Polycryo groundsheet

[brambles]

I am trying my hand at making a polycryo groundsheet/footprint for my new Alpkit Kangri. Has anyone else done something similar and can you tell me roughly how much the stuff will shrink in sunlight?

 

[widu13]

It won't in the sunlight unless is is warm too. I've done mine with a hairdryer! It lost 2-4" length and 2" width from a 7' x 5' piece.

 

[dirty ben]

Sorry to jump in on the thread but i was looking at polycryo as a groundsheet in my Luxe mini peak,i was wondering how strong it is and would be it advisible to double it up.

 

[brambles]

OK thanks for that widu13. I have it shaped and hemmed and am looking for some flat plastic washers to make duck tape eyelets. It seems pretty damn strong, but will tear quite easily once a cut is made.

 

[widu13]

Sorry to jump in on the thread but i was looking at polycryo as a groundsheet in my Luxe mini peak,i was wondering how strong it is and would be it advisible to double it up.

I've got a single my mini peak bud. Only one night on it so far but it was on a woodland floor. So far no punctures! I think I'll make eyelets too.

 

[dirty ben]

I am using a groundsheet from a tesco value tent at the moment 210x150cm perfect size but a bit bulky

tip tap tapping away

 

[brambles]

Finished it tonight, cut to fit into both tent porches or be folded just under inner footprint, guying eyelets added and only weighs 4 ounces ( although will need to add paracord loops to let it fix to tent corners )

 

[Shewie]

What's the idea with heating it up chaps? I just cut mine to the size I needed and away I went.

For guy points I folded a piece of gaffa tape over the corners and then poked a hot peg through

 

[brambles]

I have'nt heated mine so far either, it's cut to allow for some shrinkage anyway. I used gaffa as well, 8 inch strip folded over the corners but with a small metal washer at the centre as a hardpoint for the paracord.

 

[widu13]

There are some reports that upon being exposed to heat that due to the nature of the plastic it shrinks to some degree. Pre heating this means it happens when it's convenient and you can cut a pre shrunk ground sheet to size without having to guesstimate what the shrinkage may be.

 

[Shewie]

Does it do anything for the structure of it, does it stiffen it up any? I can't see my groundsheet ever getting warm enough to start shrinking.

 

[theoctagon]

I've got one of these for my single man tent, I gave it a blast with a hairdryer just to see how much it would change and it didn't seem to shrink much at all. I've used some duct tape and washers with some loose-ish shock cord loops attached which loop on to the existing tent peg out points, it's held so far!

Sorry to jump in on the thread but i was looking at polycryo as a groundsheet in my Luxe mini peak,i was wondering how strong it is and would be it advisible to double it up.

Mine is just a single layer, it seems reasonably puncture resistant but once it gets a hole in it, it will tear really easily. I'm thinking I might remove the shock cord loops from mine as if it was to get a puncture any tension on it from the shock cord would probably just rip it apart!

I have it shaped and hemmed and am looking for some flat plastic washers to make duck tape eyelets. It seems pretty damn strong, but will tear quite easily once a cut is made.

How did you go about hemming it? Any pics?

Does it do anything for the structure of it, does it stiffen it up any? I can't see my groundsheet ever getting warm enough to start shrinking.

It didn't seem to make any difference to the feel of it and you're probably right, it had to get quite hot before anything happened

 

[chris_irwin]

Finished it tonight, cut to fit into both tent porches or be folded just under inner footprint, guying eyelets added and only weighs 4 ounces ( although will need to add paracord loops to let it fix to tent corners )

Any chance of a few pictures? I was thinking about doing exactly the same thing, but for a bathtub floor when I get a tarp

 

[brambles]

I'm afraid the pics are pretty crap as it's very dark here and overhead lights don't help!

I hemmed it using the double sided tape in the pack it came from B&Q in ( secondary storm glazing kit ) and once it was cut to shape I justlaid the tape down each edge then folded it over. Seems to be pretty secure and the intention was to strenghten the edges to stop the inclination to tear.

 

[theoctagon]

Many thanks for the reply and the pics

I didn't buy mine as part of the kit, just managed to get hold of some of the polycryo so I don't have any of the tape. yours looks good, I might run a bit of sellotape around the edge, might give it a little more strength along the edges

Thanks again

 

[brambles]

Just a quick update to show the thing in use with the shaped ends for the porches