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

**Fishdds** · 11-17-2015, 17:18

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:
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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.)
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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.

**Eidson** · 11-17-2015, 17:22

Very well done. That is a sharp looking tarp!

**pinballwizard** · 11-17-2015, 22:28

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

**BigE94** · 11-17-2015, 22:56

Fantastic build.

**Fishdds** · 11-17-2015, 23:38

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.

**Fishdds** · 11-18-2015, 00:01

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.
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