Tarps & Tents

Tarps & Tents — Planned Shelter for Trail and Camp

Tarps and tents are the planned-shelter layer — what you set up at the campsite versus what you grab when an unplanned overnight happens. SRO's Tarps & Tents collection covers backpacking tents, vehicle tents, ultralight tarps, and the heavier shelters for car-camping and overland use.

Choose by deployment time

Backpacking tents (Featherstone, ALPS) — full-coverage shelter, takes 5-15 minutes. Tarps — minimalist, fast deployment, paired with paracord and stakes. Rooftop tents (Inspired Overland) — vehicle-mounted, fastest setup. See GROUND TENTS and Shelter & Sleep.

Pair with the shelter system

Tents and tarps need stakes (or Ground Anchors in soft terrain), cordage (Paracord), and a sleep system (Sleeping Gear).

First trip with a new shelter, set it up in the backyard before you take it to the woods. The 10-minute backyard practice catches the things you'd otherwise figure out at 9 PM in the rain.