How to Rig a 3x3 Oilskin Tarp
A 3x3 tarp is a deceptively versatile piece of kit. Nine square metres of oilskin canvas, twelve brass eyelets, and a handful of guylines will cover most situations you encounter in the Australian bush. The setup you choose depends on the weather, the terrain, and how long you plan to stay put.
What follows are four configurations that cover most conditions, from a clear overnight to horizontal rain.
The A-frame
The simplest and most instinctive setup. A ridgeline between two trees, tarp draped over the top, both sides pegged out at an angle. It sheds rain symmetrically, gives reasonable headroom in the middle, and takes about three minutes once you've done it a few times.
Pitch the ridgeline at roughly 1.2 metres. Stake the sides out at around 45 degrees. For a 3x3 tarp, that gives you a covered footprint of approximately 3x1.5m at the base, which is enough for a bedroll and kit.
The lean-to
Better than the A-frame when rain is coming from one direction. One edge pegs to the ground, the other goes high. You get full protection on the weather side, and a wide open face on the lee side that stays usable for cooking, sitting, or watching the light go.
Pitch the high edge at 1.5 to 1.8 metres. The low edge should be close to the ground, ideally with the tarp staked out ahead of where it meets the soil so the water sheets away rather than pooling underneath. Run two guylines forward from the high corners to keep it taut in wind.
The diamond pitch
This is the configuration that rewards a 3x3 tarp specifically. Rotate the tarp 45 degrees and pitch it by the centre point with two corners to the ground and two in the air. The result is a tight, low shelter with excellent wind resistance and a small, efficient footprint.
It suits single-person overnight camps, exposed ridgelines, and anywhere the weather is genuinely threatening. The covered floor space is smaller than a lean-to, but everything feels closer and more protected. Pitch the apex at around 1 metre, peg the two ground corners out wide, and stake the rear corner as low as it will go.
The porch (or door) setup
A lean-to variation with one panel folded back and propped up on a separate pole to create a canopy. It suits base camps and longer stays where you want covered outdoor living space alongside enclosed shelter. Run a ridgeline, pitch the rear section low, and use the front panel as a porch roof supported by a single upright or trekking pole.
This is the configuration most people discover on their third or fourth trip out. It costs an extra pole or a tall stick, and returns a camp that genuinely feels set up rather than just survived.
General notes
Oilskin canvas performs differently from nylon or poly tarps. It is heavier and stiffer when cold, but it doesn't flap or crack in the wind the way synthetics do. It deadens sound. It breathes slightly. The eyelets are brass, which means they will not corrode but they will show use.
Tension matters more with canvas than with synthetic. A loose oilskin tarp will sag and pool. Peg it out firmly and re-tension after it gets wet for the first time, as the canvas will take a set over the first few uses.
The Kohutt tarp ships with optional 550 paracord guylines. Paracord handles well in the cold, knots cleanly on brass eyelets, and holds under load. If you're adding your own, the same cord works well, or any non-slippery braid that won't loosen when wet.
The tarp will darken where it's been handled, crease at fold lines, and stiffen slightly in cold weather. These are not signs of failure. They are how a canvas tarp tells you it's been used.
The Kohutt Oilskin Field Tarp Shelter
Made in Tasmania. Hand-cut, hand-sewn. Made from the last remaining stock of Australian-made cotton oilskin canvas.
View the Oilskin Field Tarp Shelter. Lifetime guarantee. Free repairs.