New DIYer, First Tarp, SUPER Results!

**efosterw** · 06-26-2016, 21:11

So... I was bitten by the DIY bug, bought a $10 thrift store sewing machine and a Hex12 tarp kit from RSBTR, borrowed some ideas from Shug and BlackBishop351, bugged my veteran hanging friend for advice... and I'm SUPER pumped about the results of my tarp!

I designed it like Shug's Black Crow tarp but with longer sides. I was going for a tarp that I could use for winter camping and in storm mode but still be small enough to be my warm-weather tarp, too. I'm still pretty new to hammock camping and have been using a Yukon Walkabout Rainfly until now. I was hoping that I could get more coverage in a tarp that I could use year-round... I want to learn how to winter camp and I really need a tarp with doors of some sort (I figured that out on a very cold 20-something degree night on the AT with wind gusts and snow flurries under a diamond tarp).

Now for the numbers... the diamond-shaped Yukon comes in at 17.9 oz with ropes and stakes and Nite-Ize cam lock hardware. The Hyphenator (my DIY tarp) comes in at 18.1 oz with ropes, stakes, Dutch Fleaz AND snake skins... I'm PUMPED! I increased my coverage A LOT, added winter camping and storm mode capability, added no-see-um snake skins and only had a net gain of 0.2 oz! I think I saved weight by using silnylon material (as opposed to polyester), lighter ropes (Zing It), and the titanium Fleaz. Oh... and I carry FOUR more stakes to be able to pitch it in storm mode. The attached picture is The Hyphenator in porch mode.

This community is freakin' awesome. From advice on buying a thread injector to tarp designs & mods to what Dutch bling to use to plans on making the no-see-um snake skins, I have had great help from great people. I really appreciate the responses I got from TacBlades, Fronkey, Shug, Dutch, and lots of other folks as I researched and asked a bazillion questions. I learned to sew and I have a sweet tarp.

First big #DIY project complete! Tarp, bug net and snake skins for my #hammock. It was fun, glad.jpg

**STinGa** · 06-26-2016, 21:48

Welcome to the forum. You picked some good peeps to steal knowledge from. You ended up with a very nice tarp ... congrats!!

STinGa

**ATCGuard** · 06-26-2016, 21:50

Very nice job, I'm worried I'm going to end up being bit by this very same bug soon...where's my DEET?

**T_Bone** · 06-27-2016, 00:10

That's great! Nice work.

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**ofuros** · 06-27-2016, 00:25

Looks good, efosterw.

**Wanderlost** · 06-27-2016, 05:21

Looks great! I could never do black. It seems like it'd get pretty warm under it in the sun.

**efosterw** · 06-27-2016, 06:22

Yeah, I'm waiting to find out if that's a positive or negative. I chose black because my Yukon tarp is black and I liked it, but when I set my new tarp up in storm mode in the south GA June sun, it became a sauna immediately. At first I was worried about it, until I remembered that winter camping is one of my purposes for this tarp. In that situation, it would be a positive. Maybe if I hang it higher and in porch mode it will allow heat to escape.

**MoniqueWS** · 06-27-2016, 12:10

That is a super nice looking tarp and the weight gain is pretty puny-impressive!!

**gfstanley** · 06-27-2016, 13:40

That is a very nice looking tarp! I have recently finished my tarp and am really looking forward to using this weekend on a 4-day trip with my daughter. For her sake, I hope it doesn't rain, but selfishly, I wouldn't mind just a little