sorry about the pics, i was going to go to the park and take some pics with different setups, but i realized most of my stakes are frozen into the ground in the backyard and cannot be removed, but this gives you an idea.

this is something i've been meaning to make for awhile now. just like the speer winter tarp, it's basically just a newer version of the old tarptents made out of a big rectangular tarp like seen on justjeff's site.

advantages of this design are that it converts back to a regular hex tarp when weather permits, the end panels simply swing inward all the way and attach to the underside of the ridgeline. the panels are tied up and out of the way in a few seconds and it then functions like a regular tarp.

even when in use as a 4-walled shelter, only 4 stakes are required. by using 2 more stakes, the end panels can be staked independently of the tarp giving you many setup options.

i like this design because unlike the old tarptents, it provides full coverage on the ends as well. even with the one side staked up high, you still have a full wind-break on 3 sides.

also, like my trail days demo, it is a perimeter-loaded design, which enables a tighter pitch than would be available with traditional corner pull tabs. the 1/2" gg ribbon that runs inside the edge hem adds about 1-1.5 oz to the total weight, i'm thinking that replacing it with a lighter edge binding instead will provide the same performance with reduced weight.

specs:

11x10

floor-space in tarptent mode: ~80" wide x 88" long

ridgeline height in tarptent mode: ~4'3"-6" (in center), slightly higher at ends.

weight: i'll post back with this later when i weigh it.

damn man, I am very impressed. Nice work!

- JT

Wow, That looks great. Really nice tarptent. Thanks for the pictures. Mule

Extremely Nice! You really do some great work!

Great idea having the end attached to just one side. Less tie outs plus it is easier to make one door versus two. That is one tight pitch. Really nice job.

Nice clean lines on that, very attractive.

I've been noticing with my tarptent that wind can and does still come in at quite a clip through any gaps I leave. I imagine the potential for that along the "open" edge of the door. I can imagine having on at least one of the doors a lightweight way of buttoning it up pretty completely, and use the other end for entry/exit. Or maybe you've got that already, can't really tell from the pictures.

My stakes are frozen in also, I might have to leave them in, and get some more before going to the Mt. Rogers hang next week. :(

I sure like your stand too :)

Grizz

yes, i'm sure wind can still get in through the 2 openings if it is coming from the right direction, this is the same as with other tarptent designs as well. my way of thinking right now is that if wind and weather is coming in through the door, you should have oriented the setup in another direction. as long as you orient it so wind is hitting the secure side or either of the two ends, you should be fine, this means you have to pay attention to where the weather is coming from during setup, and at least get it right with a margin of error of 270*(3 fully protected sides) which isn't bad. i could use a full length of velcro on the door to seal it from wind in all directions, but it would add weight that i don't want to add, and as long as you orient it somewhat correctly, i'm thinking fully sealable doors are not completely necessary. i have done no testing to back this up however.

very nice WBG. Im am truly impressed. Now seriously, can you guys stop make soooooooo much cool gear, Im really poor right now and it hurts to see all of this cool gear. *Sigh* Hello my name is Kyle, and Im a gearaholic. in all seriousness, it looks quite sleek and really functuinal.

yes, i'm sure wind can still get in through the 2 openings if it is coming from the right direction, this is the same as with other tarptent designs as well. my way of thinking right now is that if wind and weather is coming in through the door, you should have oriented the setup in another direction. as long as you orient it so wind is hitting the secure side or either of the two ends, you should be fine, this means you have to pay attention to where the weather is coming from during setup, and at least get it right with a margin of error of 270*(3 fully protected sides) which isn't bad. i could use a full length of velcro on the door to seal it from wind in all directions, but it would add weight that i don't want to add, and as long as you orient it somewhat correctly, i'm thinking fully sealable doors are not completely necessary. i have done no testing to back this up however.

agreed velcro is too heavy; (Dutch has me thinking about very lightweight hooks). And insightful that by using two full doors, sewn in on the same side, you can get 3 side coverage.

Grizz

yes, right now there is just some gg ribbon in the middle of each door for tying shut. it is actually kind of a pain to tie it shoestring style like i had planned, but something similar might still work. for full closure, 2 or even 3 ties per door might do a better job of sealing it up, although the more complicated opening and closing the door becomes. also, as you can see in the pics, there will also still be the small opening at the top where i shortened the end panel so the hammock's support line has room to exit above it.

what kind of hooks is dutch talking about?

i also was considering some of those tiny snaps, like the ones on counrty/western button down shirts.

WBG, I have been using bra clips sewn on 1/4 elastic. You can see on my blurry picture holding on my overcover. Grizz is right, it may work well for a door. Even may make it completely removable for summertime. If I get to work I bet I could add one to my blackcat by the hangout next weekend.

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/4/0/9/Bridgeskin019.jpg

That looks great WBG. I had though about adding a single end flap on my DIY hex tarp. I didn't think it would work that well but I was obviously mistaken. It looks like it works beautifully. Nice job. I'm very impressed.

Beautiful!

Looks great! Neat and clean.

I am working on a cat tarp now and have a question that is in a new separate thread that you and others have obviously figured out. Don't want to clog up this thread with a side issue...

yes, seems to work well, but depending on how far in from the end your side pull tabs are, the panel may not sit well inside when it is tied up. basically, i had to make sure the side pull tabs were close enough to the ends for it to swing inward and properly attach to the ridgeline. if your tarp doesn't work like mine did you might just have to figure out a way to roll the door up and tie it out of the way, which would probably work great too.

i will probably move the corner pull tabs out another inch or two on the 2nd version for this very reason.


dutch, did you buy those hooks somewhere, or did you scavenge them? great idea, i bet they weigh next to nothing

I really like the tarp and how tight it sets up. Also, I like the idea of fewer stakes to finagle.

A thought on the setup:

It would appear that with only one "door" per end, the pitch is critical. It would seem to me that if the pitch isn't right within a few inches, the "doors" will not match the end opening and either you will have a bigger gap or the doors will overlap the sides. The latter isn't as much of a problem, but if the doors aren't big enough for a wide pitch, you are going to have gaps. Setting up and getting the pitch "just right" could be problematic at times. It seems like it would take a lot practice at different sites to get the knack of judging the pitch just right for the "doors." The "doors" seem to become a limiting factor then in the setup. Also, if the "doors" are too big and overlap the sides, either you will have to arrange for different tie-off points between the "doors" and the sides or you will have flapping "doors" in any breeze.

If the above really isn't a problem or can be overcome in the design somehow, then I think you have a real winner there.

With 2 "doors" this wouldn't be as much off a problem since the "doors" could be designed for a really wide pitch and then overlapped as the pitch narrowed.

good insights.

as for setup, you simply attach the door to it's counterpart before you pitch it, this actually sets the perfect pitch if you will, and everything is exactly where it needs to be. you still need to judge the correct ridge height to keep the edges close enough to the ground for the conditions, but that seemed pretty easy.

as for a steeper pitch, my design couldn't go much steeper, the tarp is already 2 full pieces wide, staking it much steeper would likely result in a tarptent being too narrow (for diagonal sleeping anyway) (keep in mind you don't want your feet protruding into the side of the tarptent, especially if it is wet due to condensation)

i designed it so that in the worst weather, simply use the setup you see in most of the pics and seal the door if necessary. if the weather isn't too bad, you can raise the un-connected side, which would keep you from being able to seal the door, but you likely wouldn't need a tight seal if the weather is calm enough to raise that side anyway. basically, you should only need to seal the door in the worst of conditions, and the tarp has one setup that enables this. in better conditions, or with one of the 3 closed sides facing into the wind, you shouldn't need that tight seal.

i intended it to be used as more of a 3 sided wind barier in all but the worst conditions, and this is where it is the most versatile. keep in mind it can be used as a regular tarp with the panels folded in as well.

hope that answered a few of the questions

as for doors overlapping the tarp, like i said you won't get too much overlap due to the tarptent quickly becoming too narrow, but the end flaps themselves should be able to be pitched tight enough even individually to reduce flapping.

I really like the tarp and how tight it sets up.

yeah, there are some wrinkles in spots though :( , i think the ones near the ridge are simply due to me cranking it a little too tight.

That makes sense - you really only need the doors for a tight pitch. Thus designing/making the doors wider isn't necessary and narrower isn't either.

good insights.

as for setup, you simply attach the door to it's counterpart before you pitch it, this actually sets the perfect pitch if you will, and everything is exactly where it needs to be. you still need to judge the correct ridge height to keep the edges close enough to the ground for the conditions, but that seemed pretty easy.

as for a steeper pitch, my design couldn't go much steeper, the tarp is already 2 full pieces wide, staking it much steeper would likely result in a tarptent being too narrow (for diagonal sleeping anyway) (keep in mind you don't want your feet protruding into the side of the tarptent, especially if it is wet due to condensation)

i designed it so that in the worst weather, simply use the setup you see in most of the pics and seal the door if necessary. if the weather isn't too bad, you can raise the un-connected side, which would keep you from being able to seal the door, but you likely wouldn't need a tight seal if the weather is calm enough to raise that side anyway. basically, you should only need to seal the door in the worst of conditions, and the tarp has one setup that enables this. in better conditions, or with one of the 3 closed sides facing into the wind, you shouldn't need that tight seal.

i intended it to be used as more of a 3 sided wind barier in all but the worst conditions, and this is where it is the most versatile. keep in mind it can be used as a regular tarp with the panels folded in as well.

hope that answered a few of the questions

dutch, did you buy those hooks somewhere, or did you scavenge them? great idea, i bet they weigh next to nothing

I have been calling them bra clips, but they are really called "Hook and Eyes". They weigh nothing an cost nothing and hold better than velcro. I sew them on elastic because they are so strong and only attach by a couple of stitches that I am afraid of tearing if it were not for the forgiveness of the elastic. 1/4" elastic is a little small and 3/8 may be better. So far I used them on 3 projects and I'm sure I will be using them on more. Only downside I see is you have to hand sew them on, I'm not to fond of hand sewing.

Here is a link, but any place with a sewing department should have them.
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat2851&PRODID=prd34732&source=search

WBG, I am finally understanding what you mean by perimeter loaded. What kind of ribbon or grosgrain are you using? Is it completely free to move in a channel? Such as if I cut it a one corner could I pull the entire ribbon out of the whole tarp. I imagine you at least attach it to the ridgeline. After sleeping in 30 to 40 mile an hour winds last night I finally see how you can make your tarps so tight.

Man, that is pretty freakin b/a!!!!

it is sewn on all the way around.

theoretically, it should work if it remained free, but it will be problematic and take forever to get correctly set up. to test the idea, i origionally used bpl spectra inside the hem. it worked, but i quickly figured out it needed to be sewn in so it couldn't slide.

i later discovered that the granite gear white lightening uses the same concept. they use an edge binding instead of a structural hem which is probably easier for the factory to do.

i have just been using 1/2" nylon gg ribbon, but ideally, something lighter weight probably be better, something like polyester wouldn't stretch like the nylon gg ribbon does, and may work even better.

something i have long suspected, but just proved to myself with this new tarp, is that the sharper the curve, the easier it is to pull it nice and tight. with the flatter curve, you cannot get it quite as tight, although it still seems to get a good bit tighter than with regular corner pull tabs.

Are the flaps loctaed on the same side on each end of the tarp?. Staking them out open would make a great little alcove to shelter you from the wind.

Are the flaps loctaed on the same side on each end of the tarp?. Staking them out open would make a great little alcove to shelter you from the wind.

yeah, same side, thats the idea, a 3-sided wind barrier and then you can pitch the free side of the tarp however you want.

Good looking tarp. Using bra clips may help me put some of my other skills to good use.

I saw that you had your hammock in it. Do you have problems with the hammock pulling the doors down? Do you thing you would have any condensatin problems?

Unfortunatly I haven't used my hammock in a couple months. But I was having a lot of problems with swirling wind. It seemed like no matter how I set it up, the wind would shift at some point and blow through my tarp. I know that site selection has a lot to do with it. But sometimes that is not always an option.

Do you think that this would work well setup on the ground with trekking poles? I have been thinking that I want to make a setup that will work for the ground, the air, or any other situation that I may come across. That way I only have to take one setup for where ever I go. This looks like it could work for that.

if you notice the pic taken from the end, i left the door about 3-4" shorter right at the top so there would be room for the suspension line to exit for that very reason.

as for hp's, as long as they extended far enough it should work, the height of the ridgeline pull tabs is around 4'8". you could design it with a lower ridgeline, but i don't know how that would work for hammock use.

I dig it!
Nice work as usual.
After you said the door is shorter so the hammock can come out, it seemed there might be a limit to where you can hang (without the hammock hitting the door). I don't know if it would work or how you would implement it but perhaps some sort of vertical slit with extra fabric to 'close' in around the webbing.
Probably not worth investigating but I thought I'd throw it out there.

I dig it!
Nice work as usual.
After you said the door is shorter so the hammock can come out, it seemed there might be a limit to where you can hang (without the hammock hitting the door). I don't know if it would work or how you would implement it but perhaps some sort of vertical slit with extra fabric to 'close' in around the webbing.
Probably not worth investigating but I thought I'd throw it out there.

i did consider that as well, but this seems simpler and easier. actually my hammock usually has lots of sag and it still fits well. any less sag should be less of a problem as the line would not shoot downward as fast from the tree. i can see problems with hammocks that are signifigantly longer or shorter having problems like this, but it seems to fit a ~10' hammock with either little or lots of sag. i think that is a pretty common length. i think the eno style hammocks are about that long as well.

I think we are looking at the winter tarp of the future.

Sweet Warbonnet, I am doing the same thing! I am making the end triangles a full 5 feet wide at the bottom, is that what you did? Also, I am going to sew a zipper in the other side (the side not sewn to the tarp), any ideas why not to do it like that? I am also planning to use a fabric 'door' like schrochem was talking about, I think I like the open top better for ventilation now that I see yours tho.

BTW I am modifying my GG tarp for this project.

Now all you need to do is add a wood stove hole in the tarp!

Brandon, is the warbonnet 10' long?

I sure am glad I'm in thru mode and no longer looking at new stuff; this would be tempting for sure. Good lookin 'tarp' WBG!

sorry about the delayed response, i had to work out of town again this week, fortunately, friday was the last day of my 2 week notice, i start a job close to home on monday.

hog, i think my end panels are wider than that. 80" i think, look at the bottom of the origional post for the specs.

scott, it's got an 11' ridgeline x 10' wide.

cannibal, bet you're getting anxious by now, just hold on for another month.

Hey Warbonnet that is a terrific looking piece of gear. Interesting use of flap attachments. Fun to see what others do in their spare time. I like it as it is neat.
I just added flaps to mine and am really happy with the results in the wind and cold. I am sure your warmth will be boosted. Great job!!!!
Here is a pic of mine.

Get it out and string it up!
Shug

cool, looks like your doors just overlap eachother for a full closure, is that about right?

the first pic looks like there is a zipper or something??

Naw, no zipper, just good ol' velcro. I use that to keep them closed at full pitch and when I have a tight pitch I use these hook and line attachments. They work pretty good so far.
Shug

shug, your winter tarp is completely awesome. I am truly awestruck by your diy skills. And warbonnet, you are a god among mere mortals.

I consider myself fortunate to learn from your experiences. There are posts from both of you gentlemen that are gems of wisdom. True pioneers of winter hammocking, and gear design. I am very inspired.

Brandon, is the warbonnet 10' long?

scott, the tarp has an 11' ridge x 10' wide, my hammock hanging inside is almost 10' (couple inches shorter) with about 101" ridgeline

actually I was wondering about the hammock itself.
I don't recall it mentioned anywere.



scott, it's got an 11' ridgeline x 10' wide.

dood that's freaky you came back to that right before i posted.....

sounds comfy

yeah, i just happened to read over it again and something told me you were asking about the hammock not the tarp, musta been telepathy:D

That is very cool! Great work. What is the fabric?

silnylon

you can get it at most outdoor fabric shops

Well, I ended up starting the project fully this weekend, however, the GG tarp just isn't big enough in the right directions to make this type of tarp feasable. So I ended up just making the cat cut mod to it, it's now a hexagon cat tarp, but I like it better this way anyway.

I did however break out my original Youngblood replica that I built a couple of years ago and the subsequent Ubertarp, as well. After much head scratching, sketching and measuring I have determined I don't really need a winter tarp anyway! :eek:

I mean, really, I live in Central Texas!

As nice as it would be to have a cool place to hang out with a wood burning stove, I just don't think I would really use it. So, I have begun cutting up the Ubertarp to build my next hammock sock.

But I hafta say, that is one fine looking tarp you have there Warbonnetguy! And I still have tarp envy...;)

hey, you got a cat-hex, you can always add the end panels later if you want.

So, how did this tarp work out? I really like the design. I have the Hennessy 10x11 poly hex fly and, while I like the size, I don't like the weight. I'm waffling between purchasing the Speer Winter tarp or making my own. If I were to make my own, I would like to try something like this (with your permission of course). I suspect that if I were to make my own, I wouldn't actually save any money but i would do it because of the satisfaction. I made two down quilts to complement my No Sniveller and I really enjoyed the process.

Thanks.

FreeTheWeasel

go for it, i don't mind

Hi
That tarp setup is very good and looks easy to use as well, but would it be possible to tell us more about your stand setup? perhaps in a new thread? or maybe you have already and I missed it.

Thanks
Gunn

weight: i'll post back with this later when i weigh it.

Any weights yet?

Hi
That tarp setup is very good and looks easy to use as well, but would it be possible to tell us more about your stand setup? perhaps in a new thread? or maybe you have already and I missed it.

Thanks
Gunn

here it is, there is more info earlier on, but the pics are on this page, i really like it, not sure the weight, probably 10# or so, who knows, someone hung from ski poles recently, which makes me think i could have used smaller poles. i have also rigged two pieces of deadwood in an "x" fashion and used regular stakes (more of them) in the field when i could only find one tree. that worked good too.

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2032&page=5&highlight=stand

Any weights yet?

i think this prototype weighed 18 or 19 oz, i think cannibal posted an exact weight somewhere, he's using it on his thru right now. the new version will have 2 small doors too, and i'm not sure what i will end up using for edge binding if i get them manufactuered, hopefully it will be lighter than the 1/2" ggr on these versions. it is roughly the same general dimensions as the swt, but with more door weight because of the increased coverage, and the edge binding. probably a few ounces more.