Scroll down to the new post for the update. I just finished a silnylon solo shelter, I tried so hard to get it under 8oz, but I made the beak too big and it came out to be 8.2oz without the stuff sack or guys. I reinforced the corners with 0.74 cuben as I had a bunch of scraps, used gutermann thread, double stiched. I think I may add linelocs on the sides. It is 32" wide at the rear, 40 wide at the front and about 9 feet feet long. I can't think of a name for it yet, so if you have any ideas let me know. Total cost was under $30.00

Edited by KalebC on 03/25/2012 10:40:52 MDT.

That's a nice long beak. The shelter looks great. It's an excellent example of the potential benefits in cost and weight to making one's own gear. It looks like it should give ample foul-weather protection.

I have a few questions. How does one enter and exit? What led you to decide to make the beak fabric reach down toward the ground a bit further than the edge of the side panels? I don't see any problem with that feature, just wondered why. Have you considered adding some netting around the edge? An eight-inch wide strip of nanoseeum would help a bit with splash, give you a nice large bug-free space, and add less than 1.5 ounces to the total weight.

Nice work.

That looks nice. Is there a zipper on it somewhere or is it a crawl underneath shelter? Is there a purpose to the vestibule corner being longer than the main body where they join up?

Very nice looking shelter you built Kaleb. Looks very storm-worthy, and for 8.2oz.

I also was wondering how do you get in? Maybe theres a zipper I am not seeing.

Like Colin said, adding some no-see-um netting around the perimeter could make a nice bug-free zone, then all you would need is a ground sheet and you're set!

When I was drawing it up I was thinking how I would get in and out of it, after I made it I found that you could loosen one of the lineloc's on a corner to get in when it is pitched very low, and tighten it from the inside, also I put a lineloc outside on the top so it can be pitched with the beak rolled up to open the front up. As to the beak being longer, that was just a mistake I made when making the beak, measured the angles and length wrong. I wanted to make a big beak for wind/rain protection and so I could put my pack under it. I do have a bunch of .7 mesh I could put around the side for bug/splash protection. Thanks for the comment.

PS: I am shaking my head wondering why I didn't put a zipper on it, I planned on it but only had a single pull zipper slider and not enough waterproof zipper coil to make it long enough. Stay tuned, I will put in an order and post the mod in a few weeks.

Edited by KalebC on 03/06/2012 13:57:32 MST.

Nice!

So, where are you going to put the zipper?

Nice shelter and nice cost!

If you can go back and do it, I would suggest getting rid of the cuben on the tie outs. Silnylon stretches, cuben doesn't. I remember seeing somewhere and example of the conflicting elasticity resulting in tears. May not be an issue with yours though.

I am going to put the zipper where the beak meets the main tarp on the right side, I think I will trim the beak to make it look more uniform, and to offset the zipper weight. I may go with a regular zipper and make a flap with velcro tabs, I don't like the way waterproof zippers slide, kind of rough.

I just went with a standard zipper on my last tent, and did the flap like you are planning. I just used #5 YKK

I used regular #3 coil zipper on my last tent

Haven't used it a lot yet, but so far so good

And it doesn't leak water when it rains, although I don't put anything directly below it

Besides, you shouldn't put anything directly below the zipper because when you open to get in and out, water would get on it

Thanks for all the constructive criticism regarding my shelter a while back. I did finally get an entry zipper installed and I added side pullouts in the middle which made a HUGE difference, I also trimmed the beak to make it look uniform. The total weight came out to be 8.5oz. I brought it along on in extreme conditions last weekend for fun (I didn’t sleep in it by the way). The reason it failed: It snowed 8+ inches with 40mph winds, I didn’t stake it down well, should have set a rock or a log on top of the rear stake (which came out overnight), and also I didn’t stake it out in the middle with the new tie-outs.

I really like the mods Kaleb!

You're gonna love the big side entrance, too. A Front entrance has been the biggest barrier to many tarps for me. That's why I use a Gatewood Cape so much.

Your shelter has a nice polished appearance too. Enjoy it!

Todd