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#96013 - 05/11/08 02:35 PM New tarptent!
frenchie Offline
member

Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 461
Loc: Lyon, France
There it is, the Original Orangina tarptent!

I tried it this weekend, on two perfect, cool and dry nights.

Very Lunar solo type, but customized in size.







The apex part is mosquito net, with some kind of "hood" that can be open, or velcroed on.




It's tiny, but big enough to sleep, sit and stack gear inside, with a wide vestibule.
And very lightweight <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I'll post specs when I have them translated for non-metric people....

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#96014 - 05/11/08 03:13 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: frenchie]
Heber Offline
member

Registered: 12/31/07
Posts: 245
Loc: St. Louis, Missouri
Wow! Super impressive! What kind of material did you make the floor from?

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#96015 - 05/11/08 04:56 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: frenchie]
Trailrunner Offline
member

Registered: 01/05/02
Posts: 1835
Loc: Los Angeles
Very nice. I wish my Lunar Solo had a top vent like that.
_________________________
If you only travel on sunny days you will never reach your destination.*

* May not apply at certain latitudes in Canada and elsewhere.

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#96016 - 05/11/08 05:52 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: frenchie]
bigfoot2 Offline
member

Registered: 09/17/06
Posts: 1432
Loc: Eugene , Oregon
Very cool, Frenchie! That's one sweet tent you got there! When are you going to mass produce it? I love the color, too. Orange is my favorite for safety reasons. Keep up the good work!

BF <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
_________________________
Hammockers aren't stuck up, they're just above it all.

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#96017 - 05/11/08 07:26 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: frenchie]
HIKNMIK Offline
member

Registered: 03/31/03
Posts: 53
Loc: illinois
Man check out those stitchs!
Very clean and straight.
A-1 job, good looking tent.

Mike

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#96018 - 05/11/08 11:49 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: Heber]
frenchie Offline
member

Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 461
Loc: Lyon, France
2 oz PU nylon. No need for a foot print, but I often put a small piece of plastic sheet like garbage bag for more protection, under the sleeping area
Canopy is some kind of siliconised spinnaker, the kind used for traction kites or parachutes (a guess, I bought some out of stock fabric for next to nothing...) It's a slight bit stiff, with no elasticity (the reason for rubber loops before guylines), and very waterproof: when water is pressed on it, it doesn't come through, like on silnylon. I have no idea of the weight for this stuff, but it was a pleasure to work with, not slippery at all, with a good density.

For the enclosed "room":
Length : 77 in (195 cm)
Width : 36 in (93 cm) for the wider part, tappering to 24 in (60 cm) on both sides
The floor form "walls" that are 10 in (25 cm) high, with the last 2 in (5 cm) netting, on all 4 sides.
Total height is 47 in (120 cm)
Vestibule is 31 in (80 cm) wide, and can be left completely open (like in Lunar Solo), with the guyline fitted.
Needs 6 stakes.
The "trial" pole was a 10 mm aluminium tube, but far too flexible.
Total weight with this pole and stakes (TI, but many extras in the stake bag!) was 27,5 ounces.
When I fix a carbone pole (another project, since I do not always carry hiking poles), there will not be a vast difference in weight

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#96019 - 05/12/08 04:45 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: frenchie]
Franco Offline
member

Registered: 04/05/04
Posts: 1010
Loc: Australia
Very nice indeed. I didn't know that anyone was making light weight shelters in France...
Love those vents and that large vestibule.Possibly the best DIY tent project I have seen .
(the rear view, vent/shock cord hoops and colour is almost identical to the Luxe Mini Peak,a pyramid tent.
Do you have the Lunar Solo ?
.
Should work for a person up to around 175cm , correct ?
Franco


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#96020 - 05/12/08 06:27 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: Franco]
TomD Offline
Moderator

Registered: 10/30/03
Posts: 4963
Loc: Marina del Rey,CA
Really nice Frenchie! How does the color work out for you? I would think it might be a bit much for some people. Not from the outside, but from the inside. The vent treatment is very interesting.
_________________________
Don't get me started, you know how I get.

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#96021 - 05/13/08 01:43 AM Re: New tarptent! [Re: Franco]
frenchie Offline
member

Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 461
Loc: Lyon, France
Lightweight gear is going in France, UK, Germany, Poland, Russia, Scandinavian countries, too. Not many commercial makers, yet, and they are more geared to raid/race than backpacking. Some people I know started a small business, but it starts slowly, as they have to import most of the material, and price of labour is high.
There is a community of DIY addicts like me <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />, "working" on the Web.

This tarptent was designed to be as simple as possible:
1- single pole,
2- canopy cut in one piece in the width of the fabric I had (less stiching),
3- only 6 stakes, no extra guylines.
It's the second tent I make like that, but the first one, still OK, I find too "big on the ground", for setting in small spots.
I have spent hours scanning the Net eagerly for pictures of tents, tarps and tarptents (but I actually started making tents and other stuff more than 20 years ago <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />), and I'm somehow the kind of person that only have to look at things to know how they are made, so I picked up a lot of ideas, and made models.

Unfortunatly, this tarptent is probably too short for a larger person: the walls are not high enough, risk of contact at the foot end of sleeping bag, limited headroom...
As I said, it was custom made (but the dimensions can be adapted...)

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#96022 - 05/13/08 01:47 AM Re: New tarptent! [Re: TomD]
frenchie Offline
member

Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 461
Loc: Lyon, France
I spent too little time inside to be bothered by the color! it was lovely at sunrise.
I guess it will be nice if I'm stuck indoors for long hours of bad weather.
If I don't stand it, all I have to do is to hide my face into the bandanna or the balaclava <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />!

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#96023 - 05/13/08 05:27 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: frenchie]
Franco Offline
member

Registered: 04/05/04
Posts: 1010
Loc: Australia
Thanks Frenchie.
I would be interested to find out how that fabric performs in the medium/long term ,as an alternative to silnylon would be welcomed. If you have experienced single wall silnylon tents, also your opinion about how your material handles condensation will be appreciated.
(I also think that yellow or orange are nice colours on a rainy day.)
Franco

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#96024 - 05/16/08 11:20 AM Re: New tarptent! [Re: Franco]
Erik Offline
member

Registered: 08/26/02
Posts: 348
Loc: Maryland
Very nice job on that tent!! Would you be posting instructions for this project by any chance?

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#96025 - 05/16/08 09:13 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: Erik]
movingmountain Offline
member

Registered: 10/03/03
Posts: 61
That is a really nice looking shelter. Good job!

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#96026 - 05/17/08 03:23 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: frenchie]
drow42 Offline
member

Registered: 03/27/04
Posts: 144
Loc: Washington, DC
Count me impressed. NIce work.

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#96027 - 05/19/08 10:50 AM Excellent Work [Re: frenchie]
Johnny_Swank Offline
member

Registered: 09/14/02
Posts: 80
Loc: Raleigh, NC
No way am I showing my tarptent after seeing yours! Fantastic work!

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#96028 - 05/21/08 06:35 AM Re: Excellent Work [Re: Johnny_Swank]
captn Offline
newbie

Registered: 08/09/05
Posts: 12
You don't happen to have a pattern, do you?

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#96029 - 05/21/08 09:34 AM Re: New tarptent! [Re: frenchie]
phat Offline
Moderator

Registered: 06/24/07
Posts: 4107
Loc: Alberta, Canada

Sweet looking DIY lunar solo type! I second or third or nth the call for pattern <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
_________________________
Any fool can be uncomfortable...
My 3 season gear list
Winter list.
Browse my pictures


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#96030 - 05/21/08 07:43 PM Re: New tarptent! [Re: phat]
Franco Offline
member

Registered: 04/05/04
Posts: 1010
Loc: Australia
Better still for people like me, make a 1:1 model.
Franco

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#96031 - 05/22/08 11:01 AM Re: Excellent Work [Re: captn]
frenchie Offline
member

Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 461
Loc: Lyon, France
Pattern (with adaptive measurement for the tall ones, possibly ) will certainly come, and construction tips, when :
1- I'm done with an overload of work (worst part of schoolyear at the moment)...
2- I have done the necessary translation job!

What kind of software can be used for patterns?
Easy one, as I'm not an expert, working with a pencil is more "natural" to me, lots easier and faster.. .

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#96032 - 05/22/08 01:35 PM Re: Excellent Work [Re: frenchie]
captn Offline
newbie

Registered: 08/09/05
Posts: 12
Google Sketch is easy to use and it's FREE!

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#96033 - 05/22/08 05:59 PM Re: Excellent Work [Re: frenchie]
phat Offline
Moderator

Registered: 06/24/07
Posts: 4107
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Quote:

2- I have done the necessary translation job!


Postez les instructions en francais! Dommage pour les Americains <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
_________________________
Any fool can be uncomfortable...
My 3 season gear list
Winter list.
Browse my pictures


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#96034 - 05/23/08 04:11 AM Re: Excellent Work [Re: phat]
leadfoot Offline
member

Registered: 07/16/03
Posts: 954
Loc: Virginia
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

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#96035 - 05/30/08 06:33 PM Re: Excellent Work [Re: frenchie]
jonnycat Offline
member

Registered: 04/21/05
Posts: 363
Loc: PNW
Quote:

Easy one, as I'm not an expert, working with a pencil is more "natural" to me, lots easier and faster.. .


I'm the same way; my TT was made on my desk with a pencil, paper, ruler, and a calculator (well, the design, anyway).

If you have a scanner, that is all most of us would really need....

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#96036 - 05/30/08 08:41 PM Re: Excellent Work [Re: frenchie]
Earthling Offline
member

Registered: 02/22/03
Posts: 3228
Loc: USA
Looks like you have added some nice features from all of the examples you found online <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> I'd be interested to see some photos with you laying inside, standing next to it, and inside a sleeping bag in it for reference of size if you can take more photos.

Maybe someone here can help you with a computer program to give the pattern 'life'. If you want to contribute this to the front page DIY column of projects I'm sure Packlite/Charles would be glad to have it there too <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

You did a great job for not being a professional tent maker Frenchie! Maybe you should consider a change of profession? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />
_________________________
PEPPER SPRAY AIN'T BRAINS IN A CAN!

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#96037 - 06/08/08 12:23 PM Re: Excellent Work [Re: captn]
frenchie Offline
member

Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 461
Loc: Lyon, France
Easy (and fun) to use, yes, but how can I send files?
I'm still looking for a way ..

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