After reading different threads and collecting many ideas, I have made my first ultralight tarp. It is made of 3 mil painters drop cloth. 9.5 ft by 9 ft. I used gorilla tape and plastic washers to make the grommets. There is a grommet on each corner and one on each side of the ridgeline. For the sides of the tarp I used a different technique. A piece of gorilla taped was rolled into a loop and secured to the tarp with more gorilla tape. I know everyone loves pictures and I have taken a lot of them. When I get a chance I will post them. When I put up the tarp in a standard a-frame the tape seemed to hold pretty well. The two ridgeline grommets may need to be secured with a little bit more. I used pink fluorescent mason line for the tieouts. Pink was all lowes had :( Cost to make the tarp was about $20. I bought the drop cloth off amazon for about 12 bucks. I do not know the weight of the tarp seeing as how I don't have access to a scale but hopefully I can weigh it soon. Comments and ideas are welcome!

Your pictures aren't showing up.

Another cheap tarp, quite a bit stronger than 3-mil poly but considerably heavier to boot, is a standard blue tarp. This guy modified it to be a hex shape for use under a hammock.

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=29919

yeah, where's some pictures? : )

I've made a few tarps out of 3 mil plastic. Gorrila Tape - I'll have to try that because I've used Duct tape which doesn't work real good

Great timing for the posting. I am getting ready to make my 2nd 2mil plastic tarp. I used packing tape and small metal washer for the first revision (it weighed 9.5oz including the lines for all but 2 corners which were pinned to the ground). I would advise against packing tape as it didn't stick as well as I had hoped. I am going to use duct tape and a grommet kit that I picked up today. I am planning to do a 9ft x 6ft. I was considering folding the edges over on this one to help since I would be putting grommets in. Based on a YouTube video I saw, I was thinking of adding some additional tape across the main anchor points to add more strength. If all goes well, I am considering taking it out for a week on the AT around the beginning of November. Crossing my fingers...

Couple ideas in article http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/myog_3mm_plastic_tarps.html

Jerry,

Nice tarp link!

Must reading for anyone who wants to make one.

Daryl

I was quite impressed with the one in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgCUc_aUnb0&list=UUxMuB1uhS6vBN_pFoYpe0Tw&index=15&feature=plcp

There is another vid of it in use.
Note that he uses tie out loops rather than grommets.

Hey guys, sorry i'm not getting the pictures up till now, i've been out of town on fall break in the Rocky mountains. Here they are!

Edited by vinni20 on 10/10/2012 06:58:21 MDT.

Nice Vinni

When I've done duct tape like that, after a few trips, especially if it's windy, it will creep, eventually slip off. I put a few staples in which stopped this. There's probably something better than duct tape that would work better.

Jerry,

When you say "after a few trips"... how long would you say that is? couple days? a week? longer? I am making a 2mil tarp with duct tape and grommets for a week on the AT. I was tempted to make a 2nd one and stage it in the car which will be a little over half way. I have done my tarp a little differently than the last pictures in that I folded plastic to create a double edge, duct taped that and then put the grommet through the double layers of plastic and tape.

Nathan

Maybe a week would be good. I've used it for maybe 4 nights and it started creeping but had a few more nights in it. Of course, it depends on winds and stuff.

Take a stapler for paper and put a few staples through it and it will last longer, at least that's what I found. If the staples are through two layers of duct tape and plastic, it should hold up.

I love to see creative, low cost solutions.

You might want to think about doing it in silnylon some day...

I wonder ... whether putting a catenary cut on the edges might not be a real good idea? I should allow better tensioning and less flapping?

cheers

How would you do a catenary with plastic?

Oh, on the edges, okay, nevermind, that might help...

This is just the testing process. I'm kinda hoping there's cuben under the tree in 2 months and 5 days. :) Still not sure on how big or what shape I want so not really sure if I will MYOG or just buy something. At least this way I can play and not feel to bad if I mess something up... measure lots, cut once.

Yeah - I think plastic is excellent for prototyping before making it in silnylon or cuben

Thanks for the input and ideas guys. If I notice the gorilla tape starting to slip I will try stapling it and see how much that helps. I would like to get some good use out of this tarp before I spend the money on a silnylon tarp.