The Tarp-tagged-onto-your-tent Thread

[clarion]

Sorry about that.  Not been able to sort this out.  Those who are FB friends, please go look.  We'll do another video on a proper camera soon.

[Speshact]

We used to have a large family tent. It was heavy, didn't fit on bicycles and one person couldn't cycle-camp and then meet up with other members of the family, and it wasn't rail and bus camping friendly.

So we changed to two small tents and a tarp which provides excellent shade allowing sleeping late in hot places, as well as eating out under cover if it's raining. It will also lengthen the life of the tents by providing protection from UV rays.



One parent takes a tent; one a tent plus the tarp poles (strapped to the top tube) and the kid gets to carry a sleeping bag or two.

The only downside is the very occasional campsite which adheres totally to 'pay for each tent' and won't accept that this is just a more sensible family tent than a conventional one.

[nikki]

Had a super quick play with JBB's utility porch tarp whilst she was re-siting her tent*:







I'm feeling more positive about a single, shorter pole now, and will have to have a play installing my Rig 3.5 corner-on like this.


*I've just noticed the sisterly bottoms in the first photo 

[DrMekon]

My boy and I use a Alpkit Rig 3.5 or Rig 7, pre-rigged with Dyneema and camcleats linelok minis, and a Bearbones 70cm and 110cm pole. We both have alpkit hunkas and tyvek groundsheets. We've used the Rig 7 as a cooking / sitting thing. There's some good tips from Stu at bearbones, and if anyone is going to the alpkit shakeout thing, he's doing a class. The alpkit tarp guide is good too.

http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/alpkit-rig-35-dummies-guide.html < obviously think longer poles and ropes.
http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/bear-bones-guide-to-rig7-part-2.html

[clarion]

Over the summer, I experimented with rigging the tarp near the entrance to the tent in the same manner we used the fisherman's shelter.  It works rather well.  I sat one side of the pole with the bags around me for cooking & washing up, and Butterfly & TLD in the other half to eat.  I do have photos, but there are a lot to process, so it might be a while before I get to it.

Rich Forrest may have some photos, though.

[RichForrest]

Rich Forrest may have some photos, though.

Just checked and haven't got any of your tent/tarp combo, actually didn't take that many photo's all told.


We have a DD 3x3 tarp that we have used a few times recently

Distance shot at Mildenhall


Mildenhall pegged out with a riser at he back lifting the middle up to create more room.


York, this one has a post underneath but does waste space.


On its own as a tarp tent at the ALC AGM


I'm planning to be at Long Itch weekend in this so there's options to try it out in various configurations if anyone wants to have a go with it on their tent.

Rich

[nikki]

I spent a few hours yesterday playing around with some gaffa, a broom, a Rig 3.5, pseudo catenary curves and then a dust sheet. Result: I think I've got a template for a DIY tarp that'll cope with the shape of the Seedhouse:









Just having the curve along the top ridge massively improves how the tarp hangs.

The main aim was to cover the door, but I think this'll also be big enough to work as somewhere to sit out of sun/rain and shelter whilst cooking, too. If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour I'll just be able to squeak it out of a single width of fabric.

Hunting around for a suitable material to make it out of now, then it'll be adventures with sealants and sewing technical fabrics!

[Ruthie]

Dammit I didn't know we had a thread for this!  I like that very much Nikki.  Impressed.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Gadzooks! It's the catenary that electrified me.

[nikki]

Dammit I didn't know we had a thread for this!

Just a fledgling one, but already lots of photos for inspiration 

[nikki]

Ta-dah!
I finally made it!

(Well, still needs the seams sealing, but...)





Worked a treat in the torrential downpourings encountered as part of the recent Rutland excursion - kept all but the bottom 8 inches or so of the door dry, and is just about high enough to sit under whilst in a Helinox-a-like camp chair.



Also provides handy drying line functionality inside and out. (Not yet tested with fairy lights!)

Packs up thusly (wrapped around the pole sections):


Silnylon, grossgrain and cordura from Extremtextil;
tarppole from backpacking light;
Kelty Triptease lightline reflective cord (now throughout, replacing the thicker yellow stuff in some of the photos that I was testing with initially);
Alpkit smallie clippers with some shock cord on the rear lines;
and a couple of mini line loks on the pole lines.

Currently weighs in at about 500g.

[Kim]

Nicely done.  If it can stand up to that downpour, it should survive anything.   

[clarion]

An excellent piece of workpersonship.

[cycleman]

Nice extension Nikki 

[nikki]

Thanks all.
It did good service as a kitchen area during the damp bit of the Long Itchington weekend just gone, although I've learnt I need to be stricter about the gap I leave along the short top interface with the tent. (i.e. not to.) I think the key may be in the order of things getting pegged out.


The Sil Net has arrived, so I guess that's a job for this week.

[clarion]

And further mods in progress!