Tarp Fabric

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sean_iow
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Tarp Fabric

Post by sean_iow »

This might be a stupid question.... but does the fabric for a tarp have to be waterproof? Our old scout patrol tents were canvas and I don't recall them being waterproof. As there was no way of touching the flysheet we didn't get wet, but it was 40 years ago and I wasn't paying that much attention.

Factory seconds parachute nylon is quite cheap and only 35 gsm but obviously not much use is I'd get wet.
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Depends how heavily it's raining. Heavy enough and water will get pushed through the material. I can happen even when a fabric is coated. Often termed as 'misting'.
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Cheeky Monkey
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

A tarp made from troop tent material will be the diametric opposite of "lightweight" :grin:

However, I look forward tot eh results of your experiments :wink:
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Just thought - doesn't canvas also swell when it gets wet?
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ScotRoutes
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by ScotRoutes »

Our family had canvas tents when I were a lad. Every couple of years, my dad would re-proof them with Mesowax.
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sean_iow
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by sean_iow »

Cheeky Monkey wrote: Fri Jan 15, 2021 1:17 pm A tarp made from troop tent material will be the diametric opposite of "lightweight" :grin:
They were pretty heavy, it took 4 of us to carry them from the van to the pitch. Just the wooden poles weighed more than my current tent - including the bike and all the rest of my kit :lol:

This is the material I was thinking of using

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/British-Army ... %7Ciid%3A1

10m in Olive is only £15 so much cheaper than a coated fabric from Extremtextile and I can buy it in the UK. It would be for a tarp for a use with a hammock (which I've not even tried yet) so the trees might provide some protection? Even if it was a disaster I guess it would occupy some evenings sewing it so only cost the same per night as craft ale :grin:
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

so the trees might provide some protection?
In my experience, trees have a nasty habit of holding water and then releasing it in big drops :wink:

Any reason why you can't make one and then give it a coat of Fabsil or similar?
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lune ranger
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by lune ranger »

As Stu says the waterproofing of canvas comes from the fabric swelling as it wets and closing the pores in the material. Canvas or polycotton tents will often leak a little when they are brand new or if they have become excessively dried - until they’ve had a good soaking.
Parachute fabric is pretty tightly woven so with a tight pitch it may well keep you dry in moderate rain - guess you’d have to try it and see.
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javatime
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by javatime »

I have bought a couple of different types of parachute rip stop from E bay that I used for the lining of my MYOG quilt. The materials do have different characteristics - one is "soft" , the other a bit more "crinkly" and my gut feeling, not founded on any science, was that the crinkly may be more waterproof.

However kitchen sink science (lining the flour seive with an off cut) showed that they both make fine effective filters, flow starting at about 20mm hydrostatic head - so maybe we add this to the ongoing coffee conoisseur thread.

Having said that there are several American bushcraft videos on youtube where they make there own silicon waterproofer by diluting bath sealant in low odour white spirit. I was going to do this for a tarp project but when the cheaper Gatewood deal came around I dove in and shelved my plan.

Happy to send you some samples if it helps.
Lazarus
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by Lazarus »

does the fabric for a tarp have to be waterproof?
depends on whether you want to be dry :wink:

I suspect it will do ok for light rain but nothing more I assume ts fairly easy to turn it into waterproof with an appropriate silicone coating.
How waterproof this is in reality who knows.
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sean_iow
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by sean_iow »

Cheers guys, I'm only thinking ahead at the moment.

This would normally be my first choice, but it would cost 9 times as much for enough material.

https://www.extremtextil.de/en/ripstop- ... g-sqm.html

But as I've not even pitched my hammock yet let alone slept in it I'm getting ahead of myself. I am planning on trying my existing tarp over it as well so I might not need to make a new one if that provides enough cover.
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shutuplegs
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by shutuplegs »

A bit heavier and £7 /m but might keep the rain off:

https://www.profabrics.co.uk/products/s ... 5940865667
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whitestone
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by whitestone »

Sean, what do Pennineoutdoors have in that sort of line?

I got my tarp material from ripstopbytheroll in the States but did get stung (eventually) for £11 duty and £12 release fee. Does avoid the (hopefully temporary) moratorium that the German stores seem to have on delivering to the UK. I got 8m(9yds) of the 34gsm (1.1oz) silpoly for $52 and is 470g total. By the time I've trimmed it down to the required size and added reinforcing patches and the like it will probably end up a similar sort of weight.
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benp1
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Re: Tarp Fabric

Post by benp1 »

I've sat under many parachutes around a campfire (in my bushcrafting days). I can confirm they are NOT waterproof, you get wet underneath them, but less wet than if there was nothing up there. And that's with a fire going to drive the wet out
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