Materials Sourcing

Mark Regala says, in another thread:

http://www.mcmaster.com McMaster-Carr is the source for just about everything mechanical, and for materials. They have a huge assortment of types and sizes. And they are fast.

Roger A,
Sorry to delay reply on bivy use. It works great. Lots of bug net, but full coverage, drawstring foot for ventillation, spindrift collar on foot for weather proofness. 10 oz.

Nice use of the Epic Vick!

I especially like your idea of incorporating the ventilated foot box…

Is that sil-nylon on the bottom?

Did you decide to use a half-zip? Or forgo the luxury and connivance for a lighter weight bivy?

Regards

I was cruising around looking at some of my favorite sites to see what’s new, and noticed that thru-hiker.com now has 1.7oz Epic “malibu” back in stock. I thought I had heard somewhere that the military was getting all the Epic produced, but apparently not. Anyway, get some while it’s hot!
-Eric

Roger,
Thanks. The bottom is .9 oz spinniker. The half-length #3 zip lets it work better with the larger net area. In the SSW, we get very wide temp variations. One day, the bugs are on patrol and it’s swimming weather, by morning, there’s snow on the ground. So overspecialized bivies don’t work all that well.

You see how the spindrift collar works with the drawstring foot to exclude rain?

from Brian James:

Silnylon, Pertex Quantum, Pertex Epic, Pertex Microlight, Nextec Epic, eVent, Gore Tex XCR, ripstop Nylon, Nylon Taffeta, Spinnaker fabric, Western Mountaineering Extremelite, Pack Cloth, Dyneema Nylon.

Wow; there are so many shell fabrics available for each of my gear items that my head is spinning! There is truly excellent discussion of many of these fabrics on this site, but some of it is relative to other fabrics and some of it is in absolute terms. What I need is a matrix.

Could we develop a table of all of the available fabrics that describes their characteristics, weight, and optimal usage? Would anyone else find that useful?

It could contain the following columns:

Fabric
Other Names for fabric
Weight Oz/Yd2
Waterproofness
Breathability
Construction
Manufacturer
Applications

…where the last column contains a 1-paragraph discussion of the fabric and its’ suitability.

In fact, the best would be a fabric Wiki! Or perhaps a fabric Gear Guide.

That is my dream!

Brian

I’ve been looking for the Duco Marine/Automotive 100% silicone sealant mentioned in some threads as good for sealing seams, but haven’t been able to find it. I’ve checked if Home Depot and Lowe’s have it online, and my local hardware store in person.

It’s not the same as Duco cement, right? Is any 100% silicone sealant (e.g., GE Silicone II) going to have similar properties?

Where do you find this stuff?

Thanks!

Look for DAP Automo/Marine, 100% silicone at ACE hardware stores and independent stores. I don’t think the box stores carry it. The Duco thing was my mistake… Didn’t check the tube and I use Duco for other stuff.

Thanks Vick — my local store is indeed an Ace, so I’ll check it out.

POSTED BY
Bill Fornshell
(bfornshell – M) SUBJECT NEW Balloon Bed – MYOG ON 05/29/2006 11:36:18 MDT POST REPLY

Travis, This is where I got my Poly Tubing. I was asked your question by several others back then and the person I got mine from said he could provide small amounts to others if they wanted it. Here is what he provided to me. You can ask about cutting the tubing the lenght you want and I don’t think that will be a problem.

I have nothing to do with this business.

I will also add this to the MYOG Materials list.

10 tubes for bedding. Inflates to 3″+, diameter Flat is 5″ x 80″ sealed on one end 100% / other end 80% sealed air hole left for inflation. Must be folded and clamped.

Price is $8.00 Plus Shipping & Handling Shipping in US is $5.00 Priority Mail no tracking / $9.00 FedEx Ground w/tracking

Please email this information:
Sold To:
Ship to Address:
City/State/Zip
Phone Number:

Credit Card Info
Name on Card
Billing Address if different than above
Card Number
Expiration Date xx/xx
CCV (last 3 numbers on back of card)

Will ship within 1 business day of receipt of order.

Best Regards,
Michael Joseph

*****************************************************
Michael Joseph, Owner
Clowning Around
P.O. Box 691181
San Antonio, TX 78269

210-696-0064
210-696-0992 Fax

Michael@ClowningAround.net
http://www.ClowningAournd.net
http://www.ClowningAround.net/webstore

RE: PLASTIC SNAPS

I’ve also been looking for a good snap. Thought I’d try my hand at a poncho/tarp from some Cuben scrap materials of a sail-maker friend of mine and maybe some silnylon for the hood. Snaps seemed like the way to go. Haven’t yet emailed the appropriate representative to order snaps, but this looks promising.

Does anyone have any info?

Thanx,
Eric

ERic,
No luck here, either. Sometimes a manufacturer will send generous samples if you just ask. I haven’t, but you might try. I still have some 1970s era Fastex samples from before they worked out the bugs.

Hi Vickie,
Thanks for the info.
You know, I think for fiddy bugs I’ll just bite the bull by the horns and buy 500 sets. If I decide to do this, maybe you and others would like me to mail some out? Or, does one also need some kind of snap installation tool? (I’m sorry, is my ignorance showing again? Learning something new is really too much fun!)
I’ll look futher into it.
Ever hopeful,
Eric

The problem with a lot of special fittings is special tools that cost an arm and a leg. Definitely check it out first.

Eric, if you do order more than you need, and no obscure and expensive tools are needed, let me know. I’d be happy to share a order, If you are open to the idea. I also plan on making a poncho/tarp out of Cuben. I also own a No Sniveller Quilt, and think snaps will weigh less than the Omnitape that is used to form the foot box.

Searching through this thread, I didn’t see a source for Pertex Quantum. Does anybody know where this shell material can be bought by the yard? ALW

The one source I used, http://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk/
is out of quantum but may still have some other pertex fabrics remaining.

Perhaps it’s time to think outside the box. A techinique used on candlepowerforums.com – for flashlight fanatics – is group buys. Members commit to purchasing X number of units of a given item, then a deal is struck directly with the manufacturer or distributor for a wholesale purchase. Are there enough diy’ers here to justify a bolt of quantum? If so, does anyone have a contact with the new japanese owner of the pertex line?

I’d be interested in purchasing some of their light weight offerings, especially if there is some of the new .7 oz endurance stuff.

yeah that sounds like a good idea to me, and i will deffinitly be interested!
mike!

Add me to the list

I would be interested in supporting this with a purchase of a few hundreds dollars worth if it happens.

I would go for Quantum or maybe a lighter material if the price per yard and color was right.

Bill,
Your post highlights the obvious need for concensus on such a purchase. Whether quantum, microlite, endurance, or whatever, we are surely looking at a minimum purchase of one large fabric bolt in one color. Adding multiple colors and fabric styles will raise the cost threshold substantially. I’ve sent an email to the company inquiring about minimum purchase yardage and cost. If and when I hear I will post response. I may leave tomorrow for Emigrant Wilderness so may be a week or more before I can report.

Steve,
I understand. I hope you get a positive reply with prices, colors etc within a range that we as a group might be able to buy.

As for color if they will sell a small amount I would just hope it would be any color or at least a good color.

I’ve returned from Sonora Pass and no response yet from the manufacturer. I’ll keep trying and will report when I know more.

It seems as though it might be more effecient (if slightly more expensive) to pass on the interest shown in this thread to a third party such as Quest Outfitters, Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics, or Thru-Hiker, and get them to buy a set of bolts of different colors. They would be able to work their fabric supply channels, and supply it to everbody at no risk and less hassle. Surely, any one of them wants to be the best supplier for folks like us. ALW