Ready-Made Tarp "skin' for a buck or two
Hey forum,
I have been looking around to find some inexpensive material or bug netting to construct (sew) a diy snake-skin for my tarp setup recently. I found some netting at Wally-world, but after getting it home and messing around with it, it didn't seem 'soft' and pliable enough for the job.
I'd seen an idea on You-tube using women's 'leggings' from the dollar store, so I bought some ...but haven't had the time (or motivation) to sew them together yet...
However, while I was shopping around and brainstorming for other possibilities, i remembered something. Shower Buffers. I'm sure you have probably seen these in the dollar stores for a buck or two. They are in the bath and shower section and look like a wadded up piece of netting with a loop of string tied around them. They're used for scrubbing yourself in the shower using soap, shower gel and such.
I remembered that once, when I was a kid, I ripped apart one that my mom had so that I could make a fishing net (catching tadpoles and such in a nearby pond). It wasn't so usable then because of the shape...and that's what I remembered.
I immediately went back to the dollar store and bought one of the Puffs for a buck, carefully snipped the string holding it together, pulled it apart and there it was... a ready-made tube of netting, with some stretch to it, about 10 feet long or so. Not quite as soft as bug-netting, but probably more durable.
If desired, a draw-cord with cord locks could easily be woven onto the ends (since it's not narrow at the end like most snake-skins). Use it as-is for a one-piece skin, or cut it in half for one that meets in the middle.
Not sure if anyone has suggested this idea before, but I wanted to post it anyway. It doesn't require sewing to make a tube, and since it is netting, it will allow a damp tarp to dry some while in the skin. For someone looking for a quick and cheap tarp skin, I'd think that for a buck, it couldn't be beat!
Darth Hanger
