I have seen several times a handy little rig for a shelter. I understand that you can purchase a nylon shelter, made out of the same material as nylon tents, and so they are very light weight. I have also seen shelters made out of tarp and have talked with Guiders who have one for their Unit - in case there is not other shelter at a camp site.
This requires about three people to set up easily, and you need at least 6 poles (or trees to tie things to!) and 12 sturdy tent pegs as well as the tarp. And rope - 6 pieces that you can use doubled up, work best, so they need to be quite long. Also if you have the luxury, some kind of brightly coloured fabric or ribbon to mark these wires - This will save a certain amount of tripping over the ropes!!
The poles can be poles from defunct tents (I have a few of those), or you can purchase new ones and you either need ones that are adjustable, or two longer one and 4 shorter ones. The tarp needs to have 6 grommets (eyelets with reinforcements), one at each corner and two in the middle of the long ends. (In the event of a torn grommet, you can make something that works pretty well, by making a bit of a pocket in the fabric, placing a smallish stone in that pocket and tying the rope around the stone AND the fabric. This will prevent the rope from simply slipping off of the material.
Lay the tarp out on the ground and place the 4 shorter poles at the 4 corners and the two longer poles by the two center holes.
The best knot for joining the rope to the tarp (as opposed to the poles) is a larkshead. And you already know what a larkshead knot is, even if you didn't know that that was its name. Fold the rope in half. Push that loop through the grommet hole. Take the two ends and put them through that loop. Pull the ends all the way through. Put the grommet on the sticky up part of the pole. If the wind blows under your tarp and lifts it - it may come off the poles, but it won't blow the tarp away, because the tarp will be tied to the pegs! (Thanks to Agnes for that tip!!)
Take the two ends and peg them down, at about 45 degree angles from the straight edges of the tarps. I personally put the peg in the ground, tie an overhand knot (which gives me a loop that won't slip), place the loop over the peg and pound it in the rest of the way. I know there is a knot that you can tie, but I don't know what it is. When I have the ends in the ground I adjust that first pole.
Repeat this operation for the other corner, then the two center poles, and then
the two corners on the other end. As I say you can purchase a nifty little rig that
comes with a little cloth bag, the nylon shelter, 6 collapsing poles, rope and 12 tent
pegs. Light weight, easy to put up. Or make your own - an old pair of jeans, cut the leg off
and turn wrong side out, sew across the bottom, make a drawstring sleeve at the top,
and voila! a great bag for tent poles. Make a smaller one for pegs!
