. Might be something to consider.

Joezilla probably will know more about your area since he is local to NC.

 

[bigox]

Couldn't you use bury driftwood or some such and use it as a dead man to tie your tarp down?

 

[dartanyon]

get some old socks, fill em with sand, tie the guy to the open end of the sock and bury it in the sand. hope this helps

 

[Carthage]

I've been in Wilmington for about 6 years. Beach camping is good out on CB. There are a lot of college kids that go out there on the weekends, so if you like to sit around and drink a few with some coeds, it's a good idea. But you really can find some nice quiet spots without a problem.
There is also some pretty good camping in the park there at CB.
dew isn't normally a big problem out there, but with the weather changing so quickly right now, it's hard to know.

 

[siguy]

with an open tarp, dew has never really been an issue for me...

when you pitch your tarp, keep in mind the basic thermal cycles occurring near the ocean...namely the fact that the breeze will change direction between night and day if you have a signifigant change between the temp of the ocean water and land temp.

this means that at night, you will have breezes blowing towards the ocean. during the day, the breeze will be coming in off the ocean. if you are setting up in the daytime when the winds are blowing in off the ocean, you might find that your tarp is a sail at night...

the effects might not be as strong in the coolers months, but something to consider.

for a first tarp and car camping, i would suggest something like a 10x12 basic blue poly tarp. it will be roomy in case of rain, cheap, and good for experimenting with.