What is the best Tarp material to cover a structure?

SandMan · Post by **SandMan** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:23 pm

I know this one has been asked before but we our like to get some input on what the best tarp material to cover a structure is and where to find it reasonably priced. Thanks.

Token · Post by **Token** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:59 am

The definitive head turner of style shade cover on the playa this year will be a quilt sewn from 1820's silk bloomers and nickers. Care must be taken to preserve the ruffles such that they frolic on the breeze. quilt to be sown by an army of little old Chinese ladies as the men lay down the BRC Rail. - This style is certified Theme compatible and carries the "Built for Theme" hologram logo.

Silver tarps are popular.

Old billboard vinyl is popular.

Shade netting is popular, both the black, green stuff or aluminet.

Parachutes are popular.

Canvas is popular.

Thrift store bed sheets and tie-dye are popular.

... I just know which one is the best ...

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:56 am

Er, um, dittoes.

Tell your local tarp & awning shoppe what you're covering & why.

Or go to Burning Man first & look at what people use.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:02 am

Token wrote:The definitive head turner of style shade cover on the playa this year will be a quilt sewn from 1820's silk bloomers and nickers. Care must be taken to preserve the ruffles such that they frolic on the breeze. quilt to be sown by an army of little old Chinese ladies as the men lay down the BRC Rail. - This style is certified Theme compatible and carries the "Built for Theme" hologram logo.

Silver tarps are popular.

Old billboard vinyl is popular.

Shade netting is popular, both the black, green stuff or aluminet.

Parachutes are popular.

Canvas is popular.

Thrift store bed sheets and tie-dye are popular.

... I just know which one is the best ...

And the ever popular snow camouflage or most any type of camouflage. really.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:21 am

I would go with silver tarp on top and shade cloth (from the garden store) on the sides.

There's also a kind of coarse burlap "erosion cloth" they use in landscaping. I'd like to experiment with that.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:21 am

What's the best clothing to wear?

Armani, naturalmente.

StevenGoodman · Post by **StevenGoodman** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:09 am

MozyBonz wrote:And the ever popular snow camouflage or most any type of camouflage. really.

And the Swiss white snow tarps (which aren't really camo); but are very hard to find. They are hard to find because 90% of them are already at Burning Man!

Martini Steve

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:56 pm

StevenGoodman wrote:
MozyBonz wrote:And the ever popular snow camouflage or most any type of camouflage. really.
And the Swiss white snow tarps (which aren't really camo); but are very hard to find. They are hard to find because 90% of them are already at Burning Man!

Martini Steve

Hard to find camoflague anything!!!

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:50 pm

StevenGoodman wrote:
MozyBonz wrote:And the ever popular snow camouflage or most any type of camouflage. really.
And the Swiss white snow tarps (which aren't really camo); but are very hard to find. They are hard to find because 90% of them are already at Burning Man!

Martini Steve

really? strange how they work so well for that......
Huh....what could they really be for?

Zulegoona · Post by **Zulegoona** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:54 pm

MozyBonz wrote:
StevenGoodman wrote:
MozyBonz wrote:And the ever popular snow camouflage or most any type of camouflage. really.
And the Swiss white snow tarps (which aren't really camo); but are very hard to find. They are hard to find because 90% of them are already at Burning Man!

Martini Steve
really? strange how they work so well for that......
Huh....what could they really be for?

Hey nice motorcycle there Mozy, but isnâ€™t that the Swedish Camo
M1514-255250
vintermaskerduk525
from Gamleby, Sweden

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:58 pm

But what does Swiss white snow tarps look like then?
I'm confused...

Zulegoona · Post by **Zulegoona** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:02 pm

MozyBonz wrote:But what does Swiss white snow tarps look like then?
I'm confused...

your suppose to be thatâ€™s why they call it camo

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:10 pm

Zulegoona wrote:
MozyBonz wrote:But what does Swiss white snow tarps look like then?
I'm confused...
your suppose to be thatâ€™s why they call it camo

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 6:57 am

I suggest you get a 100% sun blocker tarp. If you use the thin
tarps, you're just building a greenhouse. Google sunblocker tarp.
Many tarp sites don't sell them because they are more expensive.
Creative shelters has them.

Post by **AntiM** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:50 am

And there I disagree. We double over our camo netting, the green and brown stuff overhead our common area. really like the deep dappled shade, plus there's plenty of airflow. A single layer of camo is far less effective. The tents themselves are under carports tilted on their sides, that's enough shade to keep them cool for morning sleeping in.

We do have snow camo, but it is primarily used for the end caps on the carports to turn low morning and evening light, or camp areas which require incidental shade.

We've used solid thick silver tarps and our shade shelter was a freakin' oven. And a kite. The camo is very forgiving of the wind if you have it secured correctly. And it doesn't MOOP if you've inspected and repaired it pre-playa.

damonish · Post by **damonish** » Fri May 23, 2008 8:11 am

Tarps suck in the wind - lighter materials that can allow some sort of breeze through I definitely recommended. Keeps down the 'greenhouse' effect and doesn't sound like a damn train engine flapping around above you in the wind.

This year I'm trying out some reflective shade stuff called. Aluminet [url]http://www.greenhouses-etc.net/equipment/aluminet.htm[/url] - it looks like it fits the bill for shade & letting breezes through. This will be used for a large, partially shaded common area - our chilling area and bar are covered with the playa standard military parachutes.

Shit we even have some of that swiss camouflage tarps lying around, good stuff - didn't tear itself apart in that duststorm during critical tits last year. A bit noisy tho.

phil · Post by **phil** » Fri May 23, 2008 9:32 am

> We double over our camo netting, the green and brown stuff
> overhead our common area.

Of course, there's a problem there: if you use, say 60% shade camo netting and double it, you get 120% shade. It's just unbearably cold under it.

phil · Post by **phil** » Fri May 23, 2008 9:42 am

damonish wrote:Tarps suck in the wind - lighter materials that can allow some sort of breeze through I definitely recommended. Keeps down the 'greenhouse' effect and doesn't sound like a damn train engine flapping around above you in the wind.
>SNIP<

Louise and I use silver tarp on our roof, bungee-corded to a fairtheewell.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/civex/2405 ... 579250914/

We had side panels for shade on two sides only, which kept us breezy and greenhouse-free. We couldn't hear the tarp flapping for all the pennants we had set up around it.

The top tarp is silver and completely sun-proof: no UV, no infrared, so we were well-shaded and as cool as could be during the day.

All mileages vary. My comfort level is increased by having the IR rays blocked; infrared, of course, is the heat component of the sun's rays. UV rays cause the burns.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri May 23, 2008 9:51 am

The mesh aluminet %s are optimistic and their own data bears this out.
Doubling layers doesn't quite block twice the heat, but if layers are spaced, makes a big difference.
Desert tents have as many as three walls for this reason.
I have done a lot with stack ventilation on houses and it works anywhere you can have high and low venting.
May not be relevant when the wind is whistling through everything.

The open breeze is nice until you get a drift coming through.
Having a full sunblock overhead is a big plus.

CLARKcon · Post by **CLARKcon** » Sat May 24, 2008 8:39 am

Have used an "any store" 10x20ft. the last couple years no problem. Use it once to cover our gear in the truck on the way down, and then flip it silver side up to reflect heat. Even tripled the purpose and used it as a base for the evap. pond, BUT, may way to get a dedicated one this year for that purpose.

vee · Post by **vee** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:32 am

Hey, Phil, it helped me to see your humble camp. I'm going solo, first time, and can't afford much more than a cheap pop up. I like all the space you had around you. Where was that at?

What is the best Tarp material to cover a structure?

What is the best Tarp material to cover a structure?

phil's photo