A while back I created a post about a different way to create tie outs for Tyvek tarps here https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...-tarp-tie-outs . I have tried a lot of other methods for the Tyvek tarp tie outs and this is what I settled on finally. It is a very easy way to create all the tie outs without taping, sewing, or damaging/modifying any original piece of Tyvek sheet. It deemed it the "G" tarp because I used cut off Gatorade bottle caps to sandwich the Tyvek between to create the tie out points. It is extremely strong and I have pitched it very tightly without any signs of wear or tearing. Now I know this post is not for the gram weenies out there but it is not meant to be. It is just a simple 9x11 piece of Tyvek converted into a very easy to set up tarp. I have yet to create a stuff sack for it but it does fold down pretty tightly and it actually does not weigh very much. I am in the process of creating a stuff sack for it and I'm going to pick up a postal scale today and report back with the final weight. Here she is!
Pictures of the tarp above hung in the common area of my apartment complex here in Louisville. I have yet to put 4 more tie out points 2' from each corner to create doors but it would be very simple and easy to add more. Along with center tie out points in the middle of the tarp on each side to use trekking poles to pull the tarp out.
Above are the stages of creating the tie out "caps". Essentially all I did was use my wood burning pen with the blade attachment to cut off the tops of the bottles just behind the collar of each cap. After the cap had been separated from the body of the bottle I remove the small orange seal break from the threading. I didn't show it in the pictures but I also melted down the sharp little points on each cap that create the safety seal on each bottle so they would not catch and snag on the material. I initially used a bandsaw to cut the caps and then put them on the belt grinder but it took a bit longer and I had to melt the sharp edges with a lighter in the end anyways. BUT just make sure you do this in a well ventilated area! I have a respirator I wore for wood turning and used a fan to draw away the fumes. Melting plastic is no good to breathe in! Once I had all the caps prepped and ready I laid the tarp out and marked each center point I wanted for the tie outs. I then place the cap on top of the Tyvek and screw the bottle collar in very tightly to sandwich the material between the two pieces. What is great about the Gatorade bottles is they all have a rubber seal in the cap so it holds the Tyvek in very tightly.
Here are some pictures of the tie outs at the ridgeline. I decided I need to melt channels in the bottom of the collars to hold my ridgeline centered on the cap to keep the caps centered like in the third picture above I centered the ridgeline on the cap. It still pitches and holds just fine, but it is a bit of my OCD coming out with everything not being centered.
These last two pictures are of one of the corner tie outs and a center tie out. You may notice in some of these pictures I have a hole burned in the center of each cap. I originally thought I was going to have my tie out points come from the center but the pull on the tarp was uneven that way. I ended up just doing a taut line hitch on each end of my guy lines and sliding it tightly around the base of each cap.
I hope someone can take something from this post and use it. I really enjoyed messing around with different ways to tie out this material and honestly this was super simple and rather quick to do. I can also use the 9x11 sheet for any other project if I still wish because when you unscrew the caps the tarp is left undamaged underneath. Happy hanging!
Kyle
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Originally Posted by dkurfiss
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