Anybody make a CF/DCF version of the Thunderfly (or Minifly)?

**GearJunkie_1307** · 09-29-2017, 11:32

I'm currently very happy with my HG CF Hex tarp. But after seeing a WB Thunderfly in the wild, I think they've got a stellar design for handling those really rough weather days when you need more end coverage than a hex yields- but don't necessarily need or want the extra material that comes with full size doors on both ends (the design of the half beaks also makes getting into/out of the setup easier when the beaks are deployed vs full doors).

Add to that the fact that I'm a sucker for DCF- I like being able to see through it and it is lighter than the alternatives (and no stretch means I can get by without needing shock cord on my tie outs). In my neck of the woods, rainy time is Spring and early Summer, when we can get some brief, but very heavy blowing rains.

What I'm wondering is, has any company made anything like WarBonnet's offering in DCF? I honestly almost went for the WB Minifly, but am holding for now seeing as 1) I probably won't use it until Spring, 2) wouldn't mind something lighter, and 3) I'm a little hardcore on aesthetics- not that I won't use a good solution if it doesn't look just so, but I'd like it if it were offered in other fabrics/colors other than the standard green/brown/multicam.

I'm almost inclined to make my own, just need to muster up the moxie to experiment with $300+ of material (not quite that confident w/ working with cuben/DCF just yet

)

**OneClick** · 09-29-2017, 11:51

I think this would be great. I didn't really like my cuben hex, but mini doors probably would have made it harder to get rid of. I knew I didn't want the full blown doors from the start.

**GearJunkie_1307** · 09-29-2017, 11:59

Originally Posted by markr6

I think this would be great. I didn't really like my cuben hex, but mini doors probably would have made it harder to get rid of. I knew I didn't want the full blown doors from the start.

Right- doors are great for a Winter tarp, when getting too much wind means hypothermia, but for precip in otherwise okay conditions, they can get in the way. It's much easier to just quickly duck underneath the half beaks on the Thunderfly, and it also looks like you could really streamline the tie outs for those beaks with something like the titanium double hook sold by ZPacks. That way you'd only have one additional guy line for each pair of doors, making a total of 6- much more manageable than the 8+ you deal with on other doored tarps.