Winter Tarp primer/questions/opinions?

[Just Jeff]

Yes - the winter tarps have small cat curves between the tie-outs.

[irrationalsolutions]

ok i got some material. its not enough but i have to wait on more to get in. the questions i have are..

1 tie off straps or groments
2 how many tie points on each side and what spacing
3 what type of stitching
4 i assume reinforcing the tie points is a good idea so what material do i use

thats all i can think of for now. and thanks again ya'll have been a huge help sa far.

i almost forgot i am going with the 11x10 tarp and its for a hh expedition if it matters.

[sclittlefield]

I'll be building a 12X8 for my HH expedition shortly, I'm terribly interested in the answers to all of those questions.

(12X8 because 4' wide is the only sil that the local walmart had for $1.50/yd)

[Cannibal]

1 tie off straps or groments

I prefer straps; don't know why, just do.

2 how many tie points on each side and what spacing

Are you going to cat cut it? I don't want to carry lots of stakes so the less the better. 2 on each side is my suggestion.

3 what type of stitching

Rolled hem on the perimeter and a flat felled on the ridge seam

4 i assume reinforcing the tie points is a good idea so what material do i use

Scrap pieces of whatever. Black is usually a nice contrast and goes with the GG or bias ribbon you will probably use.

[Preacha Man]

My wive's Cathedral cat tarp is 10X12, and it works great in the winter. It has four tie-outs per side, and you can use the middle two for the sides and then close the ends with the other two. It is the only tarp that I carry now,and the extra cover in the summer really helps in downpours. In the winter I pile leaves up around the sides to block the wind, and as long as you pick a good spot and direction from the wind it keeps all the wind off of you. By the way, there are cat curves between all tie-outs.

Dwight

[Cannibal]

My wive's Cathedral cat tarp is 10X12, and it works great in the winter. It has four tie-outs per side, and you can use the middle two for the sides and then close the ends with the other two. It is the only tarp that I carry now,and the extra cover in the summer really helps in downpours. In the winter I pile leaves up around the sides to block the wind, and as long as you pick a good spot and direction from the wind it keeps all the wind off of you. By the way, there are cat curves between all tie-outs.

Dwight

That's got to be one bomb-proof tarp with 4 ties and cats on each side.

[Doctari]

My tarp is 13.5' X 10', in winter: I hang the tarp at about eye level (I'm 5' 7") & stake it as if it was a MacCat*, leaving teh ends at ground level free, I then fold them in & stake the ends making a double door at each end of my tarp. My one & only time doing this was monday night, temp got down to at least 23 degrees. I also use a hammock sock, so thought I wouldn't really notice any differece as I have spent the night in similar temps using just my MacCat type tarp & the sock, I was wrong: The Left flap facing North came loose around 0200, I noticed just a few minutes after (about 15) I heard it start to flap that it was indeed a few degrees cooler inside my sock. I rolled over & went back to sleep, around 0300 I got up & fixed it. Again, I noticed a near immediate change in temp, this time it was warmer.
The wind that night came from every direction**, so I can't say the flap blocking the wind did or didn't make a difference. I do know that it was noticably warmer inside the tarp with the flaps closed as opposed to them being open.

Note: this method would also work all season when/if privacy was an issue.

*From the side it in fact looks like a MacCat when set up this way.
**Literally the wind directon on the local weather channel was changing every 30 seconds or less, hitting all 12 points of the compass in under 2 minutes.

[irrationalsolutions]

i thought about going with a more narrow tarp also but i decided to use a third strip running long ways down the middle to get the with i wanted.

[irrationalsolutions]

sorry i left the d out it should be width

[Just Jeff]

If you put a strip down the middle you'll have to seamseal two ridgelines. If you put a more narrow strip down each end you won't have to worry about sealing it.