I went ahead and made a video of my Tyvek Grizz Beaks for the Grand Trunk 10' x 10' Funky Forest Tarp while the topic is still fresh after USMCStang's recent post here.
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=45303
I have watched GrizzlyAdams' videos on DIY Grizz Beaks but I didn't actually go back and refer to them for this project. I just kind of winged it since I figure Grizz Beak measurements will differ depending on the type of tarp you have. I used Tyvek tape rather than sewing.
For tie-outs, I used 2.2 mm Zing-it. I poked a small hole in the Tyvek about two to three inches from the edge, and fed the Zing-it through. I then tied a knot, since I figured a knot would be less likely to pull free from the tape. I made my loop, then poked another hole, fed it through, and tied another knot. So there's a knot on one side of the Tyvek, and a knot on the other side (I didn't want them on the same side stressing the same piece of tape. I then taped the Zing-it in place on both sides. If a tie-out comes loose, I have small pieces of Tyvek in my repair kit so I can do field repairs.
In the limited testing I've done (and luckily there's been a LOT of wind in my backyard the last couple of weeks for testing), the only time the Zing-it has come loose is when I didn't use a knot fed through the Tyvek on both sides. Lesson learned. I initially tried just taping the loop on one side and that came loose fairly quickly. The Tyvek tape can hold a single piece of Zing-it with a knot fairly easily - when you have two pieces of Zing-it on the same side, it puts too much stress on the tape and the Zing-it works loose.
Here's a little diagram of how I made my tie-outs - I'm using Visio and my illustrations are definitely not dejoha quality.
As I mention in the video, it is best to take field measurements since it all depends on your tarp dimensions and how you hang your tarp. The dimensions I started with are depicted in the diagram below.
I didn't wash the Tyvek 'cause I figure it will quiet down just by being rolled up into the pack a few times. There's a post by a Scout leader somewhere on HF where he has the Scouts crinkle and bunch up the Tyvek to quiet it down - so scrunching the Tyvek up and stuffing it in your pack essentially serves the same purpose.
I used VideoPad Video Editor (free version) for this video. It's much easier to use than Microsoft Windows Live Movie Maker. I saved in .flv format 'cause I don't know any better. It took about 12 minutes to create the movie, and less than 3 minutes to upload to YouTube! Much better performance than Movie Maker, and apparently YouTube likes .flv format a lot better than .mov format.
The software can apparently upload directly to YouTube, but I didn't feel like trying it. Might try .mp4 or some other format next time I use VideoPad.
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