New tarp and a improvised trick

**PuckerFactor** · 05-03-2010, 23:58

Just got back yesterday from a AWESOME backpack trip down to the Shining Rock Wilderness. I may do a trip report, but that's not what this thread is about.

It's about the hugacious (new word Fulminated taught me at the HS hang

) tarp (roughly 12'x10') I made the night before I left.
Here it is:

I must apologize for it, it had never been out in public, and I hadn't had time to teach it proper etiquette on when not to sport a boner.

Actually, that's my trick I figured out. I only had corner tieouts, and that was woefully inadequate for keeping it tame in the stiff breezes we had all night. Also, the fabric stretches really badly. And is not sil, but some kind of DWR (didn't leak in the rain we got on Sat. night, but wicked water if you touched it), so I have to figure out how to make it really waterproof.

I just rolled a little stub of rotten twig into the edge of the tarp and tied it to my hiking stick, and took the tail and staked it out. Worked quite well.

Here's the view from the back side.

Do any of you have any advice on how to get this beast fully waterproof? I have the silicone caulking and mineral spirits, but don't know if the DWR that's on there already will mess it up. And I also plan on putting 2 more tieouts on each long edge about 3 feet in from the corners to make doors, and a nice deep cat cut to tighten up the center, and also some center tieouts.

Acer

**optimator** · 05-04-2010, 23:19

Is that a stick in your tarp or are you just happy to see me?

**gargoyle** · 05-05-2010, 05:47

Test the silicone/mineral spirits on some scraps, if you have any.
DWR seems to break down over time any ways, in my experience...So you might just dip the whole thing and get it over with.

Instead of deep cat cuts, wouldn't several smaller ones be more useful. Extra tie out points are so nice...close the doors, prop one section up high, tilt down the corners....?

just a thought? Where did you get the fabric?
Call your tarp "Hugh Morningwood".

**PuckerFactor** · 05-05-2010, 06:44

Good idea about the scraps, Gargoyle.
I'm planning on putting a tieout 3' in from each end to make some doors, so the middle will have a 6' cat cut that I'll probably make 7" deep. But yes, I agree, the flexibility of multiple tieouts is awesome.
I got the fabric on eBay from "fabricsupplier". They have some good fabrics at decent prices.

So joke: If doctors get morning sickness, and dentists get morning breath, what do foresters get?

Acer

**gargoyle** · 05-05-2010, 06:46

slivers

**Hangin' Burrito** · 05-05-2010, 07:05

Yes.. please do a trip report. I love the Shining Rock area, RF & I are planning an overnight to Cold Mtn. in June sometime, would like to see some more pics and the condition of trails there. No doubt the blowdowns were pretty bad I imagine. Let us know.

P.S. Don't worry too much about the tarp "problem", it'll go down when it wakes up a little bit!