Wall tieouts

[Narwhalin]

I am designing a tarp and I wanted to get some opinions from you all about some features I want to include. It will likely be an 8' x 10' or 11' x 10' rectangular flat tarp.

My first question is regarding tieouts. As I type right now, I can hear the wind whistling through the area...I know I am going to be in windy conditions with this tarp, so I am planning on trying to add two tieouts on each wall like so:

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com...073efa2eaef0c1

Do I just sew a peice of reinforcing fabric onto the tarp, and then attatch the loop on the outside of the wall? Here is a picture of the tieout:

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com...073efa2eaef0c1 (bottom right corner)

What do you all think of this approach? I was thinking of rigging something like in the picture when it gets windy. Is that going to give me a noticably more solid structure?

Thank you for your help, oh experienced tarpers!

[headchange4u]

I use Grip Clips to make panel tie outs on a tarp wherever I need them. They will slip on silnylon in some situations, but for the most part I have been very pleased with their performance.

I really think side or panel pull outs are a great feature to have on a tarp, but you rarely see tarps with them included. warbonnet guy is going to include them on his Super Fly tarp when they become available. There is a thread that talks about attachment methods

[Narwhalin]

Thanks HC4U! I forgot about grip clips...I have been telling myself to read The Complete Walker again, maybe it's time to do so! That thread is lookin good, too. I will have to read it when I come home from work...

Any other suggestions regarding placement of the tieouts or anything else you can think or are welcome!

[slowhike]

here is the last tarp i made...
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...5/P9030063.JPG

the purpose for the extra seam (about 1' above the edge) was to be able to add a short wall (about 3 or 4' tall by the length of the tarp).
i never did get around to playing around further w/ that idea but i really do like & appreciate the "pull outs".
i've decided on my next tarp, i will put an additional seam where i want the "pull outs".

i have also decided that i will put the "pull outs" lower than the ones you see in the picture... probably close to half way down the side.

by adding the extra seam, it will be extremely wind worthy & secure.
also the seam will make it easy to add an extra grosgrain loop or two for flexibility in how i want to spread it.

here's the tarp set near the ground on a night we got caught in high winds.
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...5/P2180026.JPG
yes, there's a hammock under there<G>. & it worked quite well.

[Narwhalin]

Wow, Slowhike! You were lowridin' in that last picture!

Initially, I was thinking of just making a tarp that has a seam running either 1/2 way down the wall or perhaps slightly in the direction of the ridgeline. That is where I would put the tieouts. Then, I saw tarps that had the pullout sewn onto a reienforcement patch, which would save labor and weight from thread and seamsealer for an entire seam.

I have to say, I am utterly confused as to what would be the best option for me at this point. The grip clips are clearly the easiest from a labor standpoint. They are also more versitile. The side tieouts with a seam are laborious but strong. As is everything, I could and will probably dwell on it until I eventually end up making one of each!

[slowhike]

the grip clips would be the easiest like you said & would work just fine in most cases, but if you really want to be ready for a hard wind, i think the added seam would be near bomb proof.
and what you said about the location of the seam (1/2 way down or just slightly closer to the ridge line than 1/2 way) would be my choice too.

[warbonnetguy]

a large circular reinforcement patch would work well too. sew a circular patch say 6-8" in diameter to the underside of the tarp. it needs to be thick enough fabric. 3 layers of regular sil make a good reinforcement patch, then just sew a pull tab on the otherside of the tarp inside the circular stitching/seam. a 1" ggr pull tab with a box stitch is what i have used, sew it centered left to right, but lower than center up and down wise, 2/3 of the way down or so. you can sew the circular patch on the outside if you want but it looks better cosmetic wise if it is on the underside, shouldn't make any difference strength wise. strength comes from the strength of the patch (thickness) and it's diameter (how large of an area it disperses the force from the pull tab to) if it isn't thick enough, the force on the pull tab can damage the patch, if the circle isn't big enough, the circular stitching itself can recieve too much force.

[slowhike]

a large circular reinforcement patch would work well too. sew a circular patch say 6-8" in diameter to the underside of the tarp. it needs to be thick enough fabric. 3 layers of regular sil make a good reinforcement patch, then just sew a pull tab on the otherside of the tarp inside the circular stitching/seam. a 1" ggr pull tab with a box stitch is what i have used, sew it centered left to right, but lower than center up and down wise, 2/3 of the way down or so. you can sew the circular patch on the outside if you want but it looks better cosmetic wise if it is on the underside, shouldn't make any difference strength wise. strength comes from the strength of the patch (thickness) and it's diameter (how large of an area it disperses the force from the pull tab to) if it isn't thick enough, the force on the pull tab can damage the patch, if the circle isn't big enough, the circular stitching itself can recieve too much force.

this is true. i used circle reinforcements on my first tarp w/ pull outs, a ray way tarp.
one thing like about the full length seam is that w/ the circle, you make a commitment to those particular spots for the pull outs,
but w/ the seam you will only be committed to the location "up & down", from top to bottom.
you can still make changes w/ little trouble about pull out locations from end to end.

[warbonnetguy]

true, figure out where you want em before you sew them on, otherwise they would be harder to move.

did you just sew a pull tab directly to the seam? did you notice any stress on the seam stitches right where the pull tab was?

[TiredFeet]

A lot of tarps put pull tabs on the ridge line seam for hanging options. They have always worked well for me.

Another thought: someone, somewhere on the forums mentioned the C3 tape they got from someplace. If you didn't want to sew the patch and maybe create some weak points, maybe using the C3 tape would work for the patch. Put the patch on the inside of the tarp so that the pull tab is pulling it tighter to the tarp. If the C3 tape is really good maybe sew the pull tab to the patch and then use the C3 tape to stick the patch and pull tab to the tarp. I wonder if the C3 is good enough to hold??