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  1. #1
    Senior Member Just swingin's Avatar
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    Perhaps I'm doing something wrong

    Maybe I am thinking about this all wrong, but I priced out materials, from one of the great cottage industries through HF, for a DIY tarp. I would like to have something with more coverage, doors the whole bit. Anyway what I have found is it will cost about he same maybe more to make one as opposed to buying one already made. It did not seem to matter whether I was pricing Sil (the most likely choice because of the $), or cuben. Am I looking at this wrong? Material for Sil was about $110 without shipping.

  2. #2
    New Member ricksrover2's Avatar
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    how big of a tarp are you looking at making ?

  3. #3
    gunner76's Avatar
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    You don't always save on DIY prodject when you factor in the cost of materials and the time it takes you to make the item. You do get the satisfaction of using something you make yourself.

    Remember the cottage industry folks are buying the materials at a lower price than you can get them becuase they are buying in bulk and when they make the same thing over and over they usually figure out ways to speed up production (commercial grade sewing machines ect).
    I am still 18 but with 52 years of experience !

  4. #4
    Senior Member Just swingin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ricksrover2 View Post
    how big of a tarp are you looking at making ?
    I haven't decided if I want 8'x11' or 9'x11. Leaning toward the 8. Priced out sil 2nds, with all the cordage and webbing for tieouts with D-rings on the tieouts.

  5. #5
    Senior Member the_lorax's Avatar
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    Strange , I just loaded the necessary supplies for DIY Gear Supply's winter tarp into my cart and it came to $64.20 plus about $11 shipping and some tax, so all together less than $80. That is using silnylon 2nds though so I can see how you could reach $110. Add in your time and you probably are better off just ordering one from wildernesslogics.com or elsewhere if price alone is your big factor.

    EdiI see you are thinking more like 9ft long so smaller than the enter tarp in which case the material price drops another $10.. so maybe a bit more cost effective but not much over say a WL tadpole.
    Last edited by the_lorax; 06-17-2012 at 21:03. Reason: size update

  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    A small correction in your calculations...most of the hammocking tarps don't come "with all the cordage and webbing for tieouts".

  7. #7
    New Member ricksrover2's Avatar
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    i just ordered the stuff to make my winter tarp and its going to be 12 x 10 with doors and all the supplies was around 75 bucks. I know some folks consider the time spent working on a diy as money spent but i dont because its more like a hobby not a job i do it cause i enjoy it.. if your making it to try and make money then you have to consider everything .. but if your just making it for your own pleasure money saved is the way to go thats more you can put somewhere else just my 2 cents..

    i ordered from diy gear supply too they are good to deal with great customer service

  8. #8
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    If you DIY to save money you will be disappointed at the total savings for a real quality product. Sure you can make a top quilt out of a $3 sleeping bag. But for comparable quality, your experience does not surprise me. That being said... DIY has its own rewards. Whether it is worth it or not is a choice only you can make for yourself.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
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  9. #9
    Senior Member doogie's Avatar
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    I just got all my supplies from DIY Gear Supply for a 11 x 10 hex tarp and it came to $68 and that was with a few "I'll get an extra yard of this for future projects", and "As long as I'm ordering I'm sure I'll have a use for a few yards of this", and "that's really cool idea to swap out my sternum strap clip with a strap clip whistle, and one for my son".....

    Agreed it's not going to be a huge savings (none if you count time spent), but a lot of my enjoyment comes from the planning and making of the gear. So I look at it as the material cost is my entertainment expenses and I get free gear out of it

  10. #10
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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    I don't make gear to save money. I do it becaise it's another hobby just like backpacking is. I might save a bit of money on a project here or there, but probably spend as much or more than a cottage produced product on others. I also get a product the is custom made for me by DIY.

    As for tarps specifically, I've made a couple of them, one successful and one not (unless you count the 50 stuff sacks I made from cutting it up). Personally, packs and tarps are two items I'd rather buy than make. Tarps require a lot of cat curve cutting of large pieces of material that I have to do on the floor. Not good for my back!

    Oh yeah, and stoves. If I made stoves I'd have to get weekly tetanus shots
    Mike
    "Life is a Project!"

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