MYOG: 3mil Plastic Tarps

Practice makes perfect: using polyethylene to prototype designs means I can spend less and try more variations before sewing a final product in technical materials.

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I may get beat up for talking about using plastic for a backpacking tarp on Backpacking Light, because it's so cheap and flimsy, but here goes!

I have spent many nights sleeping under polyethylene tarps. They're cheap, fairly lightweight, as waterproof as any other material, and possible to make robust enough to survive fairly bad weather. I've done about eight different designs and usually just use them on one trip of up to four nights.

I mainly use polyethylene tarps to prototype a design I want to verify before doing it in more expensive material. Such tarps would also be good for backpacking on the cheap, as you'd be able to equip four people for about $20 and some labor. In these economic times, frugal is popular.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

Introduction
Materials
Guyline and Pole Reinforcement
Design Examples
- Classic Pup Tent
- One Pole Tarp
- Minimalist Tarp
Conclusion

# WORDS: 2590
# PHOTOS: 19

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Viewing 10 posts - 26 through 35 (of 35 total)

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Posts
Feb 21, 2011 at 11:51 am #1699578

Ronald Probst
Member

@dwarfstar

For those who, like me, don't make their own gear, this approach is useful to "prototype" manufacturers' shaped tarps. I'm just at the height where reviewers say "taller people may find this setup confining" so I like to "try before I buy". Manufacturer dimensions plus BPL review measurements, and a little geometry, enable a layout on sheet plastic. Straight lines and flat panels are good enough for this "fit check". These have just been backyard try-outs, but enough to eliminate a couple of purchases that I probably wouldn't have been happy with, and find out what works for my height even if it's heavier.

Feb 21, 2011 at 12:12 pm #1699585

Jerry Adams
BPL Member

@retiredjerry
Locale: Oregon and Washington

Another thing you can try, is to just have twine where the ridgeline and corners are to get an idea if it's big enough,

easier than doing a plastic sheet

Feb 21, 2011 at 12:41 pm #1699594

Henk Smees
BPL Member

@theflyingdutchman
Locale: Spanish Mountains

As Jerry suggests, I use very thin sewing thread if I want to know how the dimensions will come out when I start with a new project.

This is a picture of the front-extension I was going to make for my GoLite Lair 1. I hope the thread is visible.

Edit: to have a bit more contrast in picture – as I supposed, the lines where hardly visible (hope it's better now).

Feb 21, 2011 at 1:02 pm #1699606

Jerry Adams
BPL Member

@retiredjerry
Locale: Oregon and Washington

Exactly – I can see the threads – nice picture

Mar 23, 2011 at 11:17 pm #1713823

Mariano Barrera
Member

@bcm4066

thanks for taking the time to share this.

i work in construction so i have miles of that line! and i'll be replacing my tent strings for this..

i'll def try the 3 mil plastic shelter… ! thanks again

Feb 6, 2014 at 12:31 pm #2070628

Michael Witteveen
Spectator

@wittefish

I've used 3M packing tape, but prefer Tyvek Tape if available. That stuff is pretty much permanent, just make sure you stick it in the right place the first time, it doesn't like to let go!

Mar 25, 2014 at 1:19 pm #2086060

James Montgomery
Member

@jmontgomery
Locale: Shasta County

This is a very cool article. Nice to know there are other cheap/light freaks out there. I use a piece of plastic (8×12 in the winter) and drape it over a tautline, as shown above, only I leave 3-4 feet on the ground for a ground cover. Big rocks hold the ground cover in place, and the two corners on the other side of the line get tied out with sheet bends- or sometimes just held down with rocks. Under 4 ounces in 3 mil, according to the math above. One of these days I should weigh mine.
Not a perfect cover, but it will get you thru a storm. Yeah, you need to think about where you set up camp, but that's just good sense. Most of the time I would rather look at the stars, anyway, and the plastic is just a ground cover.

Mar 25, 2014 at 1:39 pm #2086071

Jerry Adams
BPL Member

@retiredjerry
Locale: Oregon and Washington

That's funny, I figured this subject was so lame nobody would be interested : )

Mar 25, 2014 at 1:58 pm #2086076

James Montgomery
Member

@jmontgomery
Locale: Shasta County

Quite the opposite. Consumerism is lame. Good gear is important, but campcraft rules!
By the way, I've been at this awhile, and a lot of what I read seems written by tenderfeet. Thanx for a competent article.

Mar 25, 2014 at 2:08 pm #2086078

Jerry Adams
BPL Member

@retiredjerry
Locale: Oregon and Washington

The other thing is people's comments – lots of other ideas as good as the article
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