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  1. #1
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    Tossing up different patterns for first tarp build

    Hi there,

    I've recently sewn my first hammock and am looking to sew my first tarp to try out this whole hangin' thing.

    At the moment, I'm just looking for a summer tarp in a reasonably covered (but high precip) forested area.

    It is an 11ft gathered end hammock.

    Goals:

    1. adequete coverage not to turn myself off hammock camping immediately
    2. lightweight (it's taken me years to decide to try hammocking, as I come from an "ultralight" ground camping background)
    3. relatively simple construction as i'm pretty new to sewing
    4. something usable as a ground tarp, so if I hate hammocking I still have something useful, and for my lightweight coastal trips on the ground


    So I've come up with 3 appealing designs for my needs, and would like the input of experienced hammockers to help me decide. They get progressively heavier

    option 1 is
    the 6x10 asym "glasgow kiss" tarp shared on here. with the offset asym tie outs as a "storm flap"

    Using wide silpoly.

    Kitsapp says you can get adequete coverage with good pitching, particularly with the "storm flap" - this appeals for the simplicity of construction and lightweight nature.


    Option 2
    8x9 asym tarp.
    I've seen people do 9x9 or 8*8 diamonds, or pitch a 10*8 tarp as an asym. It seems like 10x8 as an asym gives you more ridgeline than needed, and the 9x9 tarp has longer and less useful sides than needed. Maybe 9x8 is a sweet spot? A rectangle is better on the ground.

    I could do the off-set ridgeline like on the Glasgow Kiss, to shorten up the ridgeline so it's not too unwieldy, and give wider coverage at the ends/add a "storm flap," but I like that this could be pitched with just two stakes with a corner-to-corner ridgeline.



    Option 3
    11ft hex tarp with shorter "pointy ends" than normal - this'll make it easier to pitch on the ground. 8ft wide, which isn't as wide as most commercial options, but surely still provides better coverage than an asym.




    ----

    Any thoughts or guidance all? Or maybe I'll just pack it in and make a mini-fly clone

  2. #2
    XJ35S's Avatar
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    Jul 2010
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    Fulton,ny
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    11' 1.6 Hexon
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    My opinnion if you're going to D.I.Y. a tarp. make a large square with a lot of tie outs. It can be setup in so many ways, in any and all conditions. 99% of the members have a palace or winter tarp in their gear. Extra weight won't kill you but can certainly save your butt.

  3. #3
    New Member
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    Cheers. I'm just not sure I understand the appeal or use-case for a big square tarp - unless they are usually set up as a diamond?

    It would seem that a rectangle would be similar versatile, less material to manage etc, with still plenty of coverage?

  4. #4
    FLTurtle's Avatar
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    Dec 2018
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    Orlando FL
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    DW Chameleon, WB Eldorado
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    Sometimes, you might have to hang out under the tarp at camp. If it's a tiny asym style...you'll have to be in the hammock. On your option 3, you can at least prop up one side in porch mode and sit underneath.

    Funny you mention, the Minifly. My Thunderfly works out really well, great coverage but not overly large...just not UL in your sense. I'd be super interested if someone made either one in DCF.

  5. #5
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    Jul 2011
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    Jersey Shore, NJ
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    Options 1 & 2 are too short for an 11 ft. hammock. Even if you hang them in a quasi-diamond you're probably gonna get wet. Option 3, a Hex, may have more coverage but still, no doors, so nothing to keep the rain from blowing in.
    "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson

  6. #6
    Senior Member WV's Avatar
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    Ogee tarp.jpgI like Gargoyle's "Ogee Tarp" design. It uses materials economically, and it's less fussy to pitch because there's only one tie-out needed on each side. It's essentially a rectangle with two triangular side flaps. Even with 66" fabric it gives adequate coverage, but with wider fabric now available it could be luxurious without being too heavy. I suggest a main rectangle of silpoly about 72" wide (70" after hemming) and 126" long. The side triangles can be made by cutting a 36" square diagonally. Don't bother with cat cut edges - not needed. I hem the edges with 3/8" grosgrain reinforcement, but a plain rolled hem will work. (Pin the diagonal edges of the side triangles carefully so they don't stretch while you sew to the main rectangle. If they do, don't worry; symmetry is over-rated.) The ends fold together like doors if you pitch it low.
    Last edited by WV; 10-25-2020 at 16:56.

  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    Sep 2020
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    Seattle, WA
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    Once I got a tarp with doors, I haven’t looked back. I’ll still use my small tarp in the summer where I’m unlikely to even unroll it, but being able to get out of the wind and rain by clipping a few mini carabiners is a huge advantage. Clipped back and I don’t even know they are there in the hex configuration.

    I’ve never built a tarp, but mine is a large rectangle, so I think you could easily modify design 3 to include 2 more tie outs to have doors.

  8. #8
    New Member
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    Oct 2019
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    Quote Originally Posted by WV View Post
    Ogee tarp.jpgI like Gargoyle's "Ogee Tarp" design. It uses materials economically, and it's less fussy to pitch because there's only one tie-out needed on each side. It's essentially a rectangle with two triangular side flaps. Even with 66" fabric it gives adequate coverage, but with wider fabric now available it could be luxurious without being too heavy. I suggest a main rectangle of silpoly about 72" wide (70" after hemming) and 126" long. The side triangles can be made by cutting a 36" square diagonally. Don't bother with cat cut edges - not needed. I hem the edges with 3/8" grosgrain reinforcement, but a plain rolled hem will work. (Pin the diagonal edges of the side triangles carefully so they don't stretch while you sew to the main rectangle. If they do, don't worry; symmetry is over-rated.)
    That's a curious design. Nice way use of materials for economics. Have you made one then?

    Quote Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr View Post
    Options 1 & 2 are too short for an 11 ft. hammock. Even if you hang them in a quasi-diamond you're probably gonna get wet. Option 3, a Hex, may have more coverage but still, no doors, so nothing to keep the rain from blowing in.
    Really? I thought the general rule was a tarp of the same length as your hammock? Both 1 and 2 are 11-12ft on the ridgeline.

    I kind of thought doors weren't the norm, and only used on people often camping in inclement weather or in winter a lot?

    Quote Originally Posted by FLTurtle View Post
    Sometimes, you might have to hang out under the tarp at camp. If it's a tiny asym style...you'll have to be in the hammock. On your option 3, you can at least prop up one side in porch mode and sit underneath.

    Funny you mention, the Minifly. My Thunderfly works out really well, great coverage but not overly large...just not UL in your sense. I'd be super interested if someone made either one in DCF.
    I suppose that doesn't seem particularly worrisome re: no where really to hang out, as I've been dealing with that scenario with tents on the ground anyway? And the hammock seems a more comfortable place to hangout.

  9. #9
    New Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tpatter View Post
    Once I got a tarp with doors, I haven’t looked back. I’ll still use my small tarp in the summer where I’m unlikely to even unroll it, but being able to get out of the wind and rain by clipping a few mini carabiners is a huge advantage. Clipped back and I don’t even know they are there in the hex configuration.

    I’ve never built a tarp, but mine is a large rectangle, so I think you could easily modify design 3 to include 2 more tie outs to have doors.
    Yeah doored tarps look like hex tarps + doors generally. I've also seen people comment that a rectangular tarp can become a doored tarp when needed, by folding in the front corners if there is windy rain.

  10. #10
    gunner76's Avatar
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    I recommend Option 3. All my DIY tarps are 13 ft. Nice to have the extra coverage
    I am still 18 but with 52 years of experience !

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