Tyvek Tarp - 0, Charging Poodle - 1

[JohnHawkins]

I was testing out my newly made tyvek tarp yesterday, and my 60 lb, 35mph Standard Poodle came blasting across the yard to say hi. He didn't notice the guy lines from the tarp and ran right through one.

It delaminated a 2x2 ft section of the tarp where the guy line attached. I'd glued a tyvek loop onto it with the fancy 3M 300 LSE double-sided tape and reinforced it with duct tape running in the direction of the strain I expected the guy line to produce. But the dog running across the line put a lateral strain on it. The 3M tape, the duct tape, and the tyvek loop (and the Lash-it) all held, but the tyvek underneath the duct tape basically ripped along the middle of the fabric - delaminated is the best way to describe it. The line was still attached, but the top part of the tarp had torn away from the bottom for about 2 feet in the direction the dog had yanked the line. It left a little flap, like a flap of skin, still attached but flopping loose. I should've taken a picture before I fixed it, but didn't think about in time.

I duct taped it back down and it seems to be okay. I''m now adding lateral duct tape reinforcements to the guy line tie-outs, in case the dog and the tarp have a rematch. Or in case my foot snags a guy line.

The good news is overall the material seems really sturdy (it's kite making tyvek) and light. It's 10'x9' and about 16 oz (a little more now, there's more duct tape...). I rain tested it this afternoon - lay in the hammock under it reading for about 45 minutes with the sprinkler directed at it (I'm sure the dog thinks I'm nuts). No leaks, even though it was enough water to soak the ground and cause puddling on the lawn.

But it needs a little reinforcement in multiple directions - the lateral force tore it right along the edge of the duct tape.

[timabababaluka]

I did the tape-and-tyvek-loop-thing on my tyvek tarp, but wasn't really pleased with the results. There haven't been any problems over the last year, but I can forsee problems down the road (I don't have a 35 mph standard poodle, but I do have 6 wonderfully rowdy kids ). I have always felt like the tape would somehow be the week link, or rather, the link that is too strong.

I was fortunate enough to get another piece of tyvek from a very generous member of this forum, so when I made a tarp for my two oldest sons, I opted for the old wrap-something-in-the-tyvek-and-tie-it-off option for their guylines. I still use a small strip of tape for each guyline in order to protect the tyvek from wear caused by the guylines and the object I'm wadding the tyvek around, but any pressure exerted on the lines pushes the tape into the tyvek rather than tearing it away from it. I really trust the setup on my boys tarp more than mine.

Alas, the kids always benifit from my previous errors. Maybe I should make their gear first