This is southern Alberta, and we get wind. A shelter that’s fine at a mountain campground can be in the next county after one good Lethbridge gust. Here’s how I set mine up so it stays put.
Use long stakes. I use 10-inch spikes. The little pegs that come with most tents and tarps pull straight out of dry prairie soil.
Guy every pole. Every pole gets its own guy rope, angled out at about 45 degrees. No exceptions.
The trick: a fixed loop and a Prusik. I use 550 paracord. At one end I tie a fixed loop and drop it right over the top of the pole. At the stake end, I attach it with a Prusik hitch. The Prusik grips the line when it’s loaded but slides when you push it, so you can snug everything up in seconds without retying a single knot. When the wind shifts or the rope stretches, just slide and tighten.
Point the low side into the wind. Our wind is usually from the west. Keep that side low and narrow.
Know when to quit. When the forecast calls for big gusts, take it down before the wind arrives. My awning retracts itself in wind, and I’d recommend that to anyone with an RV around here.
More shelter and knot tips: Bushcraft, Fieldcraft & Navigation. Wind forecasts: Wind in Lethbridge.