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  1. #1
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    Default best weight for tarp tent

    Hello all, I've been searching the web, and am having a hard time with all the info- there's so much of it!! I've decided to jump into DIY with a few silnylon stuff sacks, and making a Bilby tent. What's the lightest (not cuben- too pricey) material I can use that will stand up to years of use? I'm not one to abuse my gear, but would like the material to be as light as possible. I'd like to see your opinions on the tarp material, and the material for the bathtub. I will be using a tyvek groundsheet, for extra protection.

    I'm torn (no pun intended ) between these fabrics:


    • Either tarp, or bathtub, or both:


    1.0 oz ROBIC XL ripstop nylon
    MEMBRANE silpoly (.9 oz/sqyd)
    1.0 oz HyperD diamond ripstop nylon
    MEMBRANE silpoly PU4000 (1.07 oz/sqyd)



    • Bug Mesh:


    0.5 oz NS50 Noseeum mesh
    0.67 oz Noseeum mesh - Black

    Thoughts from those that have used any of these? I'm thinking the MEMBRANE silpoly for the tarp, the MEMBRANE PU4000 for the bathtub, and the .5 oz mesh for the bugnet...

  2. #2
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    Default

    Or maybe the 1.0 oz ROBIC XL for the bathtub and the PU4000 for the tarp?

  3. #3
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    Default

    My two cents.

    I believe that the silpoly PU4000 is supposed to be more waterproof and more durable than straight sylpoly (also, it may stretch less when wet, but I don't know), so silpoly PU4000 is the obvious choice for your bathtub.
    The silpoly may get some misting coming through during heavy rain, but probably not enough to ever be a significant problem? If your tarp is roughly 9x9, you would be saving 0.17 oz x 9 yrds = 1.53. In other words, you would save 1.5 oz going with the silpoly instead of silpoly PU4000 . . . hmm, maybe a little misting for 1.5 oz? Maybe it's worth it to you, maybe not.

    The NS50 is speculated to be more durable and more stretchy than the 0.67 mesh according to a thread on backpacking light. The sketchiness would be a potential problem unless you reinforced (thus added weight to) any sections that would be under stress (like a ridge-line). I'd contact the poster on BPL that has used the stuff and see how his project turned out. The NS50 sounds intriguing to me.
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

  4. #4
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    Good points! I was looking at the .9 oz MEMBRANE silpoly, and it says it's less water absorbent, which translates to less saggy. It's also a lighter alternative to standard 1.1 oz silnylon. Both fabrics are advertised as having lower stretch than standard silnylon. Hmmm... I may just have a go with the MEMBRANE silpoly for the tarp section, the MEMBRANE PU4000 for the bathtub, and the NS50 mesh for the bugnet...

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by yemx View Post
    Hello all, I've been searching the web, and am having a hard time with all the info- there's so much of it!! I've decided to jump into DIY with a few silnylon stuff sacks, and making a Bilby tent.
    Do you mean the Bilgy tent? I had one of those made for me by a pro (since I can barely sew and I would recommend against making one to be honest. Setting up that tent is the last thing you want to do after a long day of hiking. I'll post pictures below (which show the builder setting it up even more complicated than needed), but if my memory serves there's something like 8 guylines you have to attach (with like 4? extra 'optional' ones). I've been using tarp tents of different types for years and the Bilgy was just a bitch to setup. I MUCH prefer my TarpTent brand tents - easiest to setup took literally two stakes (TarpTent Moment), and maybe 1-2 minute flat setup time. Even my current favorite, the Rainbow, with 6 stakes setups in 1/10th of the time it took me to setup the Bilgy. - just food for thought since there's not much information on the net about the Bilgy tent (which I believe is partly because of it's old style, complicated, not-super-stable setup).

    http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...uest-Tarp-Tent

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dochartaigh View Post
    Do you mean the Bilgy tent?
    Yes, I meant a Bilgy tent

  7. #7
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    I've also been considering going with a Yama Mountain Gear Net-Tent kit, and just buying one of their Curriform tarps in Silnylon. Another consideration is a Tarptent Protrail. I'd rather have a go at making something... I think I'll try the Net-Tent kit, since it's a full kit for $60... Of course, I already have the plans for a Bilgy. I could just modify them to meet my needs...

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