Homemade Backpacking Tent

Making your own backpacking tent can save you money.

A homemade backpacking tent can be made in less than a weekend with some supplies found at a local hardware or fabric store. Making your own tent can save you money and precious weight and space when packing your hiking or camping gear. If you don’t plan on using the tent for an overnight backpacking trip, this tent setup will still be light enough to pack for emergency purposes. These tent measurements are designed for one backpacker.

Things You'll Need

• Nylon netting fabric, 6 feet wide, 20 feet long
• Tape measure
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Needle
• Sewing thread
• Sewing machine (optional)
• 50 feet of cord, any kind
• Blue poly tarp, 8 x10 feet
• 6 hair clips, any kind
• Blue poly tarp, 6 x 8 feet (optional)

Instructions

1. Lay the nylon netting out with the 20 foot side across the top.

2. Measure to the right out 10 feet and cut the nylon up the middle at this point, leaving you with two 6 x 10 foot pieces.

3. Match the two pieces together and connect the top sides together with some straight pins about two inches from the top.

4. Sew the 10 foot length with needle and thread. Any type of stitch will do as long as it keeps the netting securely together with no gaps in the fabric. Alternately, you could use a sewing machine. When you finish, the piece will be 12 feet wide and 10 feet long.

5. Secure the cord between two sturdy trees or between two large non-moving objects.

6. Drape the netting across the tie rope so that both sides of the nylon mesh hang on each side evenly. Use rocks or any gear you put inside your tent to keep the sides pulled out tight. Clip the front and back ends closed with three hair clips at each end.

7. Put the 8 x 10 foot tarp over the suspension cord with the 10 foot side across the top. Stretch out the tarp on the sides and anchor it down tightly with rocks.

Tips & Warnings

• When choosing a nylon netting, purchase one with the smallest mesh available when possible. This will increase the amount of bugs it keeps out. After you secure the corners of the tent with rocks in the corners, try stretching out the nylon across the floor of the tent to give you an added layer of bug protection.

• Do not secure the support cords to anything that is not yours. Do not camp anywhere where there are posted signs of “No camping.”

References

• “Backpacking Revised and Updated, Sixth Edition”; R.C. Rethmel; 1979