A tarpaulin is the sheet: a large, waterproof panel — usually reinforced polyethylene with eyelets around the edge, or a lighter ripstop nylon tarp for hiking — that you rig overhead as a shelter, drape over a leaking roof, cover a woodpile or lay down as a groundsheet. It is the surface that actually keeps rain, wind and sun off you or your kit. A cheap builder's tarp costs a few pounds and is bombproof but heavy; a proper camping tarp costs more, packs small and is far lighter to carry. What a tarp cannot do on its own is stay up — it has no way to attach itself to trees, posts or pegs.
Paracord is the string that solves that: strong, thin, lightweight nylon cord — genuine 550 paracord holds around 250 kilograms and hides seven inner strands you can pull out for finer tasks. It is what you use to ridge-line a tarp between two trees, guy out the corners, lash a splint, replace a broken bootlace, hang food away from animals or rig a washing line. On its own paracord shelters nothing; it is pure utility cordage. Together, though, the two are a classic pairing: the tarp is the roof, the paracord is everything that holds the roof up and ties the rest of your kit together.
| Feature | Tarpaulin | Paracord |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The waterproof sheet — a shelter roof, roof-leak cover, groundsheet or kit cover. | The cordage — strong thin rope for rigging, lashing, repairs and a hundred small jobs. |
| Main shelter job | Keeps rain, wind and sun off you and your gear. | Holds the tarp up and guys it out; provides nothing waterproof itself. |
| Works alone? | Partly — you can weigh it down or drape it, but rigging it properly needs cord. | No shelter on its own; it's the connector, not the cover. |
| Weight & pack size | Builder's tarps are bulky and heavy; camping tarps pack small and light. | Almost nothing — a hank of 550 cord weighs a few grams and coils to a fist. |
| Other uses | Roof and window covers, groundsheet, woodpile cover, rain collector. | Repairs, lashing, splints, laces, guy lines, washing lines — endlessly reusable. |
| Where it lives | Car boot, shed and grab bag for shelter and storm-damage cover. | Grab bag, car, pocket — cheap enough to keep several hanks around. |
| Price band | Roughly 5 to 15 pounds for a builder's tarp; more for a lightweight camping tarp. | Roughly 6 to 12 pounds for 30 metres of genuine 550 paracord. |
Buy the tarpaulin first when your priority is shelter and cover — a roof over an emergency camp, a temporary patch over a storm-damaged roof, a cover for a leaking window, or a groundsheet to keep damp out. It is the piece that does the actual weatherproofing, and for home storm readiness a tough builder's tarp in the shed or car boot is worth having before anything fancier. Choose a heavy reinforced tarp for durability around the house and a lighter ripstop camping tarp if you need to carry it any distance. Just plan to buy cord with it, because a tarp with nothing to tie it to is only half a shelter.
Reach for paracord when you want the one item that quietly makes everything else work — rigging that tarp, guying a tent, lashing a splint, replacing a lace, hanging kit to dry, or improvising a hundred repairs. Genuine 550 cord is strong, light and cheap enough to keep several hanks in the car, the grab bag and a pocket. On its own it shelters nothing, but paired with a tarp it becomes the ridge line and guy lines that turn a flat sheet into a working roof. If you already own a tarp or a tent, a few metres of good paracord is often the highest-value few pounds you can add to a kit.
These two belong together — the tarp is the roof and the paracord is what holds it up, so a shelter kit really wants both. If you can only start with one, buy the tarpaulin, because it is the piece that actually keeps the weather off and covers storm damage around the home; a sheet you can weigh down beats cord with nothing to attach to. But add paracord almost immediately: a few pounds of genuine 550 cord turns a flat tarp into a proper rigged shelter and doubles as repair line for everything else in your kit. For home storm readiness keep a tough tarp and a hank of cord in the shed or boot; for a grab bag, pack a lightweight tarp and paracord as a pair.
A versatile 3x3m tarp with multiple attachment points for building shelters in dozens of configurations. A bushcraft mainstay for staying dry off-grid.
A thick 420g/m² waterproof tarp with reinforced edges and eyelets, useful for rigging emergency shelter, covering a damaged roof or protecting kit and firewood from the weather. The heavier weight trades packability for durability, so it's better suited to the home and car than an ultralight pack. Pair it with paracord or bungees to pitch it.
A 30-metre length of 7-strand 550 paracord for shelter building, gear repairs and countless improvised jobs. One of the highest-utility items you can pack for its weight.
A genuine 4mm Type III paracord with seven inner strands, sold in 15, 30 and 50 metre lengths. The inner yarns pull out for fine repairs, fishing line or lashings, while the sheath handles the heavier work. A cheap, endlessly useful length of cord for any grab bag or shelter kit.
The main route into storm, power cut, warmth, water and car-kit guidance.
A practical first plan for lights, phones, food, warmth and checking on people.
Buyable kit picks for the most common UK storm and outage problems.
A printable checklist for cold weather, outages, travel disruption and home prep.