Ive made a cotton tarp

[addo]

Im trying to go back to natural materials(ish) so decided to make a cotton tarp, ground sheet and sort out some woolen blankets.
The tarp is 3.15m x 2.6m. Egyptian cotton super king size bed sheet, boil washed to tighten weeve, dyed, and water proofed with fabsil. The loops and top attachments are a heavyer canvas material. For the ridge line 3 loops go along the middle for hamock set up, and there are 2 others nearer one edge for ground dwelling in front of a fire, to bring the sides in a bit at an angle.







Seems to work too, had a play in the recent weather.
Water beeds up at first and seems to wet out a bit, but if I dont touch the inside to much it seems ok.



It weighs 1.5kg and cost about £30 but you could do it for £23 if you dont pay postage on your goods, or less if you have a supply of fabsil in the shed. I was going to make oilcloth but thought it would be dodgy around a fire as well as messy and smelly.

The lines are garden twine soaked in Linseed oil and turps, then dried out. The ridge line is the same but two lengths twisted together.

I made the ground sheet in the same way with an ex army cotton single sheet of similar quality, but it only cost £2. I folded it across its width, stiched the length and slide a thermarest inside. Can get all me kit and me on it, with two blankets wraped around me like a bag. Weighs 800g. Got an excuse to go out for a night out now and it should be ok to carry over distance, so i'll post how it goes.

Hope you approve.

Addo

 

[SOAR]

Looks good addo, very impressed.

 

[addo]

Cheers Simon.

 

[Bernie Garland]

Looks a stonking piece of kit Addo

Bernie

 

[jojo]

That looks good, Addo. Have you used the sheet flat or did you give it some shape? I can't see any seams, just wondered. Also, where did you get the sheet, if I may ask?

 

[Aragorn]

looks the biz mate, like the colour too, did you use natural dye's ?

 

[spamel]

Nice one Addo, seems there is a lot of DIY going on at the moment. Must be the nights drawing in. This bloody rain doesn't help matters either, although it's as good a reason as any to take the ventile out and give it a good workout!

 

[saddle_tramp]

Thats a nice tarp mate,

think i just found my next project!

if i found an interesting patterned bedsheet, and dyed it green. Would the pattern still be visable? would the pattern have to be specifically dark etc?

 

[addo]

Hi jojo. I used the sheet as supplied as it had a good hem and no seam.
It was from a chap on ebay, I think it was the bed linen company.
Look around a bit though as the sizes and prices very quite a bit. I went for a thread count of 200 which is quite tight and still rease on the price. Between £10-20, but you could get one from a place in a town, some egyptian cotton is labled wrong and dosent have the thread count on it. Saying that the random, good quality cotton sheet from Springfields (£2) seems as good. You could sew two together.

 

[addo]

Cheers for the comments guys.

Aragorn, I didnt use natural dyes this time just the wash in stuff from Wilcos. Started with a terracota (an old packet knocking around in the garage)used between the two items, which was quite pale. I liked it but went over the top of that with a d.green and I love it. Think I'll make another for my daughter with the natural dyes.

Spam, Hi mate, I got a proper socking today after a walk with Jim N, with the old Ventille. Think it needs some grangers. Your Swedish snow smock is great though, ive dyed it a simarlar colour to the tarp and applied Greenland wax. I almost prefer it to the Ventille to be honest.

Saddle tramp, I guess you would end up with a tonded down Camoflage effect which would be cool. You can get color stripper though that might help to get a more solid colour. Think a high thread count type would be a good idea though.

 

[Bodge]

Never mind making tarps paul. get the bleedin grass cut.

Hows the heavy tarp doin?


Bodge

 

[addo]

Never mind making tarps paul. get the bleedin grass cut.

Hows the heavy tarp doin?


Bodge

Thats what she said!

I started to make a sheet and tarp out of the heavy stuff and it started me thinking along the lighter stuff. Need to make a third log shelter though as Ive lit the stove for the first time today and worrying that 6 cube m of logs wont be enough for the season, so the material will come in handy for that, and play mats for Rowan and friends.
Got your bit sewn up and ready for the next meet.

 

[Robbo]

What is the garden twine made of, looks like jute to me?

How has the linseed oil worked on it ? I usually wax jute cord with beeswax to toughen it up a bit and improve its wear resistance somewhat.

Also how does egyptian cotton compare with ventile? Their boh high thread count long staple cottons IIRC .

Finally how much did it shrink by in the boil wash?

Andy

 

[Singeblister]

that looks good mate , like the shape will have a good look at the next meet

 

[addo]

Robbo

The garden twine is some sort of natural fibre, the sort you normally see knocking around. Ive used this sort in general gardening for years.

The linseed cut with turps worked rearly well. Just got a container, loosly coiled 4 lines and the ridgeline, plonked them in the solution for 24 hours, Then hung them to air dry in the garage. They took about 2 days to finish dripping and to be touch dry. They stiffen up, like when waxed. I started to wax them but it would have taken a long time and not have penetrated as well.

The cotton didnt stiffen up when wet like ventile, before treatment much, so the fabsil is nessesary. I tryed nikwax cotton proof, which was useless. The material is around 20-30 times cheaper though and has a tight weeve. The boil wash did shink it enough to tighten it further, prob 1cm around the edge.

Singe, It'l be coming to have an airing at the west mids meet. Cu there mate hopefully.

 

[Andy2112]

Nice tarp Addo, will we be seeing it at the next midlands meet ? See you there mate.

NB. try the Polish lager from Aldi, taste good, but not as nice as the wheat beer.

 

[EdS]

you could boil the trap in oil, linseed tradtionally. That will tighen it up and water proof it.

 

[addo]

you could boil the trap in oil, linseed tradtionally. That will tighen it up and water proof it.

Would you still need to fire proof it with alum or something else? A sample of material I coated went up like a rocket when still wet. Going to try out an ember on a treated dry section to replicate a stray ember from a fire.
I do like the idea of oilcloth.

 

[Lasse]

Looks really nice, great design and color imho