DD Tarp 3x3 Speed Challenge

Looking for something fun to do whilst you are stuck at home during the lockdown? Have a crack at the DD Tarp 3x3 Speed Challenge and see if you can beat Tom from Fandabi Dozi's time for setting up your DD Tarp 3x3 into the popular "Tarp Tent" configuration!

We will be updating this blog regularly with a leaderboard at the bottom of the page. If you think you have what it takes to be the fastest in the World, then now's your chance to shine!

Check out the introductory video below to see Tom's attempt and read on for more information on this fun way to race against the clock (or everyone else!) in your own garden!

What you will need:

Tarp - The DD Tarp 3x3 is the most popular tarp for this set up, but any similarly sized tarps can be used to the same effect. This means the DD SuperLight Tarp, or even the DD Tarp 3.5 x 3.5. The set-up is also possible with rectangular Tarp XL - Although this may be a little more challenging, we'd still love to see how quick you can go.
9 Pegs - This is a good number of pegs to make the set-up stable enough for camping in the wilds: 4 at the back, 2 at the front, and 3 for the guy-lines. Don't have enough pegs? You can always sub in sticks tough enough to penetrate the ground if you are comfortable doing so!
3 Guy-Lines - One to peg back each side of the entrance, and one to guy out the front.
Hiking Pole - An extendable Hiking Pole is perfect for this as it allows you to tension the tent to the exact amount you need. If you don't have one, you can also try a suitably-sized stick or branch (Although take care not to damage you tarp by forcing it in the name of speed!)
Space - You will need a relatively flat area of ground large enough to accomodate the tarp, and a little extra so you can dash around setting it up. A Garden lawn is ideal if you have one, just make sure that you clear away any trip hazards, as well as anything sharp that could damage your tarp.

How to Set Up:

Whilst it's an impressive looking and effective style of shelter, the tarp tent configuration is really quite simple to set up. If you have not done it before, we recommend watching this video by Silva Wolf for a complete step by step guide.

Send us your attempt:

You can share your attempts with us by uploading a video to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram - just make sure to tag us with @ddhammocks (@dd_hammocks on Twitter), or hashtag #ddhammocks when you upload your video.

You can also send us your attempt via email to: sales@ddhammocks.com (You may need to use a file transfer service such as WeTransfer, a free service that allows you to send large files without the need to sign up)

We will be keeping a keen eye on all of your attempts and posting the fastest ones for all to see, tagging you in the process!

Extra Rules:

For us to recognise your attempt, you must start the set-up from scratch, with the tarp inside the bag and the pegs & guy-lines laid out separately. You can use a timer on your video if you wish, but if not then no worries; we can time your attempt from when you start to when you finish, provided your video is filmed in real time.

We recommend a DD Tarp 3x3 for this challenge, but if you have a dfferent one then we don't want to exclude you! You can use any tarp at least 3x3m in size (Including the DD SuperLight Tarp) but bear in mind larger tarps like the Tarp 4x4 and 5x5 will need a longer, sturdier pole (but if you can beat Tom's time with one of these then well done!).

Using a Tarp S or even a Magic Carpet is possible, but as these take up a lot less space we can't include these entries on the Leaderboard below, as the time required will be less and an unfair advantage...

But enough about rules, this is supposed to be fun! Lace up your running shoes, give it a few practice runs and see how fast you can get. We'll be keeping track of who has the fastest time and sharing the results on the leader board below, as well as social media, so it's up to you if you want to race against yourself or like-minded campers!

The Top 10 - As of 20th May 2020

1. Mr. P - 1 minute 43 seconds (via email)

2. PeeJays Adventures: 2 minutes 10 seconds

3. jaegar.outdoors: 2 minutes 12 seconds

4. Des Wheelock: 2 minutes 16 seconds

5. Steve / Scout Man Steve: 2 minutes 58 seconds

6. Ollie / Ollie outandabout: 2 minutes 58 seconds

7. Ash / Ash Outdoors UK: 3 minutes 12 seconds

8. Tom / Fandabi Dozi: 3 minutes 22 seconds

9. Kolokraft: 3 minutes 59 seconds

10. -

We have a new leader - Mr. P from Wigmore High School has absolutely knocked it out the park at an astonishing time of 1.43! The bar's been set high, but we know there's someone out there keen and fast enough to beat this!

Good luck, and have fun!