any suggestions? What's the best place? Thanks.
any suggestions? What's the best place? Thanks.
50% off coupon to get 1.9oz ripstop at joann's --- comes to around 3.50 a yard IIRC.
If you have a wal-mart that still carries fabric, I would start there in the bargain bin. $1.50/yard
That is where we usually get ours for most of the hammock projects.
I've made one that is a single layer 1.1 using fabric from thru-hiker (http://thru-hiker.com/materials/breathable.php) that actually had less stretching issues than heavier fabric from wal-mart and it was only $7.87 a yard, so $23.61 for enough material to make a hammock.
I almost always check the fabric bins at Joann Fabrics & Wal-Mart and practically never find any suitable nylon fabrics.
However, we have a large fabric surplus shop in Auburn, Maine (Fabric Warehouse) that carries plenty of materials, often priced cheaply by the pound. I've also bought plenty of webbing, fasteners, etc. there. I suspect that many cities might have a similar surplus outlet, and you might ask awning manufacturers, car upholsterers, etc. about where they get their supplies.
I also stopped by a sailmaker and bought some surplus sailcloth - a very light, but strong silicone coated polyester. It would make a great hammock, but I've diverted most of it into stuff sacks, and the like.
I also had good luck searching for kite building suppliers because they use a lot of lightweight silnylon and silpolyester fabrics in their construction. I bought a number of pieces at prices ranging from $4-7/yard.
Aside from that, it's hard to beat the selection at some of the online fabric suppliers such as Seattle Warehouse. If you check their sale items, you'll often find a good deal.
Doug
would it really save that uch to make it all myself versus buy the speer kit? how good are speer hammks?
Speer kits are good, basic design, contain proven materials, arrive promptly after ordering, and incur only a single shipping charge for the entire ball of wax. Experienced experts may argue over design details or material choices but unless you're an experienced expert yourself you won't know which of those other experts to follow. Similarly, you may save a few nickels or dimes by shopping around but unless you consider shopping a form of entertainment you won't save enough to compensate for the shopping mileage. I bought the kit, made minor changes during assembly, learned a lot, and consider the kit to be the best bargain around for a first-timer.
bob
Now that is some good advice!
Speer does have a fair amount of good materials for your projects.
Also you might want to check out Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics and Quest Outfitters.
The bonus to these three is that you know what you're getting. Until you have a pretty good feel for outdoor gear fabrics, surplus stuff at Walmart can be risky only in that you don't know what you're actually getting. That said - if your Walmart carries $1.50 bin fabric, buy up all the ripstop you can find if you think the DIY bug is biting you. You'll use it eventually and can't beat the price.
Last edited by sclittlefield; 03-16-2010 at 12:49. Reason: spelling
DIY Gear Supply - Your source for DIY outdoor gear.
Ripstop and Bug Netting: Speer hammocks (buy the fabric not necessarily the kit)
Hardware (webbing, clips, velcro): Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics
Insulation: Thru-Hiker
Ridgelines: Opie's whoopieslings.com
This is what I have found to be the best prices for the stuff that I use.
Doc
I have two doctors, my left leg and my right. ~G.M. Trevelyan
Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. ~Steven Wright
I've ordered from Ed Speer and couldn't be happier with his prices, materials, and customer service! There's something about "no guessing, no hassles, no worries" that's worth the few bucks I might have saved with an unknown or less reputable supplier. Call him.
-Greg H
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