Nobody goes out camping without thinking of setting up a tent at the site. There are some situations where you might not have a proper tent with you at the camp – maybe you forgot to buy one or you left it at home. Whatever the reason may be, you can still improvise and make a camping tent from scratch for yourself.
To make a substitute tent, you will need to make use of some materials naturally found at the campsite and some extra stuff that you brought with you from home.
Not having a quality tent under 100 when at camp isn’t an option. Keep reading to learn how to make DIY camping tent plans.
How to Make Your Own Camping Tent
It’s important to know how to make your own camping tent from scratch in case you don’t have a ready-made tent with you. This is similar to our guide on how to make your own portable camping toilet.
This will protect you and your belongings from the elements when you’re at camp.
1. Lay the Tarp on the Ground
The first step in making your tent is preparing the tarp. You need to create little holes that will be used to attach the tarp to some posts.
The holes would be made at the corners of the tarp and they have to be small so that they can tightly fit around the posts for a well-insulated tent. You also need to attach some ropes (to be used in securing the tent) to each of the corner holes that you made.
2. Find a Place to Set Up Your Tent
It’s important that you find the perfect area to set up your tent. What you would be looking for is a plain level ground where you can properly install the center-post for this tent.
The center post holds up the tarp in the middle and it’s usually the largest of the posts. When picking the site for your tent, you need to consider getting enough space for both the tent and a campfire.
3. Secure the Corners of the Tent
To secure the tent, you need to stretch out the corners of the tarp in such a way that each corner lies diagonally across from the other (with the center post lying somewhere in the middle).
To ensure that each tarp corner remains perfectly in its position, you need to push a stick through the corner holes into the ground. The correct tent shape is something like an Egyptian pyramid.
4. Build Strong Walls
Building your own Coleman tent from scratch involves you driving the corner holes of the tarp into the ground – you could make use of a large stone if you don’t have a hammer.
You need to make sure that both tarp holes are properly aligned at each corner so you can stay warm camping without a worry. This is before you finally drive the poles through the holes. You might need to repeat the driving process to achieve this.
5. Tie the Knots
The final step in making homemade camping tents from scratch is tying the knots. At this point, you simply have to secure each tarp corner to the sticks by properly tying the previously attached ropes to the sticks.
You can also place heavy rocks at each corner of the tarp to rainproof your tent and make it stretch better. After all this, you can make a comfortable home for yourself inside the tent.
Final Thoughts
So how to make a homemade tent for camping? After everything you just read on making your camping tent from scratch, you should have an easy time making a tent all by yourself when you’re at camp. You need your tarps, strong poles, some sticks, and ropes to completely set up a nice tent. Make sure you buy all this camping gear at affordable prices.
Remember to always consider getting enough space for both a campfire and the tent – it’s important for you to keep warm at night. The campfire should be at least two feet away from the tent to prevent any unnecessary accidents.
Make sure your tent is tightly stretched across each end to the center pole so that it doesn’t cave in on you when you’re taking a nap. Tents are needed to keep you and your property safe from the elements (rain and sun rays), hence the importance of this writing.
Have a nice time camping!