Why You Need A Survival Tarp in Your Pack

The top three needs of any survival situation will always be water, shelter, and fire. Every survival pack you build should meet these needs. One of the most overlooked pieces of gear is the survival tarp.

The right survival tarp is one of the most diverse pieces of gear you can stow in your pack. It's invaluable. The biggest reason is that it touches all three of these base survival needs. Here are a few more reasons why you should include a tarp in your pack before your next venture.

Quickdraw Shelter

The most obvious and self-explanatory use of a survival tarp is building a shelter. There is no natural shelter that can be built as fast as a tarp shelter. You can have a quality survival tarp shelter up and covering you in a matter of minutes.

Moisture Barrier

When you are setting up a shelter on the ground one of the biggest battles is against moisture. Moisture is far from an inconvenience. In the right condition’s moisture becomes a killer. It can be enough to wet you through a night of sleep and the chilling air could induce hypothermia. A high-quality survival tarp will create a barrier between you and the moisture below.

Therefore, we often lay tarps down before setting up our tent. This added layer is great for staying dry and fighting the cold ground beneath you, which will also suck the heat from your body.

Water Collection

Tarps can also be a great ally in the fight against dehydration. Tarps will give you the ability to carry or catch water. By digging a small hole in the ground, you can catch a substantial amount of drinkable water from a simple downpour. This is a priceless resource when you are struggling to survive in the wilderness.

Survival Concealment

Depending on the situation, you might find that you need concealment. Or maybe certain aspects of your camp need concealment. While it might be a rare case, it’s best to have the option to conceal your camp if need be.

A camouflaged survival tarp makes it easy to hide from potential threats.

Keeping Resources Dry

One of the most common uses for a survival tarp is to keep water from damaging your camp resources/equipment.

Just a few minutes could turn that nice dry pile of wood into a serious hassle when it comes to getting that fire going again.

One of the best things to protect with a survival tarp is your firewood.

Size and Impact

The size of your survival tarp is very important. When we talk about size, we are getting at two issues in particular.

1. What is the packed size of a survival tarp?
2. What is the expanded or usable size of a survival tarp?

The first question has everything to do with your pack. What is the cost of carrying this survival tarp? Is it going to take up most of your pack or just a small section?

The second question is about what your survival tarp is capable of. Our Defender Camo Tarp is 10’ by 10’ and will do basically everything you could ever wish from a tarp in a survival situation. This is a good size for creating a comfortable, private hammock shelter. It can also be used to make a dynamic ground shelter.

Don’t try to save money on a cheap or small tarp. When you are making shelter, you are almost always looking for a few more inches of a tarp. It doesn’t seem to matter what size you have. So be sure you invest in a quality tarp that is big enough to shelter you in a survival situation.

Conclusion

Every survivalist situation has something to benefit from a high-quality survival tarp. In its superior protection from exposure, it will pay for itself over and over again. Check out our selection of high-quality survival tarps today!