Custom Tarp Tent for 2 is done

[Ty Wagner]

Ordered a thru-hiker.com tarptent 2 kit and it's done. Added a number of custom features:

1) Large front and rear breaks
2) Can keep one side of front break closed
3) Apex vent to allow more ventilation with front break closed
4) Removable bath tub floor made from two space blankets
5) Additional 7" of mesh on low side to give ability to raise low side of tarp in good weather
6) Line locks on tie outs (including low side) to facilitate adjustments
7) Cantenary curve on ridgeline

Total weight of tarptent with lines, seam sealing, and bathtub floor is 1.5 lbs. Just need to make some light weight stakes.

[Gregg Martell]

a picture or two?

[Ty Wagner]

[YAMABUSHI !]

I am thinink of tinkering with an existing tent shell i have and doing something like this….

great design!

[Mark McLauchlin]

Great work Ty,

Cheers

[peter kvamme]

Great process pics! Nice job.
Peter

[Ty Wagner]

When I seam sealed the tent, I used DAP 100% silicon sealer/caulk mixed in a 1:3 ratio with mineral spirits. I took a while to throughly mix the silicon (used a cordless drill and a bamboo rod).

I used about a 1/2 oz (by weight) to seam seal the ridge line and the break seams. Does this seem about right? I was very careful using a syring.

[todd]

Ty,

Nice job on the tent, by the way!

Yes, your seam sealing mixture sounds fine. However, I can't speak personally to the syringe method – I use a foam paint brush like Jay Ham used in his article on this site. Works great, and you can watch the seams "soak" up the sealant. I always assumed this way was easier, but I don't know.

Todd

[Eugene Smith]

Great results, looks like it'll make a great 3 season shelter. My brother in law made something very similar to this but for 1 person use off the Tarp Tent website I think minus the bug netting. He has plans to make an optional inner and floor soon.

[Keith Selbo]

You might want to try a corded drill. They spin much faster. Also, a finish nail with a slight bend in it will stir better than a straight rod.

Great, well documented post. Thanks.

[Franco Darioli]

It is actually much easier to mix if you add a little bit of mineral spirit in at a time . If you ever made a white sauce or something like that, it works the same way…(ie you add a little bit of milk, mix, add more)
No need for drills, I do that by hand inside the bottom of a soda can and with a small paint brush. Takes 2 minutes..
Franco

[John Donewar]

Ty,

Very good pictures of a really great looking project. I'm looking at a similar project for my next sewing machine adventure.

I've been bitten hard by the MYOG bug. The only thing that I have found that helps the itch is working on another project.

Your work is outstanding. Congratulations on the finished product. Get back to us later with a field test report.

Party On ! 2010

Newton

[Ty Wagner]

Field report won't come probably till the end of March since I live near Green Bay. Right now we have about 2 feet of snow on the ground…

[Keith Selbo]

"No need for drills, I do that by hand inside the bottom of a soda can and with a small paint brush. Takes 2 minutes".

I think you've put your finger on it. With the bent nail, a drill takes about 10 seconds.

[Ty Wagner]

Is using 1/2 oz (by weight) about the right amount of sealant to put on the tarp. I was just trying to soak the threads, not the entire seam area. Just checking just in case I need to put on a second coat.

[Franco Darioli]

I think you've put your finger on it. With the bent nail, a drill takes about 10 seconds
Yep. But at my age it takes me longer than two minutes to get the drill out, insert the nail, start it up and then put it away when I am finished.
And I don't have a nail to throw away.
Anyway, as long as you are happy, I am too…
Franco

[Keith Selbo]

Who said anything about throwing it away?

I still have it for next time :)

[Franco Darioli]

Ty
Yes , the idea is just to fill the needle holes . Some (me) like to do a second coat anyway and also do underneath. I also give it a thicker coat over the guyout points, but that is just me…
Franco

[John Brewer]

Looks Great

[jeremy duncan]

Congratulations!

Looks like it turned out really nice.

I am very happy to see someone whop has completed one of these. Just proves it can be done!

[Ty Wagner]

Finally slept in the tent for the first time – in the backyard. We had significant rain and winds 15-25 mph – perfect time to test the tent. Here's what I found out:

1) No leaks – Yah!
2) Had some water on the floor from the netting floppng around during the day. The netting is not attached to the bathtub floor. Set some items on the netting and there was no more water flipped into the tent. Will need to sew the net to the floor or use some stragetically placed velcro tabs.
3) Tent handled the high winds. No water was blown in the tent when the netting was secured
4) Plan to add some side tie outs to create more interior room on the right side.

Here's some pictures:

[Peter O]

That setup in the house looks pro.

[Tom Peterson]

I'm really impressed. I have got to get the sewing machine out…

[Jeffs Eleven]

Yeah man, that thing looks pretty cool!

I'd sleep in it

[Ty Wagner]

Here's the promised report. My son and I have spent 14 nights over 150 miles of backpacking in this tarptent. 10 nights were at the Philmont Scout ranch. The tent kept us dry. bug free and there was little condensation. There is no evidence of any wear or durability issues.

Before I left for Philmont, I installed a sew-in silnylon floor. I did notice the silnylon floor was slippery and several times we would end up sliding down to the bottom of the tent when on slopping tent sites. Note, most of Philmont's sites were sloped to some degree. Once we realized this was an issue, I looked harder for flatter sites. This eliminated the issue.

The low head room wasn't an issue. I found you can just sit up and let your back push back the tent body to create the extra headroom. I'm 6'1 and felt I had plenty of room.

At the last minute I decided to bring a silnylon stuff sack. Mostly to keep the rain off since I was planning on carrying the tent in an outside mesh pocket of my pack. It was also useful keeping the dirt out of my back. Philmont is a very dusty place – particularly at the camp sites.

At 1.5 lbs, including stakes and carrying bag this was a perfect tent for us.

[Author]

Posts