Hi all! Due to my lack of funding for this extautionately priced hobby, ive been seeking ideas for myog gear. Im particularly interested in a new tarp and groundsheet of tyvek or polycryo!

However im sort of torn on what to do, and what to use. Ideally, id rather not sew anything as, well, im a bad sewer. What material would be better for a tarp, polycryo or tyvek? Ir something else? What type of tyvek is best suited? What is the best thing to bond edges and seal the materials? How durable are they both? Is it worth it..?

Ill bet this has been asked many times, but im struggling to find definitive answers. Many thanks in advance! ~Monty

You can get construction Tyvek in 9 or 10' widths, so it is conceivable that you would not need to sew anything. You can buy it in 10 X 10' pieces or by the foot on eBay. You can also buy adhesive backed tieout loops. I've seem two types of Tyvek tape. The construction tape is meant to seal the joints and is similar to packaging tape. I don't think that this tape would be good for tarps. There is also Tyvek tape made for hinges in book binding. It may not be as strong, but it is made of Tyvek and might be good for repairs and reinforcing. Kite Tyvek is lighter, but only comes in 4 to 5' wide rolls. Kite Tyvek is commonly referred to as 1443 and 14M Tyvek. It's good for groundsheets and may be seamable with Tyvek hinge tape. It would be difficult to tape along seam without something to hold the two pieces of Tyvek in alignment while taping. I think that it would be necessary to tape a major seam on both sides.

I don't have much interest in window film. It always seemed too much like Saran Wrap to me.

David Gardner used to sell polycryo tarps. Here's how he makes 'em. The link is to Backpacking Light, but it's a forum thread, so you can read for free.

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/how-to-make-a-polycryo-a-frame-tarp/

thanks for the detailed info! is there any sort of glue to seal it? im contemplating a hexamid-style shelter

thanks for the link! im concerned about its durability thats all

Here is a video of a technique for making plastic tarps. Would work for Polycryo window screens, or, as here with polythene sheets (painter drop cloths). Good tensile strength,but can easily be punctured. Easily repaired with duct tape.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgCUc_aUnb0

Total material cost as low as $10 With a patio door window insulating screen at about $8, you can make a pretty good "tarp" weighing 100-120 grams.

Great link! Thank you.

It should last quite a while unless you don't take care of it. I use polycryo as a groundcloth, too. You'll see me on that thread at BPL. I had mine out for 6 nights (5 above treeline) in the Wind River Range last month.

So long as you sew them right and proper, I think they're gonna last for long. That's actually the real challenge in making DIY tarps. s for the materials, I know a guy who made his tarps of shower curtain liners. It's more affordable.

I don't know about the poly, but Tyvek is pretty noisy when the rain hits it. You can pick up some waterproof fabric that might set you back about $30. JoAnn sells some, so do other online fabric places (cheaper than JA), just do a search for Outdoor Fabric.

I purchased the Tyvek tarp at E-Bay https://bestoutdooritems.com/backpacking-tarps/. It ran me like $24 delivered for the 9' x 10' Tyvek sheet, and included 10 corner loops. Our search and rescue team tried tyvek tarps. We ran them through a washer without soap first to make them more flexible but using them in the rain every crease made by softening them leaked no matter how sloped we made the shelter. So our experience showed tyvek to not be a good candidate for shelter unless it's virgin , never folded, smooth product.