How to Make a Homemade Backpacking Tarp
Backpackers often go to great lengths to save a few ounces in their packs, sometimes cutting off the handle of a toothbrush or the labels from clothing. One way to save a significant amount of weight is to forsake a tent in favor of a tarp. The lightest manufactured tarps are usually made of silnylon with several tie-outs. These tarps are extremely light but also costly. A suitable inexpensive alternative can be made from Tyvek house wrap.
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Things You'll Need
- Tyvek (10-foot-wide sheet)
- Washing machine or bucket of water
- Six to 10 marbles, or Styrofoam balls a half-inch in diameter
- Para-Cord
- Tyvek tape (optional)
Instructions
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Obtain a sheet of Tyvek from a hardware store, online source or, with permission, from a construction site. Cut it to size if necessary with scissors.
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Tyvek is noisy and stiff when new. Running it through a cycle or two in the washer--don't add detergent and don't put it in the dryer--will soften it and quiet it considerably. Alternatively, you can soak it in a bucket of water overnight.
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When using a Tyvek tarp, either as a lean-to or as an A-frame with line suspended between trees or hiking poles, always put the writing toward the sleeping area. Twist the corners and tie on lengths of Para-Cord with sheet-bend knots to secure the tarp.
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For customized setups, use the marbles, Styrofoam or stones from a creek. Hold the marble on the inside, where the writing is, and grab it from the other side. Tie a slip knot in one end of a length of cord and place it over the Tyvek pushed out by the marble. Tighten the knot and tie the other end of the cord to a stake, rock or tree to create the desired shape for your shelter. Using this procedure, you can place tie-outs anywhere you need them and not be limited to the existing tie-outs on manufactured tarps.
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Tips & Warnings
Tyvek doesn't hold stitches well, so you shouldn't sew it. Glue--Duco works well--or Tyvek tape can be used to attach extra pieces if necessary.
