Shelter Using a Rectangle Tarp 

Dave I have watched every single one of your videos, some a dozen times! I never get tired of listening to you teach and learning these skills from you! You are a master of your craft, yet you are a humble teacher too. I am blessed to be able to learn so many skills from you, which I am now passing on to my children. Thank you so much!

I am so glad my dad did camping a bush craft with me at a very young age. I have learned so much from him and am so very thank full for him in my life. Dave i also want to thank you for your time you put in to your school and videos. I hope to see you at one of your classes soon. Hayden

Dave, I was in the scouts many many years ago. I have been watching your channel for about a month now. I am amazed just how many of these tip and setups I have forgotten. Thank you sir for this channel! Myself and my kids thank you. we got a lot projects in our future.

Thanks, Dave. Obviously, you don't have to offer us anything at all, (especially for free) and so I appreciate all of your efforts. Been a fan since about 2008, and am very happy I stumbled on your information back then. Keep up the great, and generous work. My best wishes to you, your family, and all your friends who contribute to helping us all.

This has to be my favorite video yet. I love the fact that you gave some ideas of painting the tarp and letting the kids make it their own. I can't wait to see the look on my 5 year olds face when I tell him we are going to make a tent out of this tarp, these marbles and this pole......

I can't thank you enough for this video, I have seen this set up many times on other channels but with a square tarp. When I ask about using a rectangle tarp they never answer, so I was excited when one of the channels who know what they are talking about and relays the information in a detailed and concise manner. I hope one day to attend one or more of your classes. Again thank you for all your videos and knowledge that you share with us.

Almost 6 years later and this video is still helping people. I feel like I’ve seen all the tarp videos on YT yet this is the first I’ve seen with real doors. Yes there’s one with a foldover entrance you crawl threw, but it reminds me of reverse birthing and closing the “door” is not convenient. Your setup is completely convenient. Finally, the comment at the end about the kids and the spray paint etc., that’s priceless. Excellent video Dave. Great, great job.

I am teaching a session in Cub Scouts for Castaway in which we are to build temporary shelters. THIS is the key - so many options in this one setup. Of course we'll be doing debris huts and poncho shelters - those are always a hit. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO!!

this video in particular has given me something money can't buy. it has shown how to help youngsters along so that they are a part of the process instead of just waiting for the grown ups to "make the camp" happen. thanks again for blazing this worthwhile trail.

got some dirt time this weekend with the Wife showing her really basic stuff, like sassafras leaves, yarrow, and sumac. Got to squirrel hunt in Shawnee national forest. I got 3 with Iron sights in a 3 hour period so you hunting with a smoke pole and trying to get it on camera is amazing. Fire making skills were practiced and teaching her how to get to dry wood after the rain. Thanks for all the teaching enjoyed the tarp series and will look for the PDF in a few minutes. want to take a class.

My family really appreciates all the training and advise. We love your show!!

At the very end you spoke of sharing with your family. So true! What a seed to plant... beautiful.

Thnx for uploading this. Watched it just after you uploaded it last night. Was wondering why it just cut off all of a sudden. Glad to see you caught it and got it fixed. Thanks for all your hard work.

I slept out all night n the pouring rain and with the help of a regular tarp and your tarp setup videos I stayed completely dry and warm. Thank you dave!

When I use a setup like this one, I take the corners that are folded in and tie a piece of cord to them and to the top of the pole. It makes a pocket to put things in so they aren't just laying around. I keep things that I might need to grab in them so I don't have to go into my pack, they're right there. Since I've started watching your videos, I try to make everything I got on me or around me have as many uses as I can get out of them. I feel that having more options makes it all better.

You just keep getting better. I have seen several videos depicting these configs and I find your instructional to be very digestible and simplified and clarified to the point where there is no confusion and I know that I will be able to recall these setups at any point, in the future, by rote and execute them properly, without any head-scratching (unless I contract lice). ... I can truly say THANKS, and mean it, without being generous.

this is great. i take my 5 year old daughter with me on hikes and bushcrafting scouts. she loves it. this is the kind of stuff i grew up doing. the painters cloth is a good idea for a cheap resource and project item. great stuff dude keep it up.

DAVE! Just received my Tentsmith's 8x8 Oilskin Tarp. Absolutely wonderful piece of gear. High quality, and well made. Dealing with tentsmith's was a pleasure. Debra, who answers the phone was wonderful. Thanks to you talking about them in your video, they will have a customer for life. Awesome piece of gear, thanks to your videos. Keep em comin' Dave, great stuff. Peace!

Awesome idea Dave; keeping the kids busy for hours by decorating the tepee with paint is another surefire way to get them hooked on outdoor activities and being in nature. Thank you for that idea; can't wait to try it.

Definitely be fun the kids, when my son and I ( who's 10 now) set my hunting blind, he was so excited! I let him do most of it, I just supervised...lol. He was happy and I enjoyed it. We spent about 4 hours for something that would usually be 1/2 hour or less but it was 4 hours of fun and quality time in the woods...

I've seen other videos with tarp set ups and they're all a bit different but informative. I haven't criticized a single one of them or accused them of "copying" each other. No one is born with this knowledge---it's passed down through countless generations as Dave is doing with this video. I'll save you the time by pointing out that he didn't invent the flintlock rifle, steel knives or how to make fire either--but he does a great job of passing on the knowledge of these things.

Dave, thanks sharing your knowledge and skills. Your videos help others become comfortable outdoors and learn self reliance skills.

Hi Dave your right about the plastic balls I use roll on deoderant bottle balls for this application thy are lighter and work just as good

Dave very nice tarp set ups. I have used all three type of set ups, tho i use poly tarps, because there cheap. Great idea with the children painting lol, In my intro i show this design of tarp set up with the doors, and a stove pipe coming out the front doors. I spent the night in it with a friend and we fed a home made keg stove to keep us warm in the winter . worked well. thanks for the vids, take care bro.

One of your best videos Dave.

I just got the British Basha Tarp 7x8 in Dessert Camo, Def watching this video a few times.. Thanks for everything Dave Canterbury, much respect from Yellowknife Canada..

Fantastic idea Dave about the kids decorating the tepee 😎 love it ❤️👍

I would never go outside and do any of these but I do find it informative. You're very interesting person.

Best shelter video yet.

you did a great job seting this tent up ,way to go ,lets see more of this thank u

Dave, I sure appreciate all your videos and the knowledge you share with all of us. I will be attending one of you classes at the Pathfinder School in the future....

Nice! Have set up a number of impromptu tears arrangements, but it was nice to learn about some more! Love it!

Can't wait to do this with my kids. Outstanding video - thank you.

Best tarp shelter video I have ever watched, thanks!

Another great video! Keep em coming Dave.

Great video as usual, I'm going to give the one with the doors a go next time i'm out. Been looking for something like that. Thanks for continuing to share you knowledge with us Dave, you're a real inspiration.

What a great ideas for this weekend. Thanks for sharing, Dave.

Great idea here, would be very useful in a lightweight backpacking scenario also

Love the tipi tarp it's what started me doing the whole out door thing and lead me to your channel thanks Dave

you are a great teacher man, i have seem some rude comments on your videos, dont listen to them bud, your doing good, i learn a lot from your videos, thank you for putting time to make them

Great video, Dave. any video coming from you is pure Gold. There's always something to learn from your video's.

One of my favorite videos you have made, what a great job! Thank you!

Awesome video Dave. Looks like I'm heading to the HardeWare store this weekend.

my son has a jrotc event coming up where they do an overnight learning wilderness survival. we have the coleman 4 person tent but ur configs are way cooler and rustic. i'm not sure when they go but i was going to provide a minimalist back pack with a foam rubber padding plus maybe 2 wool blankets and either the square or rectangle with gromits canvas.

Thanks, Dave.

Another great and informative video. Thanks Dave!

Awesome video Dave.

I think you should revisit this dave great video and knowledge

Thanks for the great video Dave

Thanks Dave. Great video.

Great stuff. Thx Dave! Gunna try this with my kids the next time the misses lets us out the house, lol.

could you post that pdf file you mentioned about different tarp set ups on the pathfinder facebook page

I'm loving these videos Dave! You just earned yourself a new subscriber.

I'm so glad you did this video. My attempts have failed so far and I think this one will do the trick

i could watch these things all day everyday, im like a sponge. haha wish i had the money to be an instructor for ya id do it in a heartbeat im right up here in columbus. as for the answering questions, You answer about half of the questions i ask on here so i dont know what that guy is talking about you NEVER answering questions.

Great ideas for the kids, thanks

Excellent video. Thank you very much.

Lovin' the toggles Dave.

I actually prefer a tarp tent with a floor. but loved your point of letting the kids or grandkids paint the walls that is genius.... lol thanks

If it is really windy you could shorten the post a little and run you a couple of anchor lines real tight with some good stakes in the ground.

Great video as always Dave.

good job Dave. I noticed that you said that you prefer square tarps instead of rectangular. You have told that again a while ago. Can you please provide a brief explanation because i cannot see any solid reason. Plus more camping tarps are made rectangular, so this is more familiar since it it wide-spread. Be well

Hey Dave, can you do a update on the kit you carry into the woods for a overnighter? and the bag you carry it in?

you know.. this would be easily set up on small scale with sandbags for stakes in a little campers room too.. i would have really enjoyed that as a kid, but i would have made it a tipi. i liked native americans a lot those days. always enjoy your vids man, thanks..

Really great video Dave! Enjoyed it!

Great video! Can't wait to try it with kids. My boys and I have been hooked on ur vids ever since we first saw you tromping around the jungle with that shoeless wierdo on the discovery channel. Thanks for all you do and keep up the good work !

Dave, getting the kids to decorate it is such a great idea! I was wondering how many stakes you would use, being that you usually only carry 4 or 6. I was counting as you were thumping them down. :)

great thinking with the painting idea !!!

Dave I used some Hickory nuts in lieu of musket ball.

Thanks dave. enjoyed it as always.

Great video, really wish I paid more attention back in boy scouts. As for taking kids out I generally don't like little kids, but I know my 15 yr old cousin would love to get back out doors as soon as shes better (she is in remission from leukemia), but she still has a yr or so before she will be able to actually hike. For now she is stuck with drive in camping like Sam A. Baker state park.

After seeing these shelters, it has helped give me an idea of how to set up a tarp with a fire place in it. However, with an opening on both sides in the front and the back staked down, I still am trying to figure out how to keep enough gap in the back to make the fire place. I'm talking for winter camping, so keep that in mind. Anyone here have any Ideas? I am open to anything.

If youre using cable, have a technician come out and check the lines. I lived in a suburban neighborhood where youd think internet would have been good. turns out that a little nick in the line was causing connection to escape cutting my speed down by half with crazy spikes! check your connection by hitting ctrl-alt +delete, open task manager, and go to networking. if you notice severe flunctuations then the line could be bad. They will fix this issue for free because it was their faulty install

Thanks David that was awesome

You rule, Dave!

Dave is there a tarp shelter you can have a fire in with you. For winter conditions when you don't have proper clothes or blanket? Thanks

Just great, keep up the great vids dave.

as a family man I must say thats an excellent idea

Who do you get to make your silny tarps? I want an 8x8 but everyone around here bigbox store wise says their tarps are 8x6 but that is starting size. Finished size is under those measurements. I want a good light waterpoof tarp. I like your teated canvas tarp as well. Who made that and where can I order one? Thanks Dave!! Love the videos...

Hey Dave can you make a video talking about bow saws Thanks, Eric

Anyone who wishes to go to the Facebook group he references should search for "The Pathfinder School Learning Center".

how about using hickory nuts for the tie outs?They sure are hard and they can be used for emergency rations if needed...lol,Great video. I will check out facebook for sure.

Great message, Dave. Painting his own tipi might even dislodge the want to go turd hunting from my 5yr old's mind.

Nice, but the weak point is the one peg that holds the rod. How large is the tarp? 3x4 meters or?

Do you ever make homemade oil cloth with your canvas tarps? How does/would that work in an outdoor situation?

I have been looking for hours for a video like this one! I am trying to get into muzzleloading and I want a pro[er canvas shelter.

I beat Dave would make one hell of a scoutmaster.

Inspiring. Thanks Dave

i do this for deer when im skinning them. no more cutting and pulling cutting and pulling if you are close to your 4wheeler or truck.

musketball tarp tents... awesome

Do you have to treat a painter's tarp for it to repel water

hey dave I have a rossi 243 as a woods gun I don't have the cash for a 12 guage do you think a rossi is a good gun

Love these videos Dave!! Keep it up, shame I'm in the uk I'd lobe

Would you recommend this for a winter backpacking trip?

Good stuff Dave. Thank you :)

The original video? I'm guessing these setups were used hundreds of years before video cameras were invented. You going to give Dave a hard time about using toggles? I'm sure he didn't invent toggles. Dave didn't invent the idea of decorating a tent either..... how does that taste? Take this knowledge and thank the man for sharing it.

I can not find the Pathfinder Learning Center on facebook, got a link ?

Thank you, like mentioning kids and family.

As always, good information and common sense. Love it :)

Well There are a lot of ideas out there, and most of them have been around for 200 yrs or more. Now that being said, if an idea can't be seen or heard it is no good for anyone. Just because it is on another channel doesn't mean everyone knows about it. I'm sure by Dave doing this video, it has shown a lot of people that didn't know about it. Lets be real here,the first people who has done a tarp like this has been dead way before You Tube came around.