I will make a drawing later, but here is a verbal description of how to make a Molly Mac Gear Box.
The Gear Box is made with 1.1oz SilPoly (polyester ripstop) from RipStopByTheRoll.com in Durham, NC. You could also use silnylon or any waterproof fabric. I chose SilPoly because it is light, durable and inexpensive. The Gear Box weighs 4 oz. The Gear Box is all one piece, with no seams so it doesn't leak.
Start with a full width (60 inches) piece that is 68" long. At one end, cut a curve on each corner, starting 20" from the end and ending about 20" down the other side of the corner. You end up with a 48" piece with a 20" extension having curved corners.
Let's call the end with the 20" extension and curved corners the SEEP. It will become the cover that you toss over the Gear Box to close it. Let's call the side opposite the SEEP the Ridgeline Edge. The other two sides are called the Gathered Ends.
BTW, SEEP is an acronym that stands for Side Entry/Exit Portal It is a play on the Hennessy Hammocks BEEP, which stands for Bottom Entry/Exit Portal. BEEP is an acronym coined on Hammock Forums. SEEP is a play on BEEP that I made up to name the unique closure for Molly Mac Gear hammock socks, which use gravity instead of zippers or other fasteners. The Gear Box is a miniature, waterproof version of the Molly Mac Gear Hammock Sock.
So, one more thing to cut before you start up your thread injector. Cut a SilPoly square about 8"x8" and hem all edges. When I say hem, I mean a roll hem, so it is three layers thick. Start your thread injector and attach a small grosgrain loop to one side of the square. We will call this the Pocket.
Attach the Pocket to the SEEP edge exactly in the center of that edge. Attach only the sides of the Pocket for now, leaving open the top of the Pocket, opposite the grosgrain loop. The edge with the grosgrain loop will be hemmed into the SEEP edge in the next step. Double stitch the sides of the pocket so that it will never come off, even if you use a rock to weight down the SEEP.
Go to the point where you started cutting off the corners of the SEEP, and roll hem it along the curve. When you come to the Pocket, roll it's edge right up in the hem, including the grosgrain loop, so that the loop ends up pointing toward the top of the Pocket. Continue to the other end of the SEEP, where the curve meets the Gathered End. Now the Entyre SEEP edge is hemmed.
Go to the Ridgeline Edge and prepare to hem it. First, make a ridgeline using any strong, light cord. I use 1/16" Kevlar but Zing-It or Lash-It will work just fine. Cut one piece 52" long, or 4" shorter than the Ridgeline Edge. Tie a figure eight knot in each end. Cut a grosgrain square about one inch long, fold it over the figure eight knot and stitch it on. Install the ridgeline as you hem the Ridgeline Edge. Start by rolling up the grosgrain in the hem, and stitch right through the grosgrain to start the hem. As you progress, make sure you are not stitching into the ridgeline itself, but you are enclosing the ridgeline inside the hemmed edge. When you get to the end, you will have to line up the other grosgrain end with the end of the hem, and attach it well. Now the Entyre Ridgeline Edge is hemmed, and the integral ridgeline is installed.
Hem both Gathered Ends, from the Ridgeline Edge to the start of the curve of the SEEP. Make it a 1" to 1.25" wide hem, and leave both ends open, so you can fish a suspension. Now all four edges of the Gear Box are hemmed and you are ready to install the suspension.
Cut two lengths of cord, each 2' long. Cut one length of small diameter shock cord, 8" long. Install the shock cord in the grosgrain loop on the Pocket using a Fisherman's Knot. Fish the 2' cord into the Gathered End hem and gather it closed. With one end of the 2' cord, I tie a clove hitch around the gather, then dead end it on the standing part using a topsail hitch. With the other end of the 2' cord, I loop it out the inside of the gather, tighten and put a bowline on the end. Repeat for the other Gathered End.
To use the Gear Box, suspend it loosely between two trees. Dump your pack inside and toss the SEEP over. Use a rock of a water bottle in the Pocket to keep it closed in the wind. You can suspend the Gear Box outside your tarp or tent, or alongside or under your hammock.
To stow your Gear Box, simply stuff it into it's own Pocket and wrap the shock cord around it to keep it stowed.
Never again will you have a Gear Explosion under your tarp. When you have a Gear Box, you can achieve the Molly Mac Gear Hiking Style Goal: Nothing but the soles of your shoes ever touches the ground.
There is a thread on Hammock Forums where they reverse engineered the Gear Box. When I find it, I will post a link.
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