DIY Shelter Help

[ARCHER11]

I hope everyone had a great memorial day weekend! BIG thanks to all those who have sacrificed so much to keep our country free.

It won't be too much longer before the high country here in Colorado opens up and its time to hit the hills in search of some velvet. All your DIY projects have inspired me to take on a project of my own. I've pulled together a design using google sketchup and would love your thoughts on both the design as a whole as well as individual aspects of the construction. Eventually i'd like to add an inner bug net with bathtub floor but for now i'm just going to make the tarp. Although the design doesn't show it, I'll be using a side entry with this shelter and may add a stove jack in the future but for now i'm going to keep it stoveless and see what kind of room this setup gives me. If all goes well I might whip up a tipi for this falls elk hunt as well. We'll see how things go!

Dimensions:
Length - 12'6" tip to tip
Width - 5' at the head end & 2'6" at the foot end
Height - 4' at head end & 2' at foot end

It looks like I should be able to keep it under 2 pounds finished trail weight and under $175 for all materials.

I do have a couple questions and would love any input I can get.

I plan on using 1.1oz silnylon and would love some thoughts on where I might be able to get the best deal. I've also toyed with the idea of using seconds for this first "prototype" but still want the tarp to function. Anyone have experience with silnylon seconds that could give me some thoughts? Is there anything in particular I should be looking for when picking seconds? Also, where can I find the best deal on material? I've checked ripstopbytheroll.com, diygearsupply.com, and bearpawwd.com. Is there anywhere else I should consider?

For the reinforcements (corners, guyouts, and cone) i'm planning on using 1.1oz ripstop nylon. I'm not too worried about that for the corners and guyouts but will that be enough for the cone reinforcement for my trekking pole handle? Is there another material I should be looking at? Also, anyone with experience sewing a tipi have any tips for sewing that cone/point of the tipi? It seems like that might be a headache with all the seams coming together at that one point. I'm sure it's more simple than I make it out to be in my head but id love to hear your thoughts and experience.

Looking at my big agnes fly creek tent i'm pretty sure it uses grosgrain webbing for all the corners and guyouts. Can someone confirm that? What size do you typically use for this type of project? Also, is there any particular tactic used for sewing a guyline into the middle of a piece of fabric? Is it ok to sew guylines right into the seam? It seams like that could cause some issues with the seam integrity but I could be wrong. Planning on using spectra cord for the guyouts from Z-packs unless someone else has another option for me to take a look at?

Zippers... What would you recommend for a zipper?

How about thread? From what I've heard, polyester is the only way to go with outdoor projects like this. Any particular brand and/or size of thread you'd recommend?

I think those are all my questions for now, I'm sure i'll have more as I get further into things. Hoping to order materials by the end of this week and get this things going.

I'll do my best to take progress pictures and include you all in the construction process. Let me know if there are any questions or any particular step you'd like to see.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Hypalon for the cone reinforcement is typically what's used.

Looks similar to a sawtooth in shape. What are your dimensions? There are a couple of sawtooth imitation diy threads that have a good deal of info. I'm not 100% sure but I would think side guy outs would conflict with the entry function and without guy outs it would be flappy in the wind.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21577

 

[ndbwhunter]

ripstopbytheroll has been my go-to supplier for all my fabric. DIYgearsupply has been great for all the hardware (nylon, zippers, buckles, etc.). Don't bother buying seconds. Just start out small and make some pullouts/pouches to practice first. Silnylon is not difficult to work with, but it does take some time to figure it out. As for the reinforcement cone, either hypalon or 300D diamond ripstop will work just fine. I wouldn't go with anything smaller than a #5YKK zipper. The best thread to use is the gutterman tera or mera. I used the heavier of the two for the flat-felled seams, and the lighter for pullouts and other little projects. Good luck!

 

[larryschwartz]

With your 5' width up front, that only gives you 2.5' on either side of the tent pole at ground level. That may make for a bit of a tight squeeze when you get into the shelter. You might want to consider using a bipod pole configuration that connects at the same point as the single pole. That way the supporting pole(s) won't take up any interior space.

 

[realunlucky]

Ripstopbytheroll is where I got my silnylon. Check out my copycat thread for what I ended up using

 

[ARCHER11]

Thanks for all the thoughts so far guys!

live2hunt:
It is similar to the sawtooth just scaled way down. The dimensions are more a combination of the super tarp and paratarp. I remember reading a couple of those sawtooth threads a while back. I'll be sure and take another look at those before getting started. You make a good point on the side guyouts. I'll use a guyout or two n the back side and leave the entry side alone. If i have trouble with the stability on the wind i'll add another stake point and maybe a guyout closer to the foot end and hope that helps. This is a small scale shelter not too terribly far off the ground so hopefully that's not much of an issue.

ndbwhunter:
Thanks for the recommendations. Very helpful!

larryschwartz:
I really don't like front entry tents so i'm going with a side entry on this one. That should eliminate my issues with getting in and out squeezing around the pole. It's long enough that the pole will be above my head and i'll just use the "vestibule" on the head end for gear and maybe a small stove depending on what kind of room I have once all is said and done. Thanks for the thoughts!

realunlucky:
You have a link for your thread by chance?

Thanks for all the comments so far!

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Somehow I overlooked your dimensions. What you're building is more similar to the mountainsmith shelter Lt but a bit smaller.

Ripstopbytheroll is my go to as well.

 

[mauidiver]

Lot of great info guys, I'm about to attempt some small stuff and graduate to this. Thanks

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Here is another source for zippers, fabric, etc...
http://m.bearpawwd.com/

 

[ndbwhunter]

I have to agree with larry on this one. Personally, I would widen it a little bit and stick with the front entry. Just from a sewing standpoint, I think you'll run into some difficulties trying to sew up the side entry, not to mention you'll be making extra work for yourself. Just something to consider.

 

[larryschwartz]

larryschwartz:
I really don't like front entry tents so i'm going with a side entry on this one. That should eliminate my issues with getting in and out squeezing around the pole. It's long enough that the pole will be above my head and i'll just use the "vestibule" on the head end for gear and maybe a small stove depending on what kind of room I have once all is said and done. Thanks for the thoughts!

I assume that the side wall will be a flap that you raise when you enter the tent and then stake it back down when you are inside. If that is what you plan to do then I would suggest you make the roofline parallel to the ground and make it five feet high on both ends. That way you get something like a bakers tent.

Larry

 

[ARCHER11]

I appreciate the thoughts guys. I really think i'm set on the side entry with this build. For larger shelters I don't have an issue with front entry but I like to avoid it wherever I can. I'll probably finish this up and wish I had just done a front entry but i'm gonna give it a shot anyway and hope for the best.

I don't think i'll need to stake the flap each time I enter and exit but i'll consider the bakers tent idea. Might be nice when the weather is nice to just open things up and give myself a little more living space. Could make for a nice glassing point when the weather is nasty too. Thanks for your thoughts Larry.

Hypalon seems a little excessive for the cone reinforcement on this project. Do I really need something that tough? The 300d diamond ripstop looks more reasonable. Would a 1.9oz ripstop work?

Anyone have any tips/tactics for sewing the guyouts into the middle of a piece of fabric? Is it going to cause any problems if I sew guysouts right into the seams in some areas?

Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I have no idea if hypalon is an overkill or really necessary, just reiterating what was told to me by people more experienced than I am. I figured it was a bad place for a failure.

Placing guy outs on seams shouldn't be an issue as is a natural choice at times. Positioning the guy outs evenly on both sides was a PITA for me and on future projects I'll mark the locations before I assemble the main body and have to wrestle that much fabric. I backed mine on the inside with a second piece of silnylon 4" ×4" for reinforcement.

 

[ndbwhunter]

You really don't need to do a "cone" at the peak. If you're using the hypalon, a simply patch will work so the pole isn't sitting directly on the silnylon. I would stay away from the 1.9oz and just go with the hypalon or 300d ripstop. As far as the side entry is concerned, you'll need a lot of tension on the sides to ensure a proper pitch. For this reason, I would take Larry's advice and stake out the door flap to minimize the amount of tension on the zipper. The coil zippers are tough, but they can only take so much abuse.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

My thoughts.....
1. looks just like the Mountainsmith LT.
1a. Not sure what I think about the external rear pole.... external give more useable internal space, but it's also pain to go outside to deal w/ a leaning or tipped pole during the night.
2. Like said above, ditch the side zipper, it's going to cause all sorts of tension & pitching issues.
3. If you think the front pole is in the way, tip it off to one side. That's what I do.
4. Yes sew the guyouts right into the seam. The seams are, or should be, the strongest points.
5. To cut weight, I've used 1/2" black nylon ribbon instead of webbing for guyouts and stake loops. Plenty strong and half the weight.
6. Use a hot knife to cut webbing/ribbon or nylon material and it'll prevent fraying edges.

Good luck and have fun!
Hunt'nFish

 

[ARCHER11]

Thanks for the thoughts guys! I think I'm about ready to order everything and get started.

 

[ARCHER11]

I finally got around to building my solo shelter. I still need to seem seal it but other than that i'm pretty much good to go. I'm planning to take it on my elk hunt the end of next month but should be able to get out 2-3 times before then for some quick trips to see how it does. Overall i'm really pleased with the design and thank everyone for their comments. I ended up making the tarp a little longer to accommodate an interior pole rather than exterior like I had originally planned. I went with the side entry despite warnings from a few of you and i'm cautiously optimistic. I guess only some experience in crazy weather will tell me whether it was a good idea or not but I really have no doubt it will hold up in the weather i'll encounter in the majority of my hunting. I place stake out points on both sides of the zipper as recommended in this thread and I think that will do a good job of relieving any serious tension on the zipper.

Overall the project cost me about $170 bucks for everything needed to build the tarp and bivy and took me a week of working a few hours after work each day and half the day Sunday. It comes in a tad under 25 ounces ready for the trail and packed dimensions are just a bit larger than a nalgene bottle. Thanks for everyone's thoughts on this i'm really pleased with how it turned out and i'm already eyeing a few more projects for this winter. This DIY stuff is addicting.

Here's a few pictures. Hoping to have more of it in the high country in the next few weeks.

View attachment 27997
View attachment 27998
View attachment 27999
View attachment 28000
View attachment 28001

 

[Ehiggins]

Maybe it's just my phone, but the pics aren't working for me.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I can't see them either and I've been waiting for you to post up pictures!