Hey guys

Just getting into this ultralight gig and got a few questions about tyvek

1) What is the best way to connect sheets of tyvek?


2) I want to make an emergency tarp shelter out of tyvek. Would you recommend this?

3) I want to make an ultralight bear bag out of tyvek. Would you recommend this?

Thanks guys

Shane

go with silnylon 2nds instead. its more waterproof, packs smaller, and stronger. it can be found cheap at www.owfinc.com
Most MYOG folks consider Tyvek to be nearly useless unless there are extreme price constraints. If only it were more waterproof and more breathable...

Shane, You may want to look at using 3M spray adhesive. This makes a very strong and water tight bond. Bonding is on contact so take care in having seams lined up correctly to begin with, practice on some scraps first.

David, With the spinnaker and cuban fabrics now available some may say use silnylon only if under extreme price constraints. If only it, silnylon, had less stretch and did not wet out...! Having said that, I feel silnylon offers a great performance to cost ratio that is hard to beat (hey that sounds kind of like tyvek).

With the amount of interest shown on this site in Henry Shires new tyvek Sublite I think the fabric has merit and is a viable alternative for MYOG projects. But that's just me.

IMHO all fabrics/materials, like hikers, have unique qualities that can be considered either strengths or weaknesses, how to best manage each is the trick.

Thanks for the replies so far guys. I chose Tyvek because it was pretty easily available to me and cheap. I'm just getting into this, as I said before, and it's quite expensive at first.

I'd just be using the tarp as an emergency type thing during the summer. When it's not in use, it will probably be my ground sheet.

Anyone have thoughts on the bear bag?

Thanks again

I've made stuff sacks from Tyvek before ... the primary issue is tearing, especially in area's where it gets worked a lot. Otherwise I don't see any issues with it.

You make one the same way you'd make any stuff sack .... fold a piece in half, sew along two sides, fold over the top and sew the drawstring channel, turn inside out.

For more advanced stuffsacks, you can square off the bottom.

Here's some more complete instructions: http://thru-hiker.com/projects/silnylon_stuffsacks.php.

You can make a bivy out of Tyvek as well if you're really tight on cash. Just make it like a big stuff sack about 36 inches wide and 76 inches long. sew in some bug netting on the top and put a drawstring along the very top.

For a Tarp ..... I would recommend folding the edges over about three times to make a thick drawstring channel all the way around, then run paracord thru the channel all the way around. Tie loops in the Paracord at the corners (and leave gaps in the drawstring channel where ever you want tieouts). stake to the paracord instead of the tarp material and your tyvek will last a lot longer.

I tossed together a SUL packpack the other day out of some scrap Tyvek I had laying around .... it looks like it will work ok for light loads. Loads above 20 lbs probably won't give you much durability in the material.

One last thing ... you can spray paint tyvek. Talk to your local printer shop and they can probably recommend what type of paint to use along with an airbrush. You could make some pretty cool designs if your artistic.

I just made my own version of a ULA Amigo Pro with Tyvek. It weighs 5.5oz with a Sawyer inline filter and here's a nice addition - a hose adapter that is like a quick release. I am going to make the bivy. And if Tyvek is accessible and cheap for you then its way better than Silnylon because hey... you can always make another whatever if it tears or anything. And by the way... Tyvek makes a tape. I haven't used it yet but I am about to so I'll let you know.