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  1. #11
    Senior Member FreeTheWeasel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mrprez View Post
    I have a cat tarp for sale in the FS thread. It is the Speer Cat Tarp. Good price too...
    I did see that offer and I was tempted. I will probably stick with the larger sized tarp, say 11x10, since that is what I have now and it works fairly well when I'm trying to use on tarp to cover both my daughter's hammock and mine.

    FreeTheWeasel

  2. #12
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    not trying to keep you from making a tarp by any means, but i am offering the superfly without doors or pull tabs, basically just a 11x10.5" elongated hex. probably most similar to the mac cat delux in shape, for 105$

  3. #13
    Senior Member FreeTheWeasel's Avatar
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    Warbonnetguy,

    Yes, I forgot to add that one to the list. You guys are killing me. I mean, I really like the idea of DIY. On a limited basis, it is somewhat fun. No way I want to try to make a living at it though. Too much work. But at the prices you are offering, it is really hard to justify the effort (hence the topic).

    I think your SuperFly with doors is an outstanding design. I keep looking at it and looking at my wallet, looking at it, and looking at my wallet . . .

    FreeTheWeasel

  4. #14
    Senior Member turk's Avatar
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    In your browser, on the left holding this pose in real-time, for your amusement
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    Quote Originally Posted by FreeTheWeasel View Post
    Now here is a loaded question. I have the large Hennessy tarp and I've been in the rain probably somewhere between 5 and 10 times. I've not gotten wet yet when my groundling buddies were dumping puddles out of their tents. How often does one need doors? Doors just make sense, but I haven't actually needed them yet.

    FreeTheWeasel
    Hmm, thats actually a more thought provoking question than it may first appear. At what point does one really NEED doors?

    Most people that use HH's ditch those stock tarps pretty quick, unless you got a HH hex tarp to begin with. If you look at some common ones around here, the neo tarp, jrb 8x8, maccat standard, and various black cat diy clones - those are all pretty good tarps for coverage. They are a healthy compromise of weight to surface area. And plenty of people here will report having weathered some pretty darn nasty storms in them.

    But then you get into some of these really massive tarps, (usually driven by some long hammocks. Like 10x10, 12x12. These tarps pitch virtually as full sided A-frames. So if your site is carefully planned, you are pretty bomb proofed against the worst downpour imaginable.

    Add some well placed additional tie-outs to close your ends in on a 12 x 12
    and you have a small hammock house.

    So to answer your question - regarding rain - one only really NEEDS doors when you are talking Hand-of-God, 40 days and 40 nights, Everybody-get-on-the-ark kind of rains. (in which case you should spend your money on a packraft instead

    Because of this I think, you see so many people around here have mid sized tarps for 3 season use, and use a 2nd larger tarp (with doors options) as their winter tarp. Cold winds, blowing snow, etc justify the weight penalties of doors pretty quick in that sort of weather.

    If I could only afford 1 tarp for 4 seasons use I personally think that 8x10 is the sweet spot. its big enough for the worst rains, still not too bad for weight to carry, and even in winter, it can get you by pretty good in some parts.


    Just my $0.02 canadian.


    On 2nd thought I'm the worst person to listen to. I'll soon be charging hotel fees to
    sleep in my multi-tarped, heated, partially furnished, 700sq-ft hammock mansion in the snow.
    Last edited by turk; 09-17-2008 at 22:56.
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  5. #15
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    The cost savings for DIY using comparable quality materials purchased retail is often way over estimated. DIY is for custom design types first, addicts second and cheapskates last. If you figure into your cost estimates of DIY the cost of your time you go way over the cost of buying the ready made item. Unless the niche is something like haute couture where you are paying outrageous sums for the name on the label it really doesn't make sense to attempt to _save money_ by making it yourself.

    People used to ask my wife to alter off the rack clothes. Then they would complain that they could have bought a new item for what she charged, a fact she had already told them. OTOH She has made a number of wedding dresses for in the $300 - 500 range which were as excellent as the ones in the magazines for $1500. In that case... you can save money.. but it still ain't cheap. If what you want is available commercially you are often better off financially to buy it. But if you are an addict... or you want something that is not available commercially, then DIY is the way to fly.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

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  6. #16
    Senior Member FreeTheWeasel's Avatar
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    Ramblinrev: I completely agree that if I were to factor in my time, I would loose substantial amounts of money.

    I figure that with enough patience, I can fix just about anything that goes wrong on my car. It is a matter of tools, parts, and a good manual. The problem is that it takes me six times as long as an experienced mechanic who can do the job without bashing his knuckles or spreading oil over the garage walls. And the real problem is that I don't like working on cars. Some people do. My brother is constantly dinking around with his car. I've decided that for most things, it is just better to let the guys who do it for a living have my car. I'll change oil or brakes, but when the evaporator coil went out, I sent it to the shop.

    I figure the hammock tarp is like that. I may be able to save $20 or raw material at the most. Perhaps $50 if I work with 2'nd quality fabrics. The manufacturer's I mentioned in my first post will do it better, faster, and certainly cheaper when you work in the cost of time.

    The thing is that enjoyed making the quits. It is fun to drag those things out and say, "Hey, look at this. i did this."

    So, rather than ramble any longer, I think what I'll do is try a basic tarp with some cheap dwr fabric. It won't actually be useful as a tarp, but it will give me an idea of what kind of effort I'll have to make. If I don't enjoy the process, I'll purchase a commercial tarp without any regrets.

    I really appreciate all of the comments I've received. You guys are fantastic.

    FreeTheWeasel

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by FreeTheWeasel View Post

    Now here is a loaded question. I have the large Hennessy tarp and I've been in the rain probably somewhere between 5 and 10 times. I've not gotten wet yet when my groundling buddies were dumping puddles out of their tents. How often does one need doors? Doors just make sense, but I haven't actually needed them yet.

    FreeTheWeasel
    I don't think you need doors to keep you dry from rain unless you are exposed to the point the rain is coming almost horizontal, and if you have a large enough tarp that would seem like a site selection issue. Doors are mostly about cold weather, cold wind or privacy.

    There are tradeoffs with doors. When you need them they are great, other times you can take 'em or leave up, and there are times they can be in the way. I basically use either an 8x10 tarp or a WinterTarp with 'doors'. I have had my WinterTarp when I was glad I had it, I have had my 8x10 tarp when I wished I had my WinterTarp, I have had my WinterTarp when I wished I had my 8x10 tarp, and there are times it wouldn't have made much of a difference. As far as doors go, they are something else to mess with when you set up and if you close them off, you may have to open and close them whenever you enter and exit your hammock system... you might be surprised how often you get in and out sometimes or what you may have in your hands when you do.

    Another issue with doors is condensation build underneath the tarp and whatever it encloses. Blocking wind is one thing, but air flow to reduce condensation when the wind isn't blowing is also an issue. If you are too closed off (pitched too close to the ground and/or with not much openings on the ends) you don't get much air circulation and condensation is going to be more of an issue. In that condition you almost have to have some significant wind to get enough air flow to remove the humid air you generate from underneath the tarp. It is similar to closed off tents in still air where you have a tough time dealing with condensation build up and why many of the tents with separate rain covers have bath tub floors for rain splatter but rain covers that don't go all the way to the ground... to get some air flow.
    Youngblood AT2000

  8. #18
    New Member bluenoseRumRunner's Avatar
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    This is a good thread as I'm in the process of finding a tarp for my ENO single - a local scout troop is doing a fund raiser via Hennessey orders and I decided to support them and get one of those Double wide Hex. But I'm sure with many here, that I'll eventually have an array of tarps to choose from based on the outing.

  9. #19
    Senior Member
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    why by a tarp at all?

    [QUOTE=JaxHiker;79727]Do you stitch the ripstop hem and then stitch the grosgrain as a second step or do one fell swoop?

    No. The whole idea in using ribbon is to make stitching a hem along a curve easier. It's a bear without ribbon.

    I stitch the ribbon on with one line, turn it and double stitch. The ribbon is exposed on the underside.

    Some folks roll the ribbon completely up. I think that creates a water catchment that makes packing up in the morning unpleasant.

    Making a rectangular 5 X something will take you, maybe, if you are a total greenhorn, an hour. A hex with catenary curves will take maybe another hour, max.

  10. #20
    Senior Member JaxHiker's Avatar
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    Hmm, my ribbon skills suck if you say it's easier with than without. Just to play around last night I ran a 1/4" hem along the ripstop. Then I folded the ribbon over and pinned it in place. It must've pulled between pins because the ribbon edges aren't straight. I know I dipped in a few places so the stitching is off but I didn't do a good job of keeping the edges together. Maybe I need to slow down even further.

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