Tent or Tarp?

[Inkslinger]

Please share tips for how you set up your tarp & hammock combo, even if its something you consider very basic.

Obviously trees are needed. What I usually do is use 550 cord on the grommets of the tarp to suspend it from its corners in a diamond pattern. I take the other corners and tie to stakes, rocks, or good solid sticks pounded into the ground. You can get more coverage if you need it by suspending it in a square/rectangle pattern. By tying to the grommets instead of running rope from tree to tree, that allows you to flip up one side or the other and still keep the tarp attached to the trees if that makes sense. That gives you a lean-to configuration when weather is nice. I also try to keep the tarp as low to the ground as possible. I hope that makes sense. These are images I found from google. I try to keep the tarp a little lower to the ground than these pictures.