RSBTR Membrane Silpoly Rectangle tarp with "sort-of" doors

Finally finished my tarp and took it camping this weekend.
12 foot ridge line. I got the khaki hex tarp kit from RSBTR and left it rectangular and added some tie-outs for "sort-of doors". It has to be pitched pretty narrow to allow the "doors" to overlap enough, but it did a great job this weekend with temps in the low 30s keeping the wind off of me. I used 1/2 inch grosgrain binding and a binding foot for my sewing machine, which made finishing the edges very easy. Adds some weight, I know, but I like the way it looks and the added strength at the edges and reinforcements. Here's a pic with the doors clipped together with shock cord on the inside:
Attachment 119840
Here is a pic showing the "doors" closed (I used the smallest shock cord with mitten hooks on the "door" tie outs and just clipped them to the opposite side guy line.)
Attachment 119841
Great material to work with. Easy to cut and sew. Still need to get a final weight, but it feels lighter than my eno pro-fly sil, which is a LOT smaller when deployed, and it packs into roughly the same size as the smaller tarp also. I used the combo flat felled/French seam for the ridge line, and I got some of the dyneema x gridstop to use as reinforcements, and opted to put them on the outside of the tarp because I liked the look. Line loc3s at perimeter tie outs, and I used the included beastie d rings at the ridge line. Sealed the ridge line with seam grip.

Very well done. That is a sharp looking tarp!

This looks really terrific!! Congrats. What are the finished dimensions and costs, if you don't mind?

Fantastic build.

I will measure it soon, but by using the grosgrain binding, I was able to use almost the full width of the material for the panels. The only decrease in that dimension was the seam for the ridge line. I just put the grosgrain around the bare edge of the silpoly - no hem necessary. Probably about 58" width per side, so just shy of 10 feet. Length is 12 feet. Seems really strong when I tug on it. I don't think it will pull out. As far as costs, the membrane silpoly kit from RSBTR is $65.35, which comes with everything necessary to make the tarp, but I added a half yard of the dyneema x gridstop material (just because I liked it) for another $13, still have quite a bit left over for more projects. The grosgrain was from DIY gear supply was about $5.00, some Lawson reflective line (hard to nail down since I only used some for tarp, the line loc3s I got from Dutch; I believe they are about .25 each. I used 8. Seam grip was about $7. I bought a spool of Gutermann Mara 70 khaki thread just for the ridge line ($3.25). All said and done it was probably around $95, with some things left over I can still use. By way of comparison, it is comparable in size to a WL Bullfrog tarp (my inspiration for the design), which is $145 base price. (I'm sure the WL is higher quality construction than my modest skills allow, though). So I saved a little, but spent some hours making it. Overall, a good experience for a fairly inexperienced DIYer. What made it a lot easier was going without cat cuts. I was able to get a nice taut pitch, though, and it stayed the same all night, so I don't think they're necessary with the silpoly material. Also very low stretch, apparently. Also, this material really was easier to sew than the 1.0 hexon I made a hammock out of, and the 1.9 silnylon I've used to make various stuff sacks.

Here is a comparison of the tarp to an eno profly sil in their stuff sacks. The stuff sack for my tarp is a little wider, but the eno is longer, so they appear about the same in total.
Attachment 119884

Thanks for the kind comments. I really like the way the material is almost translucent, but still opaque enough to allow for privacy.
Attachment 119980

Thanks for the review, pictures, and inspiration. Hoping to make one of these with 11' ridge line.

shalom,
Kevin

very nice!