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  1. #1
    Dutch's Avatar
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    The high cost of grosgrain on the edge of a tarp.

    We have been doing a rolled hem on our tarp now for about a year. So far we have never had a single reported hem failure. So all that grosgrain really adds up and weigh quite a bit. Here is a vid to demonstrate that...
    Last edited by Dutch; 08-26-2019 at 14:39.
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  2. #2
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
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    I like the rolled hem! I never really considered the extra weight, but after trying a tarp with grosgrain after years of using tarps without, I hated it. Most fabrics have at least a little stretch, which is great for getting the tarp nice and taut. With the heavier grosgrain "framing" the tarp, you're basically pulling that tight, leaving a slightly looser "bowl" of tarp fabric inside. I don't like that at all.

    I use another manufacturer, but the longest I kept a tarp with a rolled hem was about 5 years and it looked as good as it did day one. Zero damage or wear.

  3. #3
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    Glad your doing rolled hems. It's the way to go.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Tyroler Holzhacker's Avatar
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    That's an easy way to cut 3 oz of weight, especially since the tarp isn't negatively affected by the rolled hem vs the grosgrain perimeter.

  5. #5
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    This is one of those things that never made sense to me about 'hangers'.
    While some sewn goods manufacturers do use edgebinding because of the manufacturing advantage, the material used is never grosgrain, but slit rolls of matching fabric (or an accent color). Bias tape basically... not folded grosgrain.

    While there is some structural value: a properly made rolled hem is more than plenty to do the job. I know hammock folks like to crank on their tarps but these aren't sails or outdoor canopies.

    The simple question I've posed to folks before who debate the idea...
    If your tarp 'needs' grosgrain edge binding for a structural reason....then why doesn't your hammock?

    I'd be curious if anyone knows how or why it started in the first place... Hennessy perhaps?

    I talked to Marty a bit about it at one point and he didn't get it either.
    It used to be that was a mark of cheap construction, not quality. Good stuff had rolled hems... cheap stuff didn't.
    At the very minimum they sprung for matching bias tape to finish the edges.

    I'm not saying any of the vendors here who use the grosgrain edge do bad work... it's actually the opposite.
    That's why it's always struck me as so odd. For all the innovation that does occur in this community, hammock tarps are well behind on this issue.

    On the backpacking cottage side, especially Backpacking Light back in the day, you would never find anyone even considering adding useless material... learn to roll a hem and be done with it. Many of the cottage vendors on the backpacking side came out of that school of thought and I'd imagine the hammock folks picked up the grosgrain edging the same way? Or maybe it's just the highly DIY driven roots and more practical/budget minded approach that exists.

    Adding a half inch of grosgrain into a ridgeline seam is reasonable, especially given the high tension many put on these tarps.
    Even that is a bit unusual regarding general tarp/rainfly construction; though for the most part hammock tarps have a much longer RL than others and floating off the ground exposes them to more wind than a ground tarp.

    It also lets you do a standing seam better if you prefer. It sure makes construction easier.... though a true double needle flat felled seam machine with a puller will do it just as quickly if you can afford one and learn to use it.

    Anyway...

    Kudos to you for making the switch. Hopefully others will follow.
    It's a bit more work but much better value for the customer.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Tyroler Holzhacker's Avatar
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    My MacCat tarp had grosgrain all around the perimeter, not a rolled hem. I like this tarp even though it is probably overkill, and weighs a bit more than the average tarp. My next tarp will have a rolled hem in Silpoly material, or be made of DCF fabric.

  7. #7
    richtorfla's Avatar
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    Years ago, I was drawn to the AHE toxaway tarp because of the rolled hem. That and the price at the time. Can't complain a bit. Has been a great tarp over the years and still holding up to my abuse! Didn't know I was ahead of the bell curve of saving weight! Just meant I overpacked somewhere else!

  8. #8
    Senior Member BigE94's Avatar
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    I did a rolled hem on my DIY hex tarp. Looks a little ****** in some spots, but it is strong.
    I would rather be in the woods... my dog would rather be in the pool. My wife thinks we are both nuts.

  9. #9
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    If a tarp is well built, there is no need for grosgrain anywhere.

  10. #10
    Senior Member rweb82's Avatar
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    What I find interesting is that UGQ uses grosgrain edging around the entire perimeter of their tarps, but their 11' hanger tarp is only 382g. Consequently, Dutch's 11' Xenon hex tarp is 390g. I don't doubt that grosgrain edging adds weight, but it seems the vendors that use it still have ways of keeping the overall weight down.

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