Bushwalk Australia

Just came across this SUL (Super Ultra Light) gear site with transparent tarp shelters. Anyone tried that Polycro material and a transparent tent? Guess there's a psychological factor there. Amazing.

http://www.goldgear.co/shelter.html

GPSGuided wrote:Just came across this SUL (Super Ultra Light) gear site with transparent tarp shelters. Anyone tried that Polycro material and a transparent tent? Guess there's a psychological factor there. Amazing.

http://www.goldgear.co/shelter.html

It would certainly be warm if you wanted to have a nanna nap during the day

People have been using polyethylene plastic sheets for tarps for a long time. They're either heavy or tear easily, sometimes both. The polycryo (not polycro) material is stronger but is still far from bombproof. I considered using it. One of the grades of polycryo is only about 10% heavier than the Cuben I used to make a translucent pyramid tent recently. It sure would have been a lot cheaper. Ultimately I went with Cuben because I didn't want a shelter that could tear easily, something that polycryo sometimes does.

The main advantage with polycryo is that it is relatively inexpensive.

edit: Looking at the specs for the tarps linked above it doesn't appear that they offer that much, if anything, in the way of weight or cost savings compared to tarps made with silnylon.

It's quite funny on the creation of a "super" UL category. Doesn't sound like it's justified given the weight comparison with existing UL cuben gears.

You can DIY your own tarp like those ones:
http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=window+shrink+film&_sop=15
or
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=a9_sc_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Apolycryo&keywords=polycryo&ie=UTF8&qid=1408407929

For the price this kit seems pretty good value:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Double-Glazing-insulation-kit-shrink-film-draught-excluder-for-window-3-2M-x-3M-/231301741905?pt=AU_Building_Materials&hash=item35daa87d51&_uhb=1

I thought about trying to make my own tarp using polycryo but decided not to as it just seemed to be a bit too weak to handle any real winds.

Cheers,
Michael.

Does the transparency worry you guys?

GPSGuided wrote:Does the transparency worry you guys?

Not particularly, my tarp tent has a certain amount of transparency when Im in it with a light reading but obviously nothing like those.

However I wouldn't go for something that transparent unless the product suited in regards to weight and strength and there was nothing else out there that could match it! Most of the time I don't have any other campers around me to worry about it but for the times I have had I think it would be a bit weird.

Looks like glad wrap.