Help on DIY tarp

[Bags4266]

Here. http://www.noahlamport.com/ Google would work!
BTW you need to call to see what color and quantity is available. Also you have to buy more than 10 yds. And ask them to ship it off the roll so your not paying to ship extra weight.

[shanewalker10]

thanks every one on the helpfulness with measurements...on a side note, since nylon comes linear and usually about 5 feet wide...sounds like if you bought about 3 yards of it, that would be about the perfect size for a DIY hammock?

[rjcress]

thanks every one on the helpfulness with measurements...on a side note, since nylon comes linear and usually about 5 feet wide...sounds like if you bought about 3 yards of it, that would be about the perfect size for a DIY hammock?

yes.
You might want to read the sticky posts at the top of the DIY section for more info on stuff like this.
Tons of great info waiting for you there.

The one labeled "Instruction: Gathered End Hammock" should cover the path that you are wandering down with the fabric being the right size for a hammock idea.
You are right on track.

[grich9860]

I tried it several years ago with only moderate "success". Never got the ripstop as water resistant as sil and it was hard to cover it evenly. Luckily, I only needed the tarp for a few nights and it didn't rain, though it did snow lightly one night. I highly recommend using silnylon instead.

thanks for the advice. i might just give in and go with silnylon. this is also my firsy diy tarp and i was trying to do it on the cheap. thanks for the info.

[Bags4266]

Good choice, I can't stress more there is no money savings here. Sil is very cheap from the right source. If you cheap out you will only kick yourself in the arse for not doing it the right way.

[nacra533]

thanks every one on the helpfulness with measurements...on a side note, since nylon comes linear and usually about 5 feet wide...sounds like if you bought about 3 yards of it, that would be about the perfect size for a DIY hammock?

Do not use sil for a hammock. You can't suck or blow air through it.

For regular ripstop (non sil) nylon, yes.. that's what we all use for DIY hammocks. It usually runs about 64"-67" wide. I would guess most are 1.7/1.9 oz for the single layer hammocks or 1.1 oz for the double layer.

I suggest trying a simple one like the diamond tarp first, just to get used to working with silnylon. No ridgeline seam.

My first DIY tarp was a Speer style 10x10 square tarp with the ridgeline running across the tarp instead of along the ridgeline. I found the instructions online somewhere, maybe here.

I always put a flat felled seam on the ridgeline of my larger tarps. That is the single most frustrating thing I do. I've tried pinning, stapling, ironing on low heat, and everything. Nothing works well. I just fold it and sew it, which makes for a not so pretty seam. Know going into it, sil is very tough to work with because it is so slippery. You likely are not doing anything wrong, we all fight with it.

Some good alternatives for the Ridgeline are:
-semi flat felled seam. seam it together and fold seam to one side and stitch it down.
-semi flat felled seam with binding. - same thing. seam it together, bind it, and stitch binding/seam down to one side.

[wirerat123]

I always put a flat felled seam on the ridgeline of my larger tarps. That is the single most frustrating thing I do. I've tried pinning, stapling, ironing on low heat, and everything. Nothing works well. I just fold it and sew it, which makes for a not so pretty seam. Know going into it, sil is very tough to work with because it is so slippery. You likely are not doing anything wrong, we all fight with it.

Frustrating is an understatement lol. Just be prepared for crampy fingers.

[shanewalker10]

would http://www.backwoodsdaydreamer.com/a...s/show/2027020 that work for a tarp

just as good as

http://www.backwoodsdaydreamer.com/a...s/show/1820961

whats the pros and cons?

[shanewalker10]

any advice?

[dragon360]

I would go with the silnylon 2nds. Good deal and it the lighter material - more thoroughly water 'proof'. And working with Scott at Backwoods Dreamer is a great start to all this.