Dyeing Gear Guide 12x12

**zugcat** · 07-02-2012, 01:25

After having a local sheriff stop me on the trail and tell me to be careful because there was an "unstable" person with a gun in the woods. I started to rethink my bright WHITE 12x12 Gear Guide tarp. It kind of stands out in the woods from a distance. I wanted my bright white "light green" tarp to blend in a little better so I tried using Rit dye to dye it. I was going for a sort of tie-dyed look. It took me two treatments. Where as it still did not quite turn out the way I wanted. But, in the end I think it did meet my goal of making it less glaring in the woods.

**Mancat** · 07-02-2012, 05:08

That is fantastic!

**Detail Man** · 07-02-2012, 05:18

Looks like it worked very well. I like the mottled look without a pattern. What color of dye did you use? Reminds me a bit of the camo that the rebels wore during the battle on Endor in the Star Wars movie.

**raiffnuke** · 07-02-2012, 06:36

Nice job. I bet that really disappears in the woods when the snow is gone. Very "stealthy"!

**zugcat** · 07-02-2012, 11:34

Originally Posted by Detail Man

Looks like it worked very well. I like the mottled look without a pattern. What color of dye did you use? Reminds me a bit of the camo that the rebels wore during the battle on Endor in the Star Wars movie.

I started out with a box of brown dye. That was too light. So I did another round with a box of forest green and black. I didn't do a great job with the "tie-dye". Rather I just sort of wadded parts up as I stuck the tarp in a bucket of dye.

I am not sure it will be exceptionally stealthy up close. Most camouflage depends upon a strong contrast of lines and color. But it will do what I wanted, which is make it not stand out at a distance. It's better than is was.

I hope to do some hiking/camping this weekend. I may get some pictures without the snow.

**Tendertoe** · 07-02-2012, 11:46

That looks awesome.

Much stealthier than the white.

The Guide Gear is a PU tarp right?

I wonder if the same process would work with sil, spinn, or cuben?

**zugcat** · 07-02-2012, 12:51

Originally Posted by Tendertoe

That looks awesome.

Much stealthier than the white.

The Guide Gear is a PU tarp right?

I wonder if the same process would work with sil, spinn, or cuben?

Yes it is polyurethane coated.

I don't know about spinn, or cuben. But I suspect it would not work with silnylon.

**Ramblinrev** · 07-02-2012, 13:19

Originally Posted by zugcat

But I suspect it would not work with silnylon.

Dye works on the principle of fiber saturation. As silny is already saturated with silicon it is highly doubtful dye would work. However, if you dyed untreated nylon (not the easiest thing to do, but doable to an extent) and then did a DIY sil treatment it should work. The fiber does not absorb the silicon. Rather the silicon fills the weave and coats the threads.