If you’re an outdoors enthusiast or have a home with lots of yard space, you probably already make use of a few different heavy duty tarps. Maybe you’re using a tarp as a caravan cover, or you have a tarp set up above your budding garden to protect your saplings. Tarps are also ideal for taking on camping trips, commonly being used for shelter by caravaners, tent dwellers, and bushwhackers.

One specialist type of tarp you may not be familiar with is a camo tarp. Camo tarps look very different from your standard, garden-variety tarps – but that’s exactly what sets them apart from everything else. Our camo tarps, or camouflage tarps, have a camouflage pattern. This camouflage design is used to provide concealment and protection by blending into natural surroundings featuring brown trees, green grass, or bushes.

As the weather warms and we enter our spring and summer months, it’s well worth doing a quick quality-of-life check on your camping and outdoors equipment. You may need a camo tarp and don’t even know it yet!

Let us explore some of the great features and applications of camo tarps.

Essential Uses for Camo Tarps in Camping

Camo tarps are typically used by campers to upgrade their camping setups. You can even throw up a tarp quickly with poles and ropes to create a temporary rain fly or lean-to shelter in an emergency.

The discretion and versatility of camo tarps also make them an invaluable resource suitable for a wide variety of recreational outdoor applications. Here are just some of the many essential uses for camo tarps when camping.

Tent Setup

You’ll be able to see more outdoors while being seen less when using a camo tarp to camouflage your campsite. A camo tarp tent setup will help your sleeping bags and durable sandbags blend seamlessly with the environment so you don’t disturb wildlife. This kind of immersion is crucial for some outdoor activities, like wildlife photography, nature observation, and bird watching.

In an environment like Point Nepean National Park, for example, you’ll likely blend in more easily with the long leaves of the trees and bushes if you opt to use a camo tarp. It is also prudent to leave as little impact as possible on the environment when camping, so disturbing animals less by using a camo tarp is quite admirable.

Ground Cloth

Placing a camo tarp under your tent will help protect the floor from rocks and roots. Use it as a clean surface to prepare food, dress game animals, or simply as a dry place to rest after a hike. This will make your lakeside adventures more convenient, so that your family trip around French Island is both a blast and a splash.

You’ll be more comfortable sleeping on a flatter surface, too, while still retaining low visibility in the wild. Camo tarps will also help prevent water seepage into your sleeping area, keeping you warmer and drier for longer.

Sun Shade & Rain Canopy

During the spring and summer months, when the sun can be at its harshest and the weather at its wettest, an extra heavy duty tarp can be rigged to provide discreet sun and rain security. Using a camo variation will work just as efficiently while also keeping you hidden from above. Suspend your camo tarp over a picnic area or cooking space to create a shaded dry zone, protecting you from both sun and light rain. That summer hike up Mount Bogong will be a bit easier if you have a means of avoiding direct sunlight so high up in the Alps.

Likewise, in the event of a storm, a cover setup made with a camo tarp could help protect your campsite from falling tree branches or debris. Be careful not to build a campfire under your tarp, though; the heat and smoke of the fire could warp or damage your tarp. They may be waterproof, but they are certainly not flameproof!

Gear & Equipment Cover

Just like protecting the space above and below your camping setup, you can also use a camo tarp to cover and protect your camping gear itself from the elements or prying eyes. Your hiking equipment, firewood, and fishing gear will all be safe underneath a waterproof camo tarp. And if you’re travelling with all this gear in a secure trailer, you can also use your camo tarps as heavy-duty trailer covers.

Your food will be safer from wildlife if they can’t see it. You can tie down your camo tarp with strong ropes and fasten it down using bungee cords with hooks to keep the wind from blowing it away and exposing your valuables to animals and other people.

Water Collection

In an emergency, you could also use your camo tarp to catch rainwater, providing a source of drinking water. Fastening it above your site with a bit of slack will allow rainwater to pool into the cavity.

With some ingenuity, you can use the collected water either to treat for drinking or to put out any fires near you. This is a more extreme example of the many versatile uses of a waterproof tarp.

Choosing the Right Tarp: What to Look For

Not all camo tarps are made equal. When purchasing your camo tarp, you should always shop around with quality and durability in mind. A good heavy duty tarp ought to last you for many years, so here are a few things to look for when choosing the right tarp for you, so you can get the most out of your investment and avoid any disasters in the wild.

UV Resistance

Our ARK tarps camo tarps offer excellent UV resistance. They are designed using materials well-equipped for extended outdoor use. This means they will not peel, crack, or disintegrate after exposure to harsh sunlight, making them ideal for Australia’s extreme weather conditions, be it in Victoria or Queensland.

Waterproofness

The materials used to make our camo tarps are also waterproof, ensuring that each layer provides complete waterproof protection when outdoors. A high-quality camo tarp offers full waterproofing throughout, as opposed to cheaply-made tarps, which often only have a thin, water-resistant coating applied after manufacturing.

Strength

A quality camo tarp will be manufactured using layers of raw material that are laminated in opposing directions, creating greater cross-directional strength. Our ARK Tarps are unique for this reason, thanks to our XF film, which will not fray or disintegrate over time. This design offers superior strength and better field performance, meaning your camo tarp will hold up outdoors through any kind of weather event in any kind of environment.

Longevity

You shouldn’t be replacing your tarps very often. Quality-made camo tarps can last for years of use before needing to be replaced, especially if manufactured using 150 GSM XF Film like ours. This specialised, Swiss-patented film provides for exceptional strength, durability, and reliability.

Eyelets

Strong eyelets are the unsung heroes of a good tarp! On our camo tarps, like all our other tarps, they’re ultrasonically welded onto a sleeve of thick material, seamlessly integrated into the tarp for added strength. You can confidently strap up your camo tarp virtually anywhere, for however long you need, thanks to our sturdy eyelet design.

Environmental Considerations

Like all things, it’s good to stay environmentally conscious when making your purchases. ARK tarps camo tarps are fully recyclable since they are made from virgin plastic material. You can have peace of mind knowing you’re protected outside and doing your part to care for the planet.

Camo Tarps: The Solution for Any Outdoor Need

ARK Tarps is proud to be the only supplier of XF Film Tarps in Australia, making us the premier destination for high-quality covers and tarps designed to meet every outdoor need. Our extensive range includes specialised camouflage tarps, perfect for blending seamlessly into natural environments during camping, hiking, and other outdoor pursuits.

Our camouflage tarps are engineered with enhanced features to provide superior performance and durability with expert design. Whether you’re a seasoned camper seeking reliable shelter, a nature photographer requiring effective concealment, or simply in need of a versatile cover for outdoor furniture or equipment, our camouflage tarps are the ultimate solution.

Browse our full range of camo tarps available to buy online, or get in touch with our customer service team for any more information across our collection.