The Cowboy Batwing Widebody All-Season Tarp

[kitsapcowboy]

I've never really identified with Superman.

Batman is more my kind of (DC) superhero. His moral relativism aside, Batman lives by a code. Except for the occasional traumatic flashback leading to bouts of depression or fits of rage, Batman is governed by logic; he is, after all, the world's greatest detective (a fundamental facet of the character for nearly eighty years that is often overlooked in current incarnations). Besides being a genius, he has an iron will, and he has employed his unwavering discipline to train himself over the years to be an expert on everything, the ultimate polymath. He is a prolific inventor. He maintains himself in peak physical condition and has sharpened all of his abilities in order to fight for justice versus the most daunting supervillains and is able to stand side by side with the powerful metahumans and extraterrestrial beings. Anything he lacks in rigorous personal development he simply augments with cutting-edge technology. And he's rich.

Compared to Batman, Superman is really just a big alien creep who's claim to fame, other than his journalistic integrity and his humble demeanor (thanks to his human upbringing in the wheat fields of Kansas), is a ridiculously broad suite of superpowers gained not by dint of hard work or clever invention but by loading around in the light of Earth's yellow sun. (Way to go, Clark...)

My goal for this project was to build a versatile, all-weather tarp that offers maximum weather protection and myriad features, one worthy of the Dark Knight himself.

(In cowboy slang and rodeo rider parlance, "batwings" are full-length wide leather chaps with broad flares to provide superior protection from hazards on the trail. This was my inspiration for the name...)

Here is my result....



Type: Widebody all-season hammock tarp with optional double internal pole modification
Materials: Ripstop by the Roll 1.1 oz Silpoly XL (72" wide), 1.5" and 7/8" poly grosgrain ribbon, Mara 70 thread, misc. hardware
Ridge Line Length: 144" (12 feet)
Width: 136"
Enclosed Footprint (doors shut): 57 sq ft (7'x6' main floor plus two 30" deep triangular vestibules)
Weight: 27 oz (766 grams) for tarp only; 39 oz for tarp with two poles, lines, and stuff sack








Feature Summary
* Full-enclosure storm mode with vestibutes
* Optional double internal pole modification for extreme weather or floating porch mode
* Folded grosgrain/standing French seam ridge line
* Grosgrain ribbon perimeter reinforcement for UGQ-style "zero-stress" tie-outs (i.e., eliminates reinforcement patches)
* Two-way tie-out hardware (LineLoc 3s and Beastee Dees) on main lateral vertices
* True (1:12) catenary cuts (84" long x 7" deep) between main lateral vertices

Build time was about 9 hours total. Total cost of materials was under $100 (and I had some additional discounts). Construction highlights and performance notes to come. For now, enjoy the photos...

I'm sleeping under this tarp tonight to test the ridge line seam, so wish me luck!

Please feel free to inquire or comment below, and thanks for reading my project report.

[Benji]

That's awesome! How many tarps have you made? Seem like every other week you debut another.

[Phantom Grappler]

"Holy vertices Batman, a winged cape to swoop down on the Joker" said Robin the Boy Wonder as he pounded his gloved fist into his palm.
"Not so fast Robin, first we must formulate a plan" said the Caped Crusader
You've formulated a great plan, kitsapcowboy!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jellyfish]

Sweet tarp! Looks like a superior shelter.

For fun:
https://youtu.be/M-yAgyrzGdo

[kitsapcowboy]

This DIY project report was submitted to this forum for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. Use any methods, ideas, or inspirations contained herein strictly AT YOUR OWN RISK. I accept no responsibility whatsoever for any injury or harm that befalls others owing to information presented here, and I accept no responsibility for any errors the post contains.

I do not in any way advocate that others should do anything I have presented here; this thread is strictly DOCUMENTATION OF FACT. Readers beware.

There is a lot of great information on Hammock Forums available from members with much more substantial experience, better ideas, and better methods than mine. SEEK IT OUT.

Thank you for your attention.

[kitsapcowboy]

That's awesome! How many tarps have you made? Seem like every other week you debut another.

Hey, thanks. I think I've made about six different tarp designs to date, but I've replicated the Xenon Wide K.I.S.S. Tarp something like nine times (mostly as gifts) ...

[TrailSlug]

This DIY project report was submitted to this forum for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. Use any methods, ideas, or inspirations contained herein strictly AT YOUR OWN RISK. I accept no responsibility whatsoever for any injury or harm that befalls others owing to information presented here, and I accept no responsibility for any errors the post contains.

I do not in any way advocate that others should do anything I have presented here; this thread is strictly DOCUMENTATION OF FACT. Readers beware.

There is a lot of great information on Hammock Forums available from members with much more substantial experience, better ideas, and better methods than mine. SEEK IT OUT.

Thank you for your attention.

Why do you feel the need to do this? Excellent job on the tarp BTW. I envy your talents.

[kitsapcowboy]

"Holy vertices Batman, a winged cape to swoop down on the Joker" said Robin the Boy Wonder as he pounded his gloved fist into his palm.
"Not so fast Robin, first we must formulate a plan" said the Caped Crusader
You've formulated a great plan, kitsapcowboy!

LOL Much appreciated, PG!

Sweet tarp! Looks like a superior shelter.

For fun:
https://youtu.be/M-yAgyrzGdo

Thanks, JF. I hope so...

That link is a trip!

Why do you feel the need to do this? Excellent job on the tarp BTW. I envy your talents.

It heads off problems. Thanks for your kind words.

[kitsapcowboy]

After sewing one tarp with grosgrain ribbon perimeter reinforcement completely freehand, this was my first time sewing the folded grosgrain over the raw edge of the tarp material using an inexpensive tape binding presser foot I found on Amazon...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1



The foot basically acts as a third hand to hold the ribbon in place around the fabric while you sew; it's completely adjustable for width of the binding and depth of the stitch row, and it works very well with 7/8" and 1" ribbon. It is not black magic. You can definitely still screw up your tarp, and because it lets you sew an edge binding so fast, if you really open up the throttle on your machine you probably will screw up. However, if you moderate your stitch speed to a manageable pace -- which will increase with familiarity and practice using the foot -- you will be able to sew a beautiful, taut, and consistent grosgrain ribbon with your inboard row of stitches very close to the edge of the ribbon without fear of accidentally overcasting, and you'll be able to do so faster than you might achieve comparable results via freehand methods. Knowing I can build a tarp with grosgrain edges without a special presser foot is reassuring, but I think this item will be my go-to for a more professional finish in less time when I want to sew folded ribbon to bind tarp edges in the futre.

(I bound all the raw edges of this tarp with 7/8" poly grosgrain and a double row of Mara 70 stitches, using a moderate stitch length; I will have to see how this kind of edge reinforcement technique on such big tarp handles taut pitches and high wind loads over time...)

[brswan]

Awesome tarp! Looking forward to reading your posts on this!