I have a nice 10’ X 12’ tarp from Cook’s Sewing BUT it requires stakes and poles or trees limbs for support.
Can you recommend a lightweight free standing tarp. I will be carrying it in a kayak.
Hubba series
Not a stand under tarp, but for something to get you out of the rain; the MSR Hubba series of tents can be set up with just the fly and footprint and are free standing.
Indian rope trick?
Maybe I don’t get the question. But how can you pitch a tarp without using poles or trees or similar?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_rope_trick
Superior Kayaks tarp
Take a look at this tarp http://www.superiorkayaks.com/superiorkayaks015.htm
Way overpriced in my opinion but…
Three sided tarp/shelter
A friend of mine (Bob Stecker) designed and built one. I copied his design and built my own. He named it a Fuego. A canadian company was producing them a number of years ago. I don’t know if they still are.
You can reduce the number of poles and
stakes. Set it up with one pole and three stakes.
Looks like
there is a pole (GP in this case) and ropes to me, but my eyes aren’t what they used to be.
for a tall tarp a paddle…for a short
tarp two paddle halves…
simple…
setup is really going to end up by the shape of the tarp and the shape of the spot…
r
Yes, there is a pole
but since the pole is something you have to carry anyway (either Greenland or Euro paddle) I thought this is a good design.
If you do not want to use a pole and/or ropes… see above post about indian rope trick 
Maybe sky hooks? Haven’t seen them
since I was 7, though.
I’ve got one…
…but it only works to cover wooden bicycles.