How To Make A Camping Tent From Scratch: An Emergency Shelter ...

Camping can be incredibly fun, but all of the “necessary” gear starts to add up quickly. Some people want to go camping but can’t afford to buy a nice tent. Others would rather build their own shelter and tap into the bushmaster skills of shows like Survivorman.

No matter why you want to make your own tent, it’s a good skill to learn. In an emergency situation, being able to build your own shelter can be vital to survival. Even when you’re not in danger, there’s some feeling of accomplishment when you sleep inside something you built yourself.

In this How-To article, we’ll cover things you need to know in advance, what materials you’ll need for your DIY tent, and share some helpful tips to make camping more comfortable. This guide on how to build a tent will cover four methods listing both their needed materials and a step-by-step process for construction.

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What To Consider To Help You Plan and Build A Tent

Having a plan before you start building can not only speed up the process but make it much easier for you, whether you’re in an emergency situation or on a weekend trip.

1. Tent Size

For your first DIY tent, it’s easier to start smaller. Building a one or two-person shelter gives you plenty of room and keeps the overall weight down for packing it around.

In a single-person shelter, you will need a length of your height plus one foot (0.3 meters), your width across the shoulders plus one foot (0.3 meters), and the height will be determined by the type of tent you make.

This gives you a snug shelter that won’t make you claustrophobic, isn’t overbearing in terms of size and takes less time and materials to build.

2. Tent Weight

If your tent is going to be one you carry with you and re-use, you need to consider the tent’s overall weight. Large tarps aren’t exactly light, and adding in other camping supplies, poles, and building materials can make hiking in or out of the bush an absolute chore.

A good way to cut down weight is to only bring a tarp or two and a sleeping pad. You can find sticks to use as poles or rocks to weigh down the edges. You’ll be using what nature provides you and only need your tarps and some rope!

3. Location to Pitch A Tent

Before you actually build your shelter, you need to find the best possible place to put it.

First, choose a reasonably flat spot for your tent. When you find a suitable spot, clear the ground. Be sure to pick up any sticks, rocks, or other debris that would end up poking you in the night.

Pitching your tent near trees is the best option. The trees will provide some shade and additional protection from the elements, as well as provide building materials. Be sure not to sleep under dead trees, so you can avoid trees or limbs falling on your tent.

Never pitch your tent at the base of a slope or in a ditch. In the event of rain, these areas will likely get an influx of water that will flood your sleeping quarters. Try to camp back away from the water’s edge as well, for the same reasons.

4. Weather

The weather in the area you’ll be camping in plays a massive role in how you build your tent, where you put it down, and a few other decisions you’ll need to make.

Clear, warm weather gives you a lot of freedom. You don’t need to worry as much about waterproofing or insulating your tent. The absolute worst way to try to get a good night’s rest is when you’re cold and wet.

Whenever possible, check the weather forecast before heading out. Be prepared though in case the weather changes.

In colder climates and seasons, a little insulation can go a long way towards keeping you warm. You’ll need to pack or find insulating materials if you’ll be camping in cooler temperatures.

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What Materials Do You Need for DIY Tent?

• Large, heavy-duty, waterproof tarp.
• Thicker tarp or drop canvas
• 100 feet (40 yards) of paracord or nylon rope
• Sticks or poles
• Heavy Rocks
• (Optional) Bug Netting
• (Optional) Zippers
• (Optional) All-purpose thread and needles
• (Optional) Liquid Seam Sealer

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4 Ways to Build Your Own Tent

Method One: The Two Tree Method

If you’re looking for a simple, easy-to-set-up tent then look no further than the two-tree method.

You will need:

• One or two tarps
• Rope, string, or clothesline
• Sticks and rocks for anchor points

Instructions:

• Lay out your tarp and gather sticks to pin down the corners of your tent.
• Find two trees that stand roughly ten feet (3 meters) apart, following the earlier guidelines for your tent location.
• Tie your rope between the two trees. The height will depend on how large your tarp is. You need it to be able to go flat against the ground. For a ten-foot (3 meters) tarp, try a four-foot (1.2 meters) height.
• Spread your second tarp or place your bed pad underneath the rope.
• Lay your waterproof tarp evenly over the rope so that both sides can touch the ground, with the corners able to be anchored. Having a little extra flat space is good.
• Take your sticks or poles and pin the corners of your tarp to the ground to form an A-frame shape.
• Take rocks and lay them on the edges of the tarp to help keep it in place and avoid drafts coming underneath.
• If you can’t find a good spot between trees, you can also use poles on each end of the tarp. Be sure to get the poles deep enough into the ground to be steady against the wind, and look to add extra support if needed.

Pros:

• Easy to build, no real experience needed.
• Can be set up quickly if the weather turns.
• Provides good cover against rain.

Cons:

• Not great at keeping out animals.
• No real insulation unless you add it yourself.
• Requires two trees and a good spot, unless you bring poles to stand in for trees.

Method 2: The Lean-To

If you’ve only got one tree to really work with and you don’t mind having a lot less space, you can always opt for a lean-to shelter built very much like the two-three shelter.

You will need:

• One or two tarps
• Rope, string, or clothesline
• Sticks and rocks for anchor points

Instructions:

• Take one end of your rope and tie it to the tree around three or four feet (0.9 to 1.2 meters) off the ground.
• Tie the other end of the rope around a stake, pole, or stick. Pull the rope taut and anchor that end into the ground away from the tree.
• Throw your tarp evenly over the rope. You’ll need some sort of cord or hook to help hold the tarp up since this one is on a slant. If you have extra room in the tarp, you can fold it underneath the rope to make a floor for you as well.
• Secure the lower end and edges either with sticks for anchors or rocks to weigh it down.
• Work from the bottom up, securing the back pinpoint first, then weighing down the edges. You should have a nice, watertight shelter to sleep in, just without as much room.

Pros:

• Requires fewer materials and setup than other methods.
• Watertight if you face it away from flowing water.

Cons

• Not much room inside.
• You need an extra-durable tarp to use the roof as the floor.

Method 3: The Central Post

A freestanding tent is the best option when you can’t find ideal locations in forested areas. This one takes a bit more work, but can be set up just about anywhere. Using a central pole is the simplest way to get a stable structure.

You Will Need:

• One or two large tarps.
• Plenty of rope
• At least one extra-long pole for the center, and four corner anchor-point sticks.
• (Optional) Rocks to use as anchor weights

Instructions:

• Once you’ve found a location to set up, dig your longest pole into the ground until it’s stable. This will be the center of your tent.
• Place the center of your tarp over the center pole. Don’t fasten anything with the rope yet.
• Run an anchor stick through each corner and stretch the tarp out to form a pyramid shape. Go slowly so you don’t shift your center pole and keep the tarp edges on the ground.
• Push your anchor sticks into the ground to anchor down the corners. At this point, you should tie your tarp to both the anchor sticks and if you like put a few wraps around the center pole.
• Go around the edges and place rocks or a layer of dirt over the tarp edge. This will cut down on wind and help keep it in place.
• Bonus points here if you have bright attachable zippers. Cut yourself a vertical door in one side of the tarp and attach the zipper to form a door you can enter and exit from.
• You can lay a sleeping pad down inside the tent, or make a floor with another tarp. Remember that you’ll need to have a hole in the floor tarp to account for the center pole.

Pros:

• Gives you plenty of room to move around, rest, eat or do whatever you need to in your tent.
• If weighed down properly, it cuts almost all wind from getting to you.
• Can be set up anywhere and doesn’t rely on trees but your materials.

Cons:

• Takes more time and energy to set up, is heavier to carry, and is less waterproof when it comes to groundwater.
• The center pole could be annoying for some activities.

Method 4: The “Oh Crap” Method

This method is more of a bonus method for people who could use a quick way to get an overnight shelter or are gluttons for punishment. Without a tarp, you’ll have a hard time making a waterproof shelter and I advise against doing this one for fun. That being said, it’s good to know a little about how to get something over your head for a night in a pinch.

You Will Need:

• Two sticks. Three-foot (0.9 meters) length with a Y-shaped end
• One sturdy stick around seven feet (2.1 meters) in length
• Leafy tree boughs and additional sticks of all sizes, all you can carry
• All the leaves you can carry
• (Optional but recommended): A single tarp
• (Optional but recommended): Rope for cinching pieces in place. Vines work too.

Instructions:

• Take the Y-shaped stick and drive it into the ground single-end down, until it’s stable.
• Place one end of the long stick into the Y, and let the other end fall on the ground. You’ll want to push that end into the dirt a bit. If you have cordage, lash the pole onto the Y-shaped, alternating which side of the cross you wrap it on.
• Take your other sticks and start leaning them onto the center pole. You want to make sure you have enough space to fit inside once you’re done. It’s helpful to drive them into the ground a bit for extra stability.
• Shorter sticks go on the side closer to the ground, longer ones near the Y stick.
• You’ll be making a primitive kind of lean-to, the higher end should look triangular, tapering to a point on the ground towards the back end.
• Once you’re satisfied with that wall, start layering on leafy tree limbs. Birch boughs work great, but you can use almost anything you can find. Look for young sprouts and break them off of trees.
• Take a few of those boughs and layer them inside the shelter as well. This will form a floor to keep you off the ground, give you some insulation, and a bit of a cushion.
• Take as many leaves as you can and cover the entirety of the outside of the shelter. This provides better insulation than the birch boughs but also offers some pretty decent waterproofing.
• If you want to stay warmer, you can also fill the inside with dead leaves. They’re cushiony compared to the ground and can insulate you pretty well. When you go in the entrance you’ll basically just burrow into them.

NOTE: If you do have a tarp and for whatever reason don’t want to or can’t build one of the other shelters you can absolutely use it here. Start the same way, but before you line the edges with sticks, evenly through your tarp over the center pole. After you pin it down you can start layering on leafy boughs or just go straight for leaves.

Pros:

• A fairly warm shelter that can get you out of the elements for the night.
• Being able to build it could help you survive the night in colder conditions. There’s no guarantee in this, but it is warmer than sitting in the wind, wet, and open air.
• Best insulation of the four methods listed.

Cons:

• Not really comfortable at all. Horrible for claustrophobic campers.
• Bugs in the leaves under you.
• If you do it poorly (without a tarp), you can easily get leaked on.

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Tips to Make Your Camping Shelter More Comfortable

There’s always something you can do to make your tent more comfortable. If you’re staying out for an extended period, small changes can make a huge difference in your quality of sleep.

Check out our article on how to sleep comfortably in a tent for more tips.

Tips for Better Air Ventilation When Camping

Whether it’s hot or you just want some freshness inside, your tent will likely need some kind of air ventilation. You have a few ways to do this.

Instead of using dirt to cover the edges of your tent, weigh it down with spread-out rocks. This will let air flow underneath the walls and help keep it moving inside.

Alternatively, you can cut some holes in the tent walls. To help keep bugs out, you’ll need them covered, but open. Basically, you’ll want to cut a window or two into the tent, and then sew on bug mesh to cover it. Air can come in, but bugs can’t.

Tips for Staying Warm in Your Tent

Aside from making a fire, insulating your shelter is the best way to stay warm in colder weather. You can do this in a few ways. Cutting out the wind from getting inside your shelter is incredibly helpful for nixing windchill. Instead of rocks, you can put a decent layer of dirt on the edges of your tent to keep air from getting in underneath.

It’s helpful to only have one open end of your tent as well. You can shift your tarp to close off one of your entrances if you have more than one or block it with layers of sticks and leaves.

You also need insulation from the ground. Sleeping right on the dirt or with only a thin layer between you will sap the warmth right out of you. When you build your tent, you have multiple options for achieving this.

You can fill the floor of your shelter or the entire thing with an insulating material like leaves. This is better for more primitive tents like our last method though. If it’s going to be cold out, don’t forget to pack a sleeping pad. It’ll keep you off the ground and give you some extra warmth.

Where to Place Fires for Warmth and Cooking When Camping

None of the above methods allow for a campfire inside of them. Smoke inhalation is not something you want to try and you definitely don’t want to set your shelter on fire.

You’ll want to, above all, keep your fires small and under control. You can’t use a crazy-roaring fire for warmth or cooking.

Keep your fire outside the entrance to your shelter. The lean-tos are especially good for this. Putting your fire at the entrance lets you radiate heat inside and off the walls without allowing smoke inside your shelter. Face the shelter downwind if the wind direction is consistent to help with that as well.

If you have a wood stove or other contained fire, you can keep it inside. Any of the tents work for this, you’ll just need a hole in the roof for a chimney. Be sure it’s a tight fit so you aren’t letting in leaks or too much cold air.

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