I've never used them before; but I'm thinking about making some snakeskins for my tarps and giving them a try. Length is pretty easy to figure out; but what is the best diameter to use? I've got both an OES MacCat Deluxe Spinn and a Speer Winter Tarp.
I know I could just experiment; but if you saw how slow I sew, you'd realize that might be a very loooong set of sewing sessions. Figured I'd just check first to see what the successful snakeskinners are doing!
David
The road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with weary feet, Until it joins some larger way, Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.
-Frodo Baggins, The Fellowship of the Ring
What I would do is reef your tarp up loosely with half hitches, and then measure it. I made some the other week, and I think I started with a 7" strip of ripstop, and they fit my humongo tarp quite nicely.
Acer
It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Formerly known as Acercanto, my trail name is MacGuyver to some, and Pucker Factor to others.
It's not procrastinating, its proactively delaying the implementation of the energy-intensive phase of the project until the enthusiasm factor is at its maximum effectiveness. - Randy Glasbergen
I have never DIY anything but remember to make the narrow end wide enough to slide over the tarp and hammock (Dual-Use) gathered end and/or tie-down. I use the nitieze? nines and the narrow end bunches up the skins in tight spots.
Watch the HH video on how he rolls the tar ends up w/ guylines up. I thought my #4 SS were too small before I watched it.
"Take me away to a quiet place where beings melt into inner space. Every step brings me closer to see, my haven away beneath the trees." From Beneath the Trees by Everett Dort
I'm thinking that the wide end of my skin was 14" accross before sewing into a circle. I made it bigger so that the tarp would fold once in the skin, not be so stiff.
Bad spellers of the world Untie!
I have a #4 around my HH Hex tarp and I think a #3 around my MC Deluxe, the one that is around my Deluxe is the one that came with my HH Hyperlite? They all fit with lines and all with no problem!
And therein lies the root of the question.Originally Posted by Cranky Bear
For those planning to DIY them, #3 and #4 don't correspond to actual inch values - simply to pre-made size designations by HH - which are, not suprisingly, absent from all descriptions of them at any online retailers. There are lots of posts that say "#4 SS fit my tarp perfectly" or "#3 SS are a bit tight on this particular tarp, so #4's would be perfect" - Anyone out there have a cheat sheet that tells what the circumference of the wide ends of a #3 HH snakeskin and a #4 HH snakeskin are, in inches? Or do we not speak of such things, in deference to patents and such?
And for the OP, here is a link to just jeff's directions for making a set. Dimensions may not be perfect for your particular tarp/setup, but it's a place to start. He talks about them being used on a MacCat Standard, so that should help orient things.
If you were to go to the HH site and under snake skin you will find this!And therein lies the root of the question.
And for the OP, here is a link to just jeff's directions for making a set. Dimensions may not be perfect for your particular tarp/setup, but it's a place to start. He talks about them being used on a MacCat Standard, so that should help orient things.
Specifications
SnakeSkins #3 For Expedition Asym, Scout and Explorer Ultralight, Ultralite Backpacker .
77" long
7 1/2" circumference at wide end
2" circumference at narrow end
SnakeSkins#4
For Explorer Deluxe Safari Deluxe Survivor Evader
84 " long
9" circumference at wide end
2" circumference at narrow end
BurningCedar, the snakeskins I made for my BWDD Winter Dream are 1 1/2" wide (when flat) on the small end and 4 1/4" wide on the large end with a straight taper between the two ends. They are 6' long each. I found that when making them, after hemming the ends, that I'd sew it lengthwise a little bigger than needed with them inside out. Then I'd slide them on the tarp and used pins to mark where a better fit would be, sewed along the pin line, then turned them right side out. Snakeskins are great for a quick tarp set up, especially in the wind, they're just goofy to pack. Glad you snagged that Speer Winter Tarp
SmokeBait
And THAT is why I love this place. Less than a minute from post to answer.
I swear I've looked at that site a dozen times, and at those items almost as many, and never ever seen the little link off to the side that said 'photos/specs' before.
It's all good!!And THAT is why I love this place. Less than a minute from post to answer.
I swear I've looked at that site a dozen times, and at those items almost as many, and never ever seen the little link off to the side that said 'photos/specs' before.
Hope this help's some?!?!?!
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