Creating adequate shelter is a must-have in austere conditions. There are dozens of items and ways to build a shelter effectively. One item that makes life much easier is a good tarp setup.

Build quick-construct wilderness survival shelters using these three tarp shelter configurations that only require tarp, paracord, and trees or branches.

The tarp, with included guylines, weighs just 13.5 ounces. With 12 stakes, extra guylines, and a stuff sack the whole thing comes in at 19.5 ounces, or just over a pound.

The result is a minimalistic standalone structure that combines the low-key vibes of a tarp and the sturdiness of a tent. The Shelter is composed of a few parts. There is the tarp itself, which is ...

At the heart of the Shelter setup is the tarp itself, which is made of 3,000HH ripstop polyester. HH stands for "hydrostatic head," with the 3,000 meaning that the material can hold back a column ...