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zorg
Jun 24, 2003, 7:05 PM
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Registered: Sep 30, 2002
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Have spend one warm night to many in my tent, I decided I am going to make a tarp. How did you make yours? Hints on design or material are very welcome!
Jasja
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minnesotatrad
Jun 24, 2003, 9:01 PM
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I would just buy one unless you really want to make it. A boughton tarp will last you a much longer time. It may be more expensive, but it will be worth it.
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repseki
Jun 24, 2003, 9:05 PM
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troll?
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czarcastic
Jun 24, 2003, 9:11 PM
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Why stop at a Tarp when you can make your own rope? Here is the link that details all the instructions, I did it myself and it worked great!! So far I've taken 15 falls and its still going strong.
http://meshier.com/fs/a/index.html
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petsfed
Jun 24, 2003, 10:01 PM
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The key many companies use is the shape of the hyperbolic cosine. That is the shape that a line hung between two points will make. I'm not quite sure how this can be applied to tent design but that's probably something you should know.
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zorg
Jun 25, 2003, 10:14 AM
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No troll. I'm dead serious.
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pinkamy
Jun 26, 2003, 1:26 AM
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What is a troll? Please tell me! I'm fairly new... :lol:
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zorg
Jun 26, 2003, 3:12 PM
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In reply to: What is a troll? Please tell me! I'm fairly new... :lol:
Well, maybe you're trolling as well, but:
Typically, the troller will post something inflammatory, misleading or controversial. Others may pretend to be completely and unbelievably ignorant of the main topic of discussion and simply post a number of inane questions.
The stuff in bold is what the guy above assumed I was doing. Not true however, I really am planning to make my own tarp, but would like some advice/hints before I start! And I AM unbelievably ignorant :)
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tcollins
Jun 26, 2003, 3:17 PM
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OK, sorry I didn’t get this up yesterday, but I got busy at work. Let me start by saying I hadn’t sewed since 7th grade (I’m 28 ). I have my mother-in-laws 1968 machine and it works ok. I kept reading that if you could make a stuff sac, you could make anything. I made a sac, then a 800+ fill down quilt, the tarp and I keep rolling. I just finished a wind scoop for my friend’s sailboat and am starting on a 4400 cu in backpack that’ll weight just 12 oz.
Well my tarp, pictured above is made of 1.1 oz silicone impregnated nylon. It’s great stuff, light and 100% waterproof. Although you need to be a little careful that you set it up where it won’t get a poke from a sharp stick. My wife and I have used tarps for years, this being the first one I have made, it’s lighter and larger than the other ones.
There are a lot of ideas for tarps out there, with the tarp tent being one of the most popular today. I decided I just wanted a simple tarp. I basically used Jardine’s design from Beyond Backpacking. He called for a 120” x 120” tarp, which I thought was too big. I cut my fabric, which was 60” wide to make a finished tarp of about 9’ x 8’. I also added a beak on one side to help keep the rain from blowing in, this I made ~ 17” long at the center point. It can be rolled up out of the way.
As I said many people are going toward the tarp tent design. I like the idea of having a bug net around the tarp (and so does my wife). I added 3 small loops on the inside ridge line to attach a no-seeum tent like structure. Granted this will be heavier than just adding it around the outside of the tarp, but it makes sense to me. It really won’t weigh that much, my wife and I can share the load, and in the NE there are so many lean-tos that sometimes it would be nice to just bring the mesh tent. I still have yet to get around to making the mesh part though.
I used a ½” French felled seam for the center ridge. It’s a strong seam, that hides the edges well. I reinforced all tie out points with an extra piece of the nylon. Then I sealed every where there was a stitch on the outside. Make sure you use a 100% silicone sealer. You can buy tubes of it, or you can go to the hardware store and get some sealer and dilute it with mineral spirits.
Well that’s about it. One thing I would highly suggest would be to buy a little extra sil-nylon to practice with. It’s very slippery and thin. It can be a hassle to get the thread tension right and to keep the two pieces together. I used a glue stick and staples to hold my seams together while I sewed them. Hiding the holes in the seam allowance. Also make sure you use 100% polyester thread as it holds up much better than a nylon or cotton thread. They’ll rot out on you quickly. I use Gutterman as it was recommended as a good thread on the DIY gear sites.
Well here are a bunch of sites for help and materials. The material sites are in the US, however I have found some European sites out there. I have used all the companies listed and they are all real nice and helpful. I hope all of this helps. Feel free to ask any questions.
TD
Tips and patterns:
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear-left.html Don’t miss the forum link at the bottom.
http://thru-hiker.com/
Materials:
http://www.seattlefabrics.com/
http://www.owfinc.com/
http://www.questoutfitters.com/index.html (site goes up and down, but good store)
http://www.justmakeit.com/index.html (Canadian)
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alpinerockfiend
Jun 26, 2003, 4:22 PM
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If you want more info, check out Ray Jardine's book Beyond Backpacking. There is a chapter that covers how to sew various things, tarps included.
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tcollins
Jun 26, 2003, 5:01 PM
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Also he has supposedly come out with a new book about making tarps and maybe other gear. i remember hearing about his and how it would be more detailed and I've heard that it's out, but I haven't seen it yet. Those forums and links to instructions will actually provide a lot of detail. I actually used them more than Jardine's old book.
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zorg
Jun 27, 2003, 8:08 AM
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Hey TD,
thanks a bunch, I'll start getting the material together. The hint on buying an extra bit of nylon to practice is good, I don't sow to well yet, so far I only made some curtains and a crashpad wrapping...
Again, thanks for your great tips!
Jasja
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tcollins
Jun 27, 2003, 1:15 PM
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Registered: Feb 25, 2002
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You're welcome. I love talking about making gear. I don't sew very well either, but it's gear, I don't care if it's pretty :)
I would use the directions on thru-hiker for a stuff sac as your first project. It's easy and will give you a good feel for what it's like to sew the sil-nylon.
When it came to the tarp, I found that the center seam was the most dificult to do. It was my forst time making a french felled seam and since my living room is small I couldn't lay the tarp out fully which made it a little harder IMO. So if you have the room to lay the whole thing out it'll help.
Rainy days have taken on a whole new meaning. I've got plans for the backpack, another down quilt, a gear roll, a biviy sac, and gators. So many plans, so little time.
Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck,
TD
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mattheww
Jun 28, 2003, 2:27 AM
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I bought a Henry Shires Tarptent w/sewn-in floor for my 100mile AT section hike this April and stayed dry during 3 nights of T-storms. Check them out at www.tarptent.com I think he may still have the directions on how to make his older style tarptents on his website also.
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