I found a great deal on 1.1 Silnylon, under $7 a yard in dark green so I snatched it up and made the biggest tarp I could get without a ridge seam, about 5.5' x 9.5'. Weighed in at 8 ounces.

I experimented with different pitches and found I liked the half pyramid a lot, and disliked pitching this size tarp in standard "A frame". So I decided to go ahead and modify it to pitch a little more roomy. I added a beak for better coverage while sitting up and cooking or whatnot, and I added center tie outs in the back to increase the space inside.
It now weighs 9.4 ounces including the stuff sack I made for it. Compacts into a cylinder smaller than a nalgene.









Being a flat tarp, it's only going to pitch so tight. For these pics I only could locate 3 stakes, so the front corners were being held by a couple rocks and they kept loosening.

Edited by REDWOOD82 on 09/03/2012 20:22:19 MDT.

Love that beak, how did you do it?

I cut two very long right angled triangles from extra fabric. (see crappy pic 1)
Before sewing the two triangles together to form the beak, I cut away a portion of the material so it tapers and forms the proper angle. (see pic 2)The more you cut away, the more extremely the beak will angle down towards the ground. I probably could have made mine tighter. As it is is now, it almost needs to tie to a tree with a horizontal line, versus an angled line down to a groundstake. Sewed the pieces together (see pic 3) then sewed to the tarp. (I cut away the previous rolled hem, and did a flat felled seam to attach the beak to the tarp)

Edited by REDWOOD82 on 09/04/2012 08:38:38 MDT.

Nice job - you are now hooked an MYOG

I think that general "half pyramid" design makes the best solo tent - after years of research.

You have no peak reinforcement? Maybe with a trekking pole it will spread the load out enough it won't be a problem. If you start poking through you could always add a reinforcement.

In order to guy out the beak, it looks like you will have to stake it to the ground too far away from the tent. Or up on a tree. You may want to sew a seam starting at the peak, sewing the two sides of the beak together triangularly, towards the end of the beak, making it angle closer to the ground, so you don't have to guy it out so far away.

Yeah. I didnt taper the beak enough toward the front, so it does need an extra long line or tree to pitch it.

My trekking pole is nice and rounded and grippy on the top, so I wasn't worried about trying it out in these pics without reinforcement. I do plan on adding a round patch on the inside before regular use though.

More tarps! More tarps! More tarps! Very nice!