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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Discussion
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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.
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
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).
Exactly – I can see the threads – nice picture
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
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!
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.
That's funny, I figured this subject was so lame nobody would be interested : )
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.
The other thing is people's comments – lots of other ideas as good as the article
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