Just finished first DIY hex cat cut tarp

[NWAlabamaHiker]

My middle son (he's 7) and I decided we wanted to hang last night in the woods beside our house. I knew it wasn't supposed to rain, but since this was his very first overnight hang and it was going to be cool (low 40's), I went ahead and hung the tarp anyway, just in case. I made this pic after he had laid down, just before I did.
This one is from earlier after I got it setup.

[NWAlabamaHiker]

Finally got to try it out last night in the rain and it worked great! It rained pretty hard all night and I stayed perfectly dry! Only one time did a single drop come through and it came through where my ridgeline is sewn and sealed. I must have not sealed one part perfectly, but it only dripped the one time? That seemed odd to me, that if it wasn't sealed well enough, why only one time a single drop came through but not any more?
Has anyone else ever had that happen?

[Snowball]

Cant say I have.
If the drop from the ridgeline it could have stopped because the fabric expanded when it got wet.
I can’t tell how it was rigged but another option could be it came from one of the ends and followed the underside.

[BeardedHanger]

Nice tarp, it looks really great.

[NWAlabamaHiker]

Cant say I have.
If the drop from the ridgeline it could have stopped because the fabric expanded when it got wet.
I can’t tell how it was rigged but another option could be it came from one of the ends and followed the underside.

It's rigged with a zing it continuous ridgeline under the tarp. I felt the ridgeline and it seemed to be completely dry under the tarp.
What you said about the fabric expanding as it got wet was what I was thinking it could be since it only dripped the one time and only a single drop.

[NWAlabamaHiker]

Nice tarp, it looks really great.

Thank you!

[NWAlabamaHiker]

[latriper]

Nice tarp!
One trick I learned for marking longer cat cuts is to use a length of small diameter PVC pipe. I thread the line through it, then tie a loop in one end. run the other end through the loop and pull until the pipe bends to the curve you want. Kind of like a truckers hitch. I used a 10 foot section on my cuts for my 12' ridge line tarp.

[NWAlabamaHiker]

Nice tarp!
One trick I learned for marking longer cat cuts is to use a length of small diameter PVC pipe. I thread the line through it, then tie a loop in one end. run the other end through the loop and pull until the pipe bends to the curve you want. Kind of like a truckers hitch. I used a 10 foot section on my cuts for my 12' ridge line tarp.

Good thinking! I didn't think about using small diameter pvc, but it sounds like your thinking was exactly like mine was. I was trying to think of something that would flex enough to use as a guide. I believe you've come up with the perfect solution. PVC fits the bill perfectly.
Thanks for the tip!

[BeardedHanger]

For my cat cuts I used a small piece of molding from Lowe's. I think mine was made out of plastic. It only cost a few bucks and has a nice straight edge to trace. It worked great.