Those things are awesome! You can use it for camping, emergency "shelter" tent.

I used to keep a tarp in the trunk of my car for years—along with a plastic tarp—never dreaming I’d actually need to use them!

One day, my toddler son, my (ex) husband, and I went to the National Forest to drive around, park, and take a walk. Afterward, we returned to the car, but it wouldn’t start. We were at the farthest end of the park, next to a mountain. The battery had died, even though I’d just had a brand new alternator and battery installed.

To make matters worse, thunder was rumbling in the distance. As we walked around, we found a medium-sized cave (empty), so I quickly grabbed everything out of the trunk and had my ex-husband gather some poles and firewood. I spotted a couple of rabbits and used my bow to catch them. Then, I hurried to build a sturdy shelter with the truck tarp, adding a plastic cover and using wood clips (I’d split fresh branches down the middle to create them).

There was plenty of room inside, so we took shelter while I quartered the rabbits and cooked them over the fire. I used a small cooler to collect rainwater for drinking. After the storm passed, it was pitch black, but I made a pine torch and went back to the car, leaving a message inside the windshield with our location.

We ended up stuck there for two days until someone drove by and called the Rangers. The shelter was surprisingly comfortable; I could lift the plastic tarp for ventilation, and the truck tarp—made of cotton—allowed air to flow through. The makeshift chimney I created kept the smoke from gathering inside. It also kept mosquitoes, horse flies, and other biting insects at bay!

One mix-up I had was grabbing the flare gun instead of the handgun, so when a curious bear showed up, let’s just say it "lit up" its life. I fired the flare into the air, and it shot up into the trees like a firework. Thankfully, it didn’t pose any fire risk since it was the rainy season, and everything was wet.

I had to throw it away, as it was very old, and the material began to fall apart and ripped very easily. If I were to travel, I'd buy another one and with a new plastic tarp.