Bob Alba's - Solo Micro Tarp Mk 2

Sometimes I see something and think "I wish I'd thought of that!" or "I thought of it but didn't think it through enough". Anyway Bob and I had been mulling over design ideas for the tarp and he managed to work out a way to use poles to create a self-supporting tarp which has the maximum amount of usable space. That was one of my original design goals and his solution is pretty cool!

I love the design and have put it on my "To do over winter list". Bob was happy for me to publish his design and so here it is.

Basic Design

Bob's starting position is the original Solo Micro Tarp (below) and so it's going to be easy to modify one that you've already made.

Solo Micro Tarp Mk2 - Front Solo Micro Tarp Mk2

Pole Enhancements

Mk 2 Solo Micro Tarp Pole Solo Micro Tarp Mk2 Top Pocket Detail Solo Micro Tarp Mk 2 - Pole from Rear

This picture shows the basic principles. The pole is made using 2 or 3 sections of 8.5mm glass-fibre pole. You can find this stuff in many camp shops as 'pole repair kits' or in an old tent that you no longer need or in the debris after a festival.

The pole has been cut to be slightly longer in length than the side of the tarp. Bob's done this so that the 2oz PU nylon fabric is under tension and the pole bows out a little. There are no precise measurements I can give for this because it depends on the stretch in the fabric (which varies a lot) and the flex in the poles. It's one of those times when you will just have to experiment!

The pole pocket at the top has been made using 2 layers of 25mm webbing - or more precisely one piece of webbing folded over to make a pocket. The lowest layer has been flag-stitched onto the tarp. The topmost layer has been folded back on itself and stitched down either side to form a pocket. Ideally you'd bar-tack it on the front edge just like on a normal pocket.

There is an identical pole pocket at the bottom.

Finally in the middle of the tarp is a little webbing loop that acts as a pole guide. This stops the pole bowing and snapping in stronger winds.

Final Thoughts and Possible Improvements

 This design definitely has lots of potential. Bob has built it heavy because that's what he needs. You could for example use carbon fibre poles that you've made or better still buy some flexible carbon-fibre poles that have been cut to order. (It's very hard to find flexible poles as raw materials, usually all you can find is the 100% rigid extruded stuff).

I think I want to try a few experiments with this concept.

The first thing I want to do is to just do what Bob has done but with my own poles and maybe put some Cordura into or instead of the webbing pockets.

The second thing I want to do is to modify the concept so that I can use a hiking pole instead. For my pole I'd replace the top pocket with some sort of reinforced grommet or webbing loop and replace the bottom pocket with a similar grommet or just a small webbing loop. The middle pole guide would be kept the same but might have to be made of elastic or Velcro or something since making it large enough to get a pole through will make it too large for its purpose. Maybe just a simple cord tie would do it....