First trip with the newly finished tarp

[ridgefire]

that tarp and bivy are awesome. my wife wants no part of me getting a sewing machine, she has seen to many of my ideas but I guess its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

Nice job Tim! I abandoned my Tarp project and snagged a Mountainsmith LT on sale for about the same price. Only mine is YELLOW (yuck) and I can't claim any DIY pride.
Your bivy looks just like my Oware. Curious why you went with a top zip vs side zip.
I wish mine was side zip, top zip is a PITA to get in/out of.

Anyway nice job!
Hunt'nFish

 

[Ironman8]

I could be wrong, but it looks like his has a top and side zip.

 

[Tim M]

Ya it does have a top and left side zip to match my sleeping bags. I was going to make a side zip only and after playing with an omni zip and a kestrel decided I liked the ease of being able ti get in and out better. besides, for the minimal weight gain of the second zipper I thought it was worth it... the whole bivy only weighs 4.1 oz

 

[aron]

Looks like it turned out awesome. Now just if I could get the fiance to sew...

 

[Tim M]

Looks like it turned out awesome. Now just if I could get the fiance to sew...

ya know, it sure wiuld be nice if I could get my wife to sew, however I do all the repairs for our family (or my mother in law) and I actually enjoy making or modifying things to suit me and how I will use them. makes the thrill that much greater when I kill something or wake up and watch that sunrise when using something that I made.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Tim your inbox is full

 

[Hunt'nFish]

ya know, it sure wiuld be nice if I could get my wife to sew, however I do all the repairs for our family (or my mother in law) and I actually enjoy making or modifying things to suit me and how I will use them. makes the thrill that much greater when I kill something or wake up and watch that sunrise when using something that I made.

Same here. I remember about 15yrs ago needing a pair of Cabela's Dry-Plus Hydro pants hemmed up. I asked my wife to do it and she took one look at my $200 camo and shook her head NO and walked away. Well that started my sewing affair. Wasn't exactly pretty, but I got the job done and the hems never failed.
Guys sewing isn't that hard, just start small and go slow.
Hunt'nFish

 

[300WSM]

Nice work! Love that bivy did you use anything to seal the seams on it?

 

[Tim M]

I didn't seal the seams on the bivy because I don't use it as a stand alone, only with a tarp.
glad you like it, it rally has worked out well for me

 

[ndbwhunter]

How did you manage to get away with only spending $68 for the tarp? The 1.35oz silnylon on bearpaw sells for $10.00+ per yard. Any idea where I can get the same stuff for a decent price?

 

[colonel00]

There are a lot of places that sell seconds for much less. There may be some minor flaws or excessive silicone in some areas but overall they should be usable.

Oh, and remember that usually the width of the fabric should be well over 60" and closer to 65" I believe. So, if you get 6 yards of material you can essentially make a 9'x10' tarp give or take.

 

[ndbwhunter]

What types of flaws?

 

[colonel00]

Oh, usually is isn't even noticeable. Sometimes the fabric has a flaw in the weave or like I said, the silicone coating is extra thick in areas. I have some that I have picked up that I cannot find a single issue with.

Here is some for $5.50/yd

http://diygearsupply.com/product/silnylon-2nds/

 

[Tim M]

The stuff I got wasn't seconds, I just lucked into a deal and have had it for a while now...

 

[ridgefire]

Because of this thread I have spent $102 for 9 yards of sylnylon from bearpaw and $50 for a sewing machine.. I now know how to thread a bobbin but just got to learn how to sew now. What kind of lap did you use? French?

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Because of this thread I have spent $102 for 9 yards of sylnylon from bearpaw and $50 for a sewing machine.. I now know how to thread a bobbin but just got to learn how to sew now. What kind of lap did you use? French?

I can relate. I haven't pulled the trigger on silnylon yet but did snag one of my mother's old sewing machines and have begun working on my skills to accomplish this. Though from what I have been reading silnylon isn't the best place to start because of the difficulty working the slick material. Either way this thread has inspired me.

 

[colonel00]

Silnylon can be a pain. I would suggest getting some cheap fabric from Wal-Mart to start learning. Then get some ripstop seconds or other cheaper materials and make some stuff sacks and pullouts. I haven't done a tarp yet but silnylon can definitely be a trick even on smaller projects.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Ya in messaging Tim the pattern seems easy enough, but I'm going to have to work up to it for sure. Maybe I'll make a mock up with some cheaper easier material first.

 

[colonel00]

Lookup my pullout thread. There is a link where you can see if local Wal-Mart's carry fabric. They routinely have stuff for a dollar a yard or so. Great for doing mockups.