I'm working on a sil poncho/tarp, and I'm trying to decide how I want to attach the hood to the body of the poncho.

I like the idea of the slit opening that MLD uses, but the body of their poncho has a seam running down the middle and the hood slit sits in that seam.

I was planning on doing the body of mine out of a single piece of sil, but it seems to me that if I were to just cut a slit for the hood, I would have issues with it tearing if it weren't reinforced at the ends.

Does anybody have any thoughts about how I could easily accomplish the slit opening without the seam, or should I just go with the circular opening?

Why don't you use a slit opening, but reinforce the edges and ends of the slit so that it can't tear?

--B.G.--

I agree with Bob. I presume that your reason for using a slit instead of an ovate or T is to use the poncho as a tarp. In that case, you will be pulling it along a ridge line and the hood slit will be on that line. Tension on the ridge line closes the slit and the hood just flops over. This makes for a good tight set-up. I assume MLD adds the seam to reindorce the ridge line. I have not found that to be necessary.

You will find the back of the slit will sort-of pinch your neck. Not a big problem; it's a natural outcome of the design.

I suggest that you look at how a zipper is set in solid fabric as a quasi-model for how to reinforce the slit; You state with a slit with a 'v' at each end. Stitch around it before cutting. Then stitch on a reinforcing rectangle 1.5 or 2 inches wider and longer than the slit. Stitch it around (close to) the slit and cut a slit in it it to match the slit in the body of the poncho. Then poke the reinforcement through the slit so the cut edges of the slit and the reinforcement are covered or finished. Cold-iron the reinforcement so it lies flat, stitch it down along its outside edges. This way, your head opening won't tear out. Stitch the hood to the reinforcement.

You know, I suppose, that the slit will need to be 16 to 18 inches long. Check this out with a tape measure or string to see what you can get your head through maybe wearing a watch cap.

Edited by vickrhines on 08/28/2010 11:51:15 MDT.

Thanks, Vick. I think that I understand what you're explaining. I'll give it a shot with some cheap walmart ripstop that I have before I start working with the silnylon.

The benefits for this hood design are obvious when pitched in an a-frame. Would there be problems with this design and other pitches, such as half pyramid?