I made a silnylon tarp no sewing…just grip clips. They are adjustable, do not pierce or damage the material and are no slip.
My 5.5 x 11 tarp with grip clips and lines weighs 8 oz, stake (msr groundhogs) add 1-1.5 oz and NO SEWING. I got my fabric from outdoor wilderness fabrics owf. Mine is white/clear and i can see the stars through it at night, but it is opaque in sunlight NO SEWING…ADJUSTABLE (Custom) PITCH…EIGHT OZ.s INCL. LINES and STAKES. And mine cost me about 25 bucks.
Take One (1) bolt of silnylon from www.owfinc.com (2nds at 3-4 bucks a yd, 5.5 ft wide bolt)
And (8) mini gripclips: https://shelter-systems.com/grip-clips.html
And I use moss (or msr) groundhog stakes.
1.Cut the bolt to desired length…Mine is 5.5 ft by 11 ft (5.5 is again the width of the bolt).
2. Use grip clips to secure lines to stakes and hiking poles or trees. (I also use doubled plastic grocery bags filled with dirt or rocks or buried as cheap, dependable sand and snow anchors. Just attach line to the handles for a solid guy out.) For larger applications, use grip clips to join two lengths together to make a 2 man, 10 ft wide tarp (overlap seam for weather tightness).
3. And you are tarping. I often set the lines, poles and guys for a 9 foot length and drape the extra two feet down and stake it to shelter the “head” end. Again the grip clips let me secure the head end stake on the draped over material wherever it works best for a taut pitch.
I rig my tarp using a thermolite bivy (20 bucks, 6 oz) as a ground cloth/splash guard. When it gets windy/rainy I open it and attach to inside roof of tarp w/ grip clips like an inward facing envelope. Keeps me dry in the worst spray.
I have used this system on Lake Superior shore in rain and dry, and dozens of other less weather prone places. Its a lightweight, lazy man’s, cheap cheap CHEAP way to go.
Grip clips from www.sheltersystems.com mean no sewing and perfect taut pitches no matter how poorly placed your anchors or guy points. The work anywhere on the fabric, making a non destructive, non slip guy point. I set the guy points FIRST, THEN I adjust the grip clips to fit, and taut line hitches on each grip clip make a tight pitch in almost any situation. (Bonus: the INSIDE on each clip is good hang point for clothesline, loft, or flashlight.)
P.S. 1.1 oz silnylon with the grip clips requires childrens party balloons ($1.00 for 20) as “gaskets”. Cut off head (dome) of balloon and unsert between grip clip head and cloth. TOTALLY prevents slippage on the slick cloth.
The grip clips make my tarp work all the time, no matter how bad the guy out options. They also are best for extra guys on my other tents and my Batray when i need to batten down. Thanks for a great product.
You have the best product out there for joining lines to fabric, and fabric to fabric, thats out there… I will try to find some pics. Must tell you though, its just a sheet of silnylon, and does not LOOK especially impressive, with my junk all spread out under the tarp.