How to Make a Home Made Tent for Your Kids

A homemade tent can be fun.

Tents are improvised shelters often used on camping trips. Tarpaulin, though it sounds rustic and rugged to use as a shelter, is adequate, especially if you're traveling by foot and need the load on your back to be as light as possible. Making a tent for your kids on your own is much cheaper than buying a commercial tent, though it can be just as efficient.

Things You'll Need

• 10-by-10 foot or larger tarpaulin sheet
• Twine or cord
• Survival knife

Instructions

1. Pick out a large tree that has a wide trunk.

2. Rake away debris from around the tree using a rake or your feet, and clear any rocks or sticks with your hands, if necessary. This is important because you want to lay on a flat rather than bumpy and painful surface.

3. Find a large rock and four smaller rocks. The more texture the rocks have, the better; smooth rocks won't work as well.

4. Tie the end of the cord around the trunk of the tree you picked out, 6 feet from the ground.

5. Put your larger rock about 12 feet away from the tree.

6. Tie the free end of the cord around the rock. You want the cord to be stiff.

7. Drape the tarpaulin over the taut cord, leaving the upper 6 feet of cord uncovered. Pull the tarpaulin out to the sides and secure it using the 4 smaller rocks.

8. Locate soft tree boughs or pine needles to cover the floor of the tent to provide cushion.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have tarpaulin, a large bed sheet will work. You can add a waterproofing agent to the sheet, if necessary.

References

• The SAS Survival Handbook; John Wiseman; 1986
• M4040: Tarp Shelter