Techniques for folding a silicon-nylon tarp

[sr1355]

a polyethylene coating that might be sticky-ish (I've never worked with polyethylene coating on fabrics, so I could be wrong here). Is it possible that they sent you the wrong tarp?

That was my first thought having worked with both, Sil by itsself is certainly not sticky, for PU coated fabrics the PU coated side will stick to itself. Not really stick but it won't slide along the same face side easliy. As for Sil tarp, just roll it up and stuff it in a bag. No need to fold and repeated folding will/may break Sil coating down over time if the folds are in the same place time after time....

[keg]

What Paul said.

In my pre-historic days of sleeping on the ground, the sil rain fly of my tent (pardon my french) had a sticky touch to it but with a bit of use, it disappeared (and so did the tent).

I know people who love their sil-guide tarp. You could try weighing yours to check you have the right one. The non-sil version is way heavier. Worse case, MEC has a great return policy so you can get something different even if there's nothing wrong with the one you bought.

And the only time my tarps aren't just stuffed in their sack is when they're in use or airing out.

[CB200T]

My pack has a shelter pocket that my tarp gets stuffed into.

[Mumbles]

Roll it up while it is still suspended from your continuous ridge line
Pull on the mesh snakeskins from Mountain Goat.
Figure eight your continuous ridge line and stuff those into the mesh snakeskin pockets.
Fold from one end to the next, like a big cinnamon roll.
Slide into stuff sack.

If wet, just stuff into mesh and strap outside.

[ADKrella]

Heres how Shug does it on one of his tarps...not sure what he does about long tern storage..
Are you sure its silnylon?
I know that heat is no bueno for Polyethylene nylon and it can be sticky...
Not sure if your is ...but Ive had sticky Polyethylene ones that eventually de laminated.

2:00 mins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8K8d...1BCD042A98F269

[PatT]

Thanks to each and everyone of you for providing your input! It's easy to find documentation on various tarp pitches and hammock suspension but few people discuss about teardown and storage.

I understand that quick and simple stuffing into sacks if often the easiest but I usually prefer to organize my stuff in such way that it stays like new and is ready to use under the most adverse conditions.

Camp teardown is almost as important as camp setup for me, especially when I am on multi-day trips spreading over several camp locations. It's easy to be caught off guard when setting up in the dark after packing lazy the day before.

I'm not trying to cast aspersions upon your information, but you're sure that you got the silnylon version of the Guides tarp? The reason I ask is that there's also a polyester version with a polyethylene coating that might be sticky-ish (I've never worked with polyethylene coating on fabrics, so I could be wrong here). Is it possible that they sent you the wrong tarp?

I am 100% sure that I have the right tarp. The name/model is printed on it and the coating is definitely different than previous polyethylene coated tarps I've had in the past. Thanks !

Sil by itsself is certainly not sticky, for PU coated fabrics the PU coated side will stick to itself. Not really stick but it won't slide along the same face side easliy.

That's exactly what I wanted to convey, it is not sticky but does not slide well when folding. English being my secondary language, I might have expressed myself wrong. Thanks !

In my pre-historic days of sleeping on the ground, the sil rain fly of my tent (pardon my french) had a sticky touch to it but with a bit of use, it disappeared (and so did the tent). (...) You could try weighing yours to check you have the right one.

That's good to know. I am looking forward to see if becomes more slippery after use. Thanks!

Roll it up while it is still suspended from your continuous ridge line
Pull on the mesh snakeskins from Mountain Goat.
Figure eight your continuous ridge line and stuff those into the mesh snakeskin pockets.
Fold from one end to the next, like a big cinnamon roll.
Slide into stuff sack.

If wet, just stuff into mesh and strap outside.

That is the best suggestion so far! Good idea to roll while suspended and keep off the ground. I will also check out the snakeskins or maybe will end up making my own so I can customize with additional pouches for my cordage and other accessories on my ridgeline (lamp hook, clips for my organizer pouches, ThermaCell clip, etc.). Thanks !

[oldpappy]

That is the best suggestion so far! Good idea to roll while suspended and keep off the ground. I will also check out the snakeskins or maybe will end up making my own so I can customize with additional pouches for my cordage and other accessories on my ridgeline (lamp hook, clips for my organizer pouches, ThermaCell clip, etc.). Thanks !

I roll mine while suspended also - I keep Hammock in snakeskins and the rolled up tarp in a separate very small fishnet bag.

[Mumbles]

That is the best suggestion so far! Good idea to roll while suspended and keep off the ground. I will also check out the snakeskins or maybe will end up making my own so I can customize with additional pouches for my cordage and other accessories on my ridgeline (lamp hook, clips for my organizer pouches, ThermaCell clip, etc.). Thanks !

Some small Velcro straps can help lessen the trapped air too. While hangin, roll the center, both hanging sides, to the ridge line and Velcro the middle the go out tithe end, roll up, Velcro mid span and end. Repeat other side. Should berolled skinny enough to allow your skins on easy. Fan fold or cinnamon roll from one end. Every tarp I have fits I to the original stuff sack done this way as the snakeskins are not hard stuffed, more contained. Mountain Goat's tarp skins are perfection for this method.

[DaleW]

I stuff There is a school of thought that holds that folding on the same lines will degrade the coating over time. That may be true with polyurethane coatings. Silnylon is so slippery that it can be hard to fold neatly outside by yourself, where you just end up getting it dirty.

I use a mesh bag adapted to use as a bishop bag and the whole shebang gets stuffed in it. It will all come out to hang and dry when I get home. I do like loose storage for the long term.

If you don't use a stuff sack, folding will be neater in the pack--- if you can get it to stay put. There is no "proper" way. Fold and roll to a size that fits in the stuff sack would be my approach, but like I said, in reality I stuff

[sargevining]

I am 100% sure that I have the right tarp. The name/model is printed on it and the coating is definitely different than previous polyethylene coated tarps I've had in the past. Thanks !

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but if that tarp has a coating, it isn't a sil nylon tarp. With Sil nlyon, the silicone is impregnated into the fabric.