The Cowboy Cat Tangle Tarp
I am something of a traditionalist -- even old-fashioned in many ways -- yet as a creative professional I value open-mindedness, new ideas, innovation, and out-of-the-box thinking.
It occasionally raises my hackles here on Hammock Forums when I see someone's creative thinking on a hammock set-up or DIY project uncharitably dismissed or even held to the fire and subjected to unwarranted or overly harsh criticism by those who consider themselves knowledgeable without the simple acknowledgement that each of us comes to the activity of hammock camping with a slightly (or sometimes radically) different approach.
The gram weenie will take to task the casual camper who saves a few bucks with a practical, low-cost set-up that weighs a few ounces extra, and the bushcrafter will shame the gram weenie when his ultralight molecular-weave ubertextiles are defeated by a simple thorn out in the field. Arguments ensue over trivial divides like "knots versus hardware" or "grosgrain versus roll hems" -- some serious First World dilemmas...
I see all of this debate and discord as a degree of failure to embrace the central ethos embodied by "Hang Your Own Hang" (HYOH). After reading, learning, sharing, and participating in hammock camping and hammock DIY, I am resolved that there is almost always more than one "right" way to accomplish a goal when it comes to hanging between two trees, and quite often "right" is a very subjective determination dependent upon individual priorities and preferences.
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After over six months of virtually the wettest weather on record here in Western Washington, of late I have been building an inordinate number of tarps for hammock camping. I have been experimenting with many different sizes, shapes, materials, and techniques, frankly with no other goal than to explore what is possible and what can work well under different conditions with different hammock set-ups.
One of the tarp construction techniques I have come to favor recently is a reinforced standing ridge line seam on two-piece tarps, where grosgrain ribbon is folded over an external French seam and stitched into place; the ribbon's edges overlap the critical second pass of stitching on the ridge line, something like a course of shingles on a rooftop, obviating any need for seam-sealing with silicone- or polyurethane-based products, as well as providing an easier path to a waterproof ridge line than either a traditional true flat-felled seam or its common flat-felled French seam variant.
Gram-counters seem to go apoplectic at the thought of adding 38 unnecessary grams of ribbon to the ridge line of a tarp without considering the other merits of this particular construction method, more so on the tarps where I have dared further and used a structural folded grosgrain edge binding in lieu of (or even in addition to) a more standard roll hem. I've liked the simplicity and reliability of these alternative methods so fate, and I even appreciate their aesthetic enough to weather the ridicule.
That said, for this latest tarp I built last weekend, I went back to very traditional "standard practice" construction methods, just to see if I could still execute them in an acceptable fashion, with respect to build time, function, and finish. I employed a typical three-pass flat-felled French seam at the ridge line and rolled the perimeter hem with sewn-on reinforcement patches at all the tie-out points.
Rather than build methods, the "experimental" aspect of this new tarp was going to be in the details of its shape. I wanted a sturdy but relatively light BIG tarp, some all-season weather protection that could cover bridge hammocks or tandem gathered-end hammocks hung side by side with aplomb and still offer versatility when used in porch mode or with internal pole modifications. I had an explicit weight goal of one pound, and I wanted the build to be affordable.
What I came up with was a 12' x 10' catenary-cut rectangle tarp with ground-edge tie-outs placed to form aggressive cutbacks when used as a hex with the "doors" folded back; the same "doors" come together to close off the ends for full enclosure during inclement weather.
There's an old-timey cowboy phrase, "see which way the cat jumps," which describes the act of observing something or someone intently in order to divine its mysteries. That was pretty much my intention with this build: to see for what applications a tarp of this size and shape might be a good choice. Thus, I gave this build the play-on-words name "Cat Tangle" as an oblique reference to its curved quadrilateral shape.
Here was my result...
Type: All-season rectangular hammock tarp (hex mode, full enclosure mode, and compatible with optional double internal pole modification)
Materials: Ripstop by the Roll 1.1 oz Silpoly, 300D pack cloth, 1" and 5/8" poly grosgrain ribbon, Mara 70 thread, misc. hardware
Ridge Line Length: 144" (12 feet)
Width: 116"
Enclosed Footprint ("doors" shut): 36 sq ft (6' x 6')
Weight: 16 oz (469 grams) for tarp and stuff sack
My base tarp material was an 8-yard remnant of seconds-quality 1.1 oz silpoly I got from Ripstop by the Roll for only $30! I simply cannot differentiate it from first-quality fabric in any way. This fabric demands a little attention when you are sewing it, especially when roll-hemming on curves or on the bias, but it makes for a sturdy, light tarp, and the colors it comes in afford the DIYer an eye-popping spectrum of choices.
The basic shape upon which I decided was a rectangle with straight end cuts and a scalloped ground edge. I used a single 72" long true catenary cut 6" deep between the primary tie-outs on each side and then relieved the bottom edges of the "doors" on each end with a 36" long by 3" deep cat-cut, in order to facilitate a taut pitch when the tarp was fully spread out for maximum coverage. When the "doors" are pulled together to close off the ends of the tarp, they angle in sharply; when they are draw together, the tarp takes on a 6-foot transverse stance. The "doors" can also be folded either back or underneath for "hex mode"...
I used looped two-way side tie-outs for maximum flexibility in how I can stake out this tarp; there's a 1/2" Beastee Dee ring and a LineLoc 3 adjuster at each of the four main tie-outs. The "door" corners use a more conventional 1/2" Beastee Dee mounted on a small grosgrain tab, and all vertices are reinforced with a sewn-on patch of 300D pack cloth with the raw edge incorporated into the tarp's perimeter roll hem. The beefy ridge line tie-outs were generous sections of strong 1" grosgrain ribbon and 1" acetal polymer triangles mounted on large rectangular reinforcement patches that reinforce the critical high-stress areas where the two panels meet the tarp suspension; I have learned the hard way on past tarp builds that shaving grams with skimpy patches at the ridge line is a risky proposition, as the tarp is under tension in multiple vectors and prone to abrasion from the hammock suspension as well as from entry and egress.
(Construction highlights to come...)
Total build time was a full day (between 8 and 9 hours) to cut the panels, sew the ridge line, apply the reinforcement patches, and complete the perimeter hem, plus another hour or so to tack on all of the grosgrain tie-outs. Total cost of this tarp was under $40!
After completing primary assembly last weekend, I finished the final stitches on the Cat Tangle just in time for a torrential downpour; so far, the flat-felled ridge line seam is working well, but I will leave the tarp up overnight to test for leaks -- and I might even sleep out under it tonight to experience it first-hand...
It may not be pretty, but it's mine, and it seems to work well so far; for now I am happy with my result. I'll be looking to see just how much I can do with this tarp during the rest of the year...
As always, thanks for reading this project report. Please feel free to comment or inquire below regarding points that interest you.
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Originally Posted by Intimidator
big words hurt trolls little melon. 
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