Corner Tie Pockets

[JLeephoto]

The biggest mistake I made when I ordered my Tadpole from Marty was not spending the few extra bucks to add those corner pockets to stuff the tie-outs into. I don't like the fiddle factor with tying them up when I'm breaking down and don't like 'em hanging when I stuff the tarp in my pythons.
So, tonight I took on the project of adding them myself. It was good practice with the new thread injector and I didn't make too big a mess of my pristine Tadpole.
I spent some time trying to figure out how to keep the cords from just falling out of the pockets and what I came up with was to:
1)Create a 1/4" internal "flap" to serve as a trap to hold them in and 2)sew a couple inches in from each edge to provide a smaller opening in the middle of the pocket.
Here's the final result in case any of you are in the same boat:

[Mrprez]

Is that mesh? Hard to see on the small screen.

[JLeephoto]

Yes, I used 7" squares of nano-see-um mesh folded over to make a triangle that overlapped the edges a little. I flapped the top doubled edge down to create the "trap" then sewed down all edges along the tarp hem and trimmed the excess.
I ended up with about a 3" deep pocket at from point to top edge.

I couldn't find any tutorials in my searching so this is what I came up with. I'm sure I'll now find some design that I like better, but this seems to serve the purpose pretty well.

[Otter1]

Very nice!

[The Old Boot]

Ohhh, I so like those pockets.

I've tried the figure 8 method of winding up all the tie downs on my tarp but they keep unwinding themselves, the cord is just too slippery to hold itself in place and man do they manage to work themselves into spaghetti knots inside the snakeskins (it's a kind of magic trick they do...)

Good thing the winter project pile isn't THAT high!!

[JLeephoto]

Go for it Old Boot and let us know what you come up with. I played around with using some elastic in the edge trying to figure the best method of keeping the cord in the pocket. This works, and is light weight, but I'm wondering if some sort of spandex stretch knit my do the job better?

[The Old Boot]

Go for it Old Boot and let us know what you come up with. I played around with using some elastic in the edge trying to figure the best method of keeping the cord in the pocket. This works, and is light weight, but I'm wondering if some sort of spandex stretch knit my do the job better?

I actually like your idea of sewing in from each end a couple of inches on the opening side. It leaves just enough of an opening to stuff the line into. I just need the darn things to stay in place long enough to pull the snakeskins down!

Elastic will add weight and then add water weight as well when wet AND I have all kinds of small pieces of noseeum leftover from the bug net!

[JLeephoto]

The only down side to this method is having to sew those lines across the face of the tarp. I went round and round with it and finally decided Its a TARP not my wife's fancy comforter, and went for it.

[Otter1]

If you want elasticity, buy an off brand "underArmour" style shirt from Wallyworld or TJMaxx, etc and use that material.

[FLRider]

I actually like your idea of sewing in from each end a couple of inches on the opening side. It leaves just enough of an opening to stuff the line into. I just need the darn things to stay in place long enough to pull the snakeskins down!

This is what I did with mine. The no-see-um netting stretches just enough to allow the cordage (looped up) to be pushed inside and then retains it well.