6 Attachment(s)
Have no fear, UGLY Tarp is here!
Worried about having to buy a new tarp for your Warbridge?
Need a huge tarp that is ultralight for under $60?
Have no DIY skills or a morbid fear of Thread Injectors?
Then make yourself an Ultralight Gigantic Low-cost Yuser-friendly (U.G.L.Y. Tarp).
Materials
9x12 Tyvek
100' Zing-it
8 Mini line-loks (HF Store)
Optional
2 Mitten Hooks
2-4 (4 for a Bridge type hammock) Dutch Clip-on Tarp Pullouts (COTPO)
1 Tarp Flyz
1 Dutch Hook
Step 1. Order a sheet of 9x12 Tyvek. ($30 on EBay or free from a construction site as a roll end) and don't cut anything.
Step 2. Learn how to tie a sheet bend. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3reZ3NuGaQ
Step 3. Order some Zing-it. 100 ' (about $25 at http://www.outdoortrailgear.com/featured/rope/ should do).
Step 4. Tie about 8-10 ft of Zing-it using a sheet bend to each corner, 10-20 ft lengths to the middle (ridgeline point) point of both short sides, and 8-10 ft, 3 ft from each corner point on the long sides (see diagram)Attachment 34668 For the mitten hook quick entry tie a shorter length and tie a loop into it as close to the tarp as possible.Attachment 34669
Step 5. Place the tarp in a clothes dryer with a shoe on lowest heat for 20 to 30 minutes to reduce the crinkle. Note, the tarp will continue to soften as you use it.
I picked up a pair of COTPOs and they open it up quite nicely on the inside. For a Bridge Hammock I would use 4. As I use a WBBB, I tied a short loop to the donut (white piece) of my COTPO and then atached a mitten hook to my WBBB shelf tie out. I hook the mitten hook to the COTPO (see picture) and this keeps me from having line running inside my tarp. As a bonus I can pull on the shelf line and shake my tarp side to dump any snow or water accumulating.
While it's a matter of preference, I keep the TYVEK writing side in to give me something to read, although some may like the geek factor of letting their brand show.
[ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH]Attachment 34673[/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]
Looks like it should last a long time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mbcruzin
How long will tyvek last?
I have another small tyvek tarp that I made (cat-cut) that is small, but I have used it as a groundsheet and fire tarp, and been a quite rough with it. It is still in great shape, in fact, it gets better (less crinkly) with age. I suspect in about five years it may start to show strain at the corners, but I can either drop $30 for another piece, or just trim it up and retie. Either way, I like the fact that for the low cost, I can treat it like outdoor gear and not worry about sparks or tears or Grizzly attacks or falling boulders or Russian invasions....
Looking inside it looks big enough for two hammocks
Also, I was surprised at how the Tyvek stamp is hidden on the outside. It shows up in pictures, but in real life you just see white.
One more thing. This looks like it would be a great project for a scout troop. Buy a roll and a bunch of paracord and the boys could probably whip one of these off in a couple hours. I would probably go 10X8 for the young dudes. Another approach would be to have them tie a short piece at the tieout spots and then tie a loop. Then add 10 lengths of line with a loop at one end of each (kept in a baggie somewhere) that they could prussik if using as a tarp or leave off if using as a groundsheet or pack cover or bear bag or folded over as a rain kilt or...