UL Polycryo Tarp Tent (295g/10.4oz)

[P G]

Last year, I created a 295 g clear shelter out of polyolefin/polycryo that I got from a hardware store.

I used it all summer and fall and it worked well so I wrote up a how-to guide and posted it to instructables.com. I love the 360 view that it provides!

Hope some of you find it helpful. If you have any comments or questions, I’m happy to respond/listen.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Ultralight-clear-tarp-tent-2P/

[Ken Thompson]

BPL search results  yield many threads on this subject. Including some construction ideas that you might find beneficial.

[Richard May]

Pretty cool. I have a tarp made with the stuff but haven’t really gotten to try it out yet. Now that crazy season has passed (I work in retail) there should be time for me to get out.

I think my biggest concern is that the material is pretty weak to punctures. Have you had any problems with that? I figure on taking a few pieces of tape for field repairs.

[P G]

<span class=”profile-data”>@richardm</span> The material will quickly tear in half if punctured. To prevent tearing from the edges, I reinforced them with clear Tuck Tape. If a branch or some other sharp object hit the shelter at the right angle, I would expect damage.

I built this for protection from rain and little else. It has limitations but I’m more than comfortable using it in Canadian forests in mixed 3-season conditions.

 

[Aaron Sorensen]

Many brands are 1.2mm that are very strong.  If this is the stronger stuff, I would just put a 6″ line coming off each corner.  It appears that this tarp’s corners are attached directly to the ground? With the 6″ you could tighten the tarp up a lot more than what it appears to be in the picture.  You would also get a few inches of air flow under it.

 

[P G]

Thank you @awsorensen! That is good advice. I have had trouble with the tension. Right now, on each corner, I’ve got loops made of tape that I run the pegs/sticks through so corners are pegged pretty close to the ground.  I was trying to avoid placing a grommet in the tarp at each corner.

Thanks again!

[Jim T]

Polycro Hammock Tarp (This could also be used as a ground tarp!) from Ultralight

Hi All,

I’ve been very satisfied with my polycyro tarp.

JIM

[Monte Masterson]

Interesting Jim. What would you guess the strongest winds the tarp has faced so far?

On the ridgeline, do you use prusik knots with dowel pins on each end?

Looks like the ultimate, inexpensive emergency tarp. Not sure I’d want to be in a thunderstorm with it though. Perhaps you’ll get to test it out more in windier conditions. Thanks for posting.

 

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