Homemade Tarp

[mousey]

Hello there, been making a tarp for the past few months and had it up in the back garden to treat with fabsil. It's made from two sheets of very lightweight nylon, approx 2.2m wide 2.8m long and weights 860g including a 15m long ridgle line, guys and 8x 8" long steel pegs.

Hopefully get round to using it properly in the future I don't know if I'll use it as a stand alone shelter or just as a cover to an 'admin' area.

It's the first tarp/ shelter I've made and mostly hand stitched [I've only recently been allowed to play with my wifes rather expensive sewing machine ] eventually I'll get round to going over it all again on a machine when I know what I'm doing with it.... [then again I'll probably be on to my second version by then]

I apologise for the naff photo's but then I'm not a photographer -

 

[Perrari]

That looks brilliant mate !

 

[mrcharly]

Why use loops for the ridgeline, instead of running the cord under the tarp?

 

[bilmo-p5]

Loops are easier to replace if the ridge line chafes at all, also centreline loops increase the available rigging options, even when using a ridgeline.

Nice job, Mousey.

 

[shaggystu]

Why use loops for the ridgeline, instead of running the cord under the tarp?

if you run the ridgeline under the tarp rain has a tendancy to follow the ridgeline and drip on you during the night, loops on the outside and you stay a bit drier

 

[Big Stu 12]

Loops are easier to replace if the ridge line chafes at all, also centreline loops increase the available rigging options, even when using a ridgeline.

Nice job, Mousey.

Dont forget also that any rain that runs down the ridge line is not under the tarp and driping on you...

 

[mousey]

I also find it handy to have loops as I have made a 'double ended' stuff sack with elastic pull cord on each end which stays on the ridgeline. So when the tarp is hung under the ridge line I can take the stakes out bunch the tarp up and stuff it into the sack without taking the ridgeline down/ getting the tarp on the floor etc. Also when setting up tie both ends of the ridge line up undo one end of the stuff sack and slide the tarp out and stake down - alot simpler than setting the ridge line then throwing the tarp over.

 

[mrcharly]

that makes sense, mousey. Although you could use your technique with a cord under the tarp.

Drips can be partly defeated by adding drip knots - bit of thin string tied round the ridgeline just before the tarp edge.


I just don't like loops in things like that as the stitching has to be strong to avoid pulling out - looks like you've made a good job of it tho.

 

[Teepee]

Nice one Mousey
Youi have more patience than me, I'd never have made any gear without a sewing machine!

A little tip to get it hanging straighter; if you make the centre loop a bit shorter than the neighbours by an inch, and also tie the end loops to the ridgeline with cord and a Prusic/Klemhiest knot and make this lenght a bit more than the longest loops, you end up with a dead straight pitch and no sagging of the tarp.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Nice work, That looks like it will keep you dry. Thanks for posting.

 

[topknot]

looking good, its the start of things

Topknot

 

[Expat]

It looks great... even more so considering the time/patience you must have put in....

 

[bushwacker bob]

It looks great... even more so considering the time/patience you must have put in....

It is very good BUT for the price of a decent bunch of flowers, chocolate and wine you could have got your good lady to run it through her sewing machine.

 

[norca]

looks a job well done

 

[mousey]

///It is very good BUT for the price of a decent bunch of flowers, chocolate and wine you could have got your good lady to run it through her sewing machine.
///


Yep could have done but it still would have taken longer - about 5 years ago she got me a knit your self 'monkey' [to be a christmas present] which has still yet to be unpackaged....

At least she's relentent and let me near her sewing machine, now there's no end of trouble I'll be making

Although we do have an old treadle powered singer which [WHEN - my job to do ] referbished I could use

Also flowers, chocolate and wine would have atleast doubled the price.

Cheers for the comments everyone [and also not taking the ---- out of my very rough stitching]

 

[The Lord Poncho]

///Cheers for the comments everyone [and also not taking the ---- out of my very rough stitching]

Nah, why would people? The fact that you have done it by hand is extremely impressive- most wouldn't have bothered to even start a project that large. As long as it holds together and does the job ( and it looks like it will) then who cares what it looks like up close?! And to be honest, hand stitching looks better to many than 'souless' machine stitching.

Just a tip, if the nylon isn't coated (not counting the fabsil), make sure that the way you pitch it achieves as steep an angle as possible, and that the tarp is taut all over.

 

[sandbender]

Nice work, get some pics up when your out and about with it.

 

[bigroomboy]

Nice Job!

My suggestions:

Maybe look at the ITW LineLoc 3 for the guys to reduce bulk and weight of using the buckles?

Take a look at hammockforums.net DIY section for make your own sil nylon should work out cheaper ( I've not tried it but want to)

Alex

 

[mousey]

Nice Job!

My suggestions:

Maybe look at the ITW LineLoc 3 for the guys to reduce bulk and weight of using the buckles?

Take a look at hammockforums.net DIY section for make your own sil nylon should work out cheaper ( I've not tried it but want to)

Alex

Those locks do look abit lighter/smaller I may exchange for some of those in the future

Making your own sil nylon?? I thought fabsil was a silicone based proofer which soakes into the fabric leaving a coating of silicone over the fibres. What I saw from the hammock forum was folks buying clear silicone sealent thinning it with spirits and applying to fabrics to achieve the same results - so the same thing but doing it all yourself??? anyway a tub of fabsil I got was £12 for 5 litres which has been sitting in the shed for 2[ish] years which I thought I'd use up [I have no idea if it has a used by date?] However it does sound interesting and possibly cheaper.

the fabric was £1 per metre x1200mm wide = roughly 6m total [2x 2.8 ish metres stitched side by side] so around £3 per metre fabric cost, I haven't seen anywhere I can get factory treated nylon for that sort of money - the question I have [and will find out later on with the assistance of a hose - and just to make it interesting perhaps one of my kids standing underneath] is will the fabsil home treated version be as water proof???

Just for information the whole thing cost less than £30. everything = fabric, fabsil, ridgeline, webbing, buckles, elastic chord, pegs, thread. If I calculated for time taken.... well that just doesn't bear thinking about

 

[grey-array]

That looks like a brilliant tarp to me, but I cant help but wonder how did you attach the top loops for the ridge line
Could we get some close ups of that?
Really good looking tarp
Yours sincerely Ruud