How to Set Up an Ultralight Tarp Shelter for Backpacking

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Tarp shelters have the following features:

• Grommets for pole tips at the middle of each side of the tarp
• Sturdy reinforced loops at the corners and along the edges to allow you to stake them down or attach and stake down guylines (or attach those guylines to objects like trees)
• Some tarps might also have extra loops to add guylines in strong winds
• Some tarps might also have loops along the centerline at the top of the tarp to let you set up a ridgeline

Tarp Shelter Setup Supplies

Tarp shelters vary a little in what comes with them, but your basic supply needs are few:

The tarp: Many are square, which works for the setups in this article; sizes and shapes vary—backpacking tarps are in the 9’ x 9’ range and weigh one pound (or a bit more).

Guylines: Typically included; some are pre-attached and/or might have tensioners or cleats built in for setup ease. All you really need is some cord and knot knowledge, though.

Additional cord: Typically not included, this lets you create a ridgeline, add extra guylines or extend guylines.

Stakes: Most, but not all shelters, include them; you might also want to bring along an extra stake or two to give you more setup options and in case you lose or break one.

Poles: Most shelters are designed to work with trekking poles (not included), though a few might come with their own shelter poles.

Three Knots to Know

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The bowline: For securing a guyline to a guyout loop or a tree trunk. (See our video tutorial)

The trucker’s hitch: For securing—and tensioning—a guyline to a stake or a tree trunk. (See our video tutorial)

The prusik: Allows you to adjust tautness by sliding the hitch freely until it is held in place by tension; used for securing the front and rear edges of a tarp along a ridgeline. (See our video tutorial)

A-Frame Setup

This classic tarp setup with the corners attached to the ground should give you enough space for two people to sleep under it.

Here’s how to set up a ridgeline for your tarp shelter:

1. Run a cord through the top loops along the centerline of the tarp (or underneath along the length of the tarp if it has no top loops).
2. Tie a bowline knot around one tree.
3. Tie a trucker's hitch to the tree on the other side (to tighten the ridgeline).
4. Tie a prusik knot so that it goes through the front pole grommet and around the ridgeline; do the same at the rear pole grommet.
5. Slide each prusik knot along the ridgeline until the tarp is taut along that line.
6. Stake and tension the corners and sides of your tarp shelter.

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Closed-End A-Frame Setup

This alternative to the classic A-frame gives you a little more protection from wind and rain. The back end is essentially closed, so wind and wind-driven rain can’t blow in from that side.

Here’s how to set up a ridgeline for your tarp shelter:

1. Run a cord through the top loops along the centerline of the tarp (or underneath along the length of the tarp if it has no top loops).
2. Tie a bowline knot around one tree.
3. Tie a trucker's hitch to the tree on the other side (to tighten the ridgeline).
4. Tie a prusik knot so that it goes through the front pole grommet and around the ridgeline; do the same at the rear pole grommet.
5. Slide each prusik knot along the ridgeline until the tarp is taut along that line.
6. Stake and tension the corners and sides of your tarp shelter.

Closed-End A-Frame Setup

This alternative to the classic A-frame gives you a little more protection from wind and rain. The back end is essentially closed, so wind and wind-driven rain can’t blow in from that side.

Here’s how to set up your tarp shelter as a closed-end A-frame:

1. Stake down the middle point at what will become the back of the shelter.
2. Put your trekking pole at the front (angled slightly), then stake down and lightly tension its guyline to hold the pole in place.
3. Stake down the front two corners.
4. Stake down the back two corners.

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Wind-Shed Setup

As the name implies, this is really good for protection when the prevailing wind is coming from a particular direction. It’s also good if you're backpacking somewhere warm and you want to maximize your view of a nearby lake or mountain.

Here’s how to set up your tarp shelter as a wind shed:

1. Stake down one side of the tarp.
2. Put a trekking pole (angled slightly) in the middle of an adjacent side of the tarp; then stake down and tension the pole’s guyline (at about a 90° angle from that side of the tarp).
3. Put the other trekking pole (angled slightly toward the front of the shed) in the middle of the side of the tarp that’s opposite the staked-down side; then stake down and lightly tension the pole’s guyline (at about a 90° angle from the guyline holding the other pole).
4. Stake down the corner near that pole and stake down that side of the tarp.
5. Add a short guyline to the remaining corner on the tarp (at about a 90° angle from the guyline in Step 3), then stake that guyline down and tension the line.

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C-Fly Setup

Much like the wind shed, this offers open views, as well as protection when the prevailing wind is coming from a particular direction. It also offers the added benefit of providing a ground sheet to protect your sleeping setup from soggy soil.

Here’s how to set your tarp shelter up as a C-fly:
Note that this setup requires a minimum of eight stakes.

1. Stake down what will be the corners on your rectangular ground sheet section (as shown in the illustration above).
2. Place a trekking pole to support one side of what will become the ridgeline; add a guyline to that front corner of the tarp (at a 90° angle from the ridgeline); then stake down and tension that guyline.
3. Place the other trekking pole to support the other side of the ridgeline and repeat Step 2.
4. Tension (retension) guylines until your shelter is taut; for added stability, you can also add an additional guyline on each side coming out from the top of the pole (at a 90° angle from that side of the C-fly).

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Full text:
How to Set Up an Ultralight Tarp Shelter for Backpacking

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Как сделать укрытие из сверхлегкого тента в пеших походах

Replacing Date Battery in Canon

On the example of the camera SX10.

Green circle indicates where slot for the Date battery is located in the camera SX10.

CR120 battery for replacing

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Замена батарейки для даты в Canon

5.11 Tactical Halcyon Patrol Boots fair review

1. The first I want to note at the beginning is that the boots “Patrol Halcyon” of 5.11 Tactical was developed not by a shoemaker, but by a designer.

Первое, что в начале хочу отметить, ботинки "патрульный зимородок" [так переводится с английского их название] от 5.11 Tactical разрабатывал не сапожник, а дизайнер.

2. The boot is made for people with flat-footedness, the "Patrol Halcyon" boot has a low rise and for the high foot it should stretch during initial wear.

Ботинок сделан для людей с плоскостопием, у "тихого патрульного" [еще один перевод названия с английского] ботинка - низкий подъем и под высокую стопу он должен растянуться при первоначальной носке.

Boots are narrow in height.
I'll tried to take a photo to illustrate this.
5.11 Tactical Halcyon Patrol (left) Boot and 5.11 A.T.A.C.® 6" Side Zip Boot (right).
5.11 Tactical Halcyon Patrol boot on photo are already well-distributed while wearing a year.
3. The place for the nylon insert was chosen defectively, in place of the junction of nylon insert and leather a boot fissure occurs while walking. The bulged seam could be not tightened with the lace.

Место для нейлоновой вставки выбрано неудачно, на месте стыка вставки из нейлона и кожи и происходит излом ботинка при ходьбе. Шов оттопыривается и его не затянуть шнурком.

4. The loop at the bottom of the tongue is made neither here, nor there! How could it keep the tongue there from shifting?

Петля внизу язычка сделана ни к селу, ни к городу! Как она там будет удерживать язычок от смещения?

5. Here is the first modification of boots, loop for lace is added in the middle of the tongue, where it should be!

Вот первая модификация ботинок, петли для шнурков добавлены в середине язычка, там, где им и положено быть!
6. The tongue is the strangest part of the boot and requires more attention. While putting on the boot, the tongue goes down and one needs it to pull out.

Язычок - самая странная деталь ботинка и требует повышенного внимания. При обувании он уходит вниз и его надо выдергивать.

7. The second modification. The leather tape covering the leg from the zipper tends to curl at the very bottom in the place where the zipper beginы, it is sewn now there for its fixation.

Вторая модификация. Кожаная лента закрывающая ногу от молнии имеет свойство скручиваться в самом низу в месте, где начинается молния, сейчас она там пришита для ее фиксации.

8. The loop at the back of the boot has a decorative function; it is difficult to shove your index finger into it to help to put on.
Петля сзади ботинка имеет декоративную функцию, трудно в нее засунуть указательный палец для помощи в обувании.
9. The sole has no digits "5.11" distinguishing this manufacturer, what is a plus. The sole is not slippery, but needed skill to walk on ice.

Подошва без характерных для обуви этого производителя опознавательных цифр "5.11", что есть плюс. Подошва не скользкая, но для хождения по льду нужны навыки.

10. It’s too early to talk about the durability of boots; time must pass.
And so, a review about the wear durability of this model.
Already in the summer, these shoes "sang". When walking, there is a constant squeak, somewhere in the middle, under the arch of the foot. The right boot sang especially loudly. I brought them to the shoemaker, he could not find and repair the cause, and the reason is namely because the shoes were made entirely of artificial materials, he said: "Because of this [artificial materials], anything can squeak!"
I wore these shoes almost every day. So, they will be "quiet" [Halcyon] while new ...

Об износостойкости ботинок говорить рано, для этого должно пройти время.
И так, отзыв про износостойкость этой модели.
Уже летом эти ботинки "запели". При ходьбе постоянный писк, где-то с середины, из под свода стопы. Особенно громко запел правый ботинок. Занес к сапожнику, он не смог найти и устранить причину, и именно из-за того, что ботинки сделаны полностью их искусственных материалов, так и сказал: "Из-за этого [искусственных материалов] пищать может, что угодно!"
Носил почти каждый день эти ботинки. Так что, "тихими" они будут пока новые...

Broke on December 30th. Tongues for zippers in tactical boots should be made of non-fragile materials.

Сломалась 30 декабря. Язычки для молний в тактических ботинках следует делать из нехрупких материалов.

October 30th, 2020
The boots have undergone very harsh wear for over a year.
The sole is too thin for such a load.

Ботинки более года подвергались очень суровому носку.
Подошва слишком тонкая для такой нагрузки.

Magnetic Mount for Vehicle Mobile Radio Antenna

Brand Name: ABBREE
Material: Plastic
Product style: Magnetic Mount
Magnetic Base: 11.5cm with SO-239 to antenna
Coaxial cable: RG58/U 5m with PL-259 to mobile radio
Weight: about 720g

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Available in store

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Part for replacement

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Магнитное основание для автомобильной мобильной радиоантенны

Surveillance Detection

Part I: Surveillance Detection Basics

How To Know If You’re Being Followed

Surveillance detection is a fancy spy term for identifying if you are being followed. It is one of the best skills an individual can learn to protect themselves and the ones they love. In the “spy” world, being able to identify if you have surveillance or are being followed by the intelligence services of foreign government or a terrorist can mean the difference between life and death for yourself or anyone you meet. In fact, this invaluable skill is the difference between life and death in the real world, as well.

I reached out to my former agency teammate Mark Laine at Center Line Systems to talk over ideas for teaching some of the basic elements of surveillance detection. Mark is a real-life master when it comes to surveillance detection so I wanted to pick his brain on how to take our training and experience regarding surveillance detection and translate it into some easy techniques that can be employed by dads, moms, and citizens everywhere to improve their personal safety practices and protect their loved ones.

What we came up with is a basic guide that will cover:

1. What surveillance detection actually is
2. Why you should know if you are being followed
3. How to identify if you are being followed
4. Safety steps you need to take to protect yourself and loved ones from danger

What Is Surveillance Detection?

Surveillance Detection is a series of techniques that you can employ to identify if you are being followed. The word “surveillance” really means to “observe.” While someone parked outside your neighborhood or place of work who is watching your comings and goings is true “surveillance,” so is someone following you in a car or on foot. We’ve all seen movies where a guy looks in the rear-view mirror and sees a tail six cars back. Or when a woman walking down the street ducks into a shop to escape out the back to lose her pursuer. Ah, Hollywood… but this time they aren’t all that wrong.

Why Do You Need To Know If You Are Being Followed?

Whether you are a “spy” or a soccer mom, one of the biggest threats to our personal safety is complacency. Everyone wants to believe the minor confrontation over a parking space, the guy driving like a jerk on the freeway, or the creepy person staring at you in the shopping mall is nothing more than that. However, everything from how you are dressed, how you carry yourself, your actions or even the location you are frequenting may bring you to the attention of criminal elements. Worst case scenario, your child caught the eye of a predator and now he wants to know where your kid lives or goes to school.

Part II: How To Identify Surveillance

Are You Being Followed? In the world of an intelligence officer, there are many different types of surveillance and techniques to use to identify if you are under surveillance. In the civilian world we are more likely to face a very specific type of surveillance and we can get away with employing techniques that require less finesse. So, for the purpose of this article I will keep it as simple as possible so that the skills discussed can be remembered and easily executed when needed.

Again, situational awareness cannot be stressed enough here as the only way you are going to identify a pursuer is by paying attention in the first place. Identification by being hit over the head is truly a poor technique. Surveillance detection works for both travel on foot or in a vehicle and is executed through three easy tests… but only if you are paying attention. It may sound strange or as a challenge to your ego, but you need to train yourself to “pay attention” to your surroundings.

Three Tests

1. Distance Traveled Test
The concept here is simple. If a person or car is still behind you over a long distance, then you place that person/car higher up on your mental list of potential pursuers. However, this test only shows us one piece of the puzzle and if used by itself can produce false results.
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2. Length of Time Traveled Test
The longer you are traveling, the higher the likelihood that someone who is following you is going to stand out or be noticed as you have had more “time” to notice them (that is, if you are paying attention). Chances are this person has not had the chance to change their clothes or vehicle and hopefully seeing the same person or car for the last hour will start to set off some warning bells in your brain.
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3. Change of Direction Test
Changing your direction of travel, either on foot or vehicle, helps avoid the random “going in the same direction” or “out driving around town for the same amount of time” random event. The more changes of direction you can incorporate into your routine, the better chance you have of narrowing down your mental list of potential suspects. If going from Point A to Point B consists of six turns and the same vehicle is behind you for each of them, well, you might want to pay attention. That said, this test is like the others, can produce false observations if used only by itself. For example, everyone uses this shortcut, this is the main/easiest way to get to the freeway, departing your neighborhood to the main street that leads to the grocery store, etc.
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Tips While Driving

As you begin to practice this skill, start concentrating on those three tests as you drive or walk around. If you have been driving across town in a straight line, take a few turns out of your way. Doing so will help you determine if someone is following you by isolating, or weeding out, a lot of the cars you’ve seen driving behind you up to that point. Throw in a few stops to increase your driving time and add some turns between stops to further narrow down the list of potential vehicles. Jump back on the main road and repeat.

Tips While On Foot

If you are on foot walking downtown from Point A to B, conduct your route in the same way. Change directions and keep an eye on anyone that may be behind you. Remember, your urban environment provides all kinds of opportunities to look behind without “looking behind”. Think about using reflections in windows, doors, bus stops, and windshields of passing vehicles to see who is behind you. To add some time to your walk, stop to read a menu posted outside a restaurant, duck into a store to grab a coffee or use a restroom. Most folks will pass you by if you do.

So you don’t appear paranoid by looking behind you constantly and raising other people’s suspicions, add some turns to your route. As you turn, swivel your head to see where you came from – this is normal as you should look left and right before crossing traffic! This technique is great because it forces you to always change directions and can be done mindlessly to always know what is going on behind you. Think situational awareness and repeat until you are able to determine if someone is or is not following you… then decide what to do next!
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Part III: What To Do After Confirming Surveillance

Steps to Take After Identifying You Are Being Followed What should you do if you have identified that you are being followed? Simple – get to safety!

Let’s back it up for a second. What if (seeing as all of this is new to you) you are not totally sure if this person has been following you or it’s just a random event or your imagination? Well, Hollywood isn’t the real world, which is where you are located and where there are actual laws and consequences, so trying to “lose” them is stupid, dangerous, and probably not going to work for you. However, here are a couple easy, safe and legal ideas that you could try:

Simply turn around… pull into any area that easily and quickly allows you to turn around and go back the way you just came. It really would be beyond coincidental if that suspect vehicle behind you performed the same maneuver, wouldn’t it? If you are on the freeway and there is an off-ramp that has an immediate on-ramp as well, then just exit the freeway, wait until it is safe to cross traffic and simply drive back onto the freeway. Again, I would call this a pretty solid clue if that suspect vehicle does the same thing.
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Stay Calm, Change the Situation

Stay calm and change the situation to your advantage and personal safety. Call 911 and drive to the nearest police or fire station. If there isn’t a station nearby, think of a well-lighted and public location that would provide you with easy escape routes, where you can also easily keep this person in view (from a safe distance), where law enforcement can easily find you, or where it is obvious there are lots of video cameras or security guards. Don’t let the bad guy get the advantage. Avoid places such as roads or alleys where you could become stuck, blocked in, cut off or otherwise isolated, parking ramps, or any such place where maneuverability and visibility are limited.

Prevention is Better Than A Cure

Like a disease or illness, prevention is much better than the cure and good safety habits are the Vitamin C of personal security. So start changing your habits to include practicing situational awareness, creating surveillance detection routes, mixing up your daily/weekly routines, and the most challenging practice ever – stop communicating your schedules, events and vacations on social media!
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Teaching Kids Personal Safety

Knowing how to identify if you are being followed is a skill that could potentially save lives. And like situational awareness, teaching my wife and children how to identify if they are being followed is a fun activity to bond over while increasing their security/survivor mindset.
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Reno Dads is all about exploring fatherhood in all its glory. If you enjoyed this article, check out Teaching Kids Situational Awareness (expanded discussion on our podcast) and 15 Travel Tips From Former Undercover CIA Officers for more strategies on keeping your family safe. As always, thanks for your support.
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Full text - Surveillance Detection – A CIA Officer’s Guide to Protecting Your Family

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