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Bilgy Too: Light Weight 2-Person Tent

Roomy comfort & security at minimum weight

 

Figure 1. The Versatile Bilgy Tent

The Bilgy tent consists of a silnylon tarp sewn to a mosquito shelter (no-see-um sidewalls & end panels with silnylon bathtub floor & adjustable end flaps). One or both sides of the tarp, and the end flaps, can be raised or lowered to control ventilation and visibility. (Does not require raising or lowering the whole tarp.) Pictured on left, the no-see-um door and the silnylon door flap are rolled together and velcroed to the floor. Below, adjustable security and ventilation are illustrated.

 

Closed up for very high wind. Normal setup – 99% of time Side eaves up – max ventilation

Has unique features: Easily-adjusted ventilation and openness, vertical walls with no condensation ever, rectangular floor for maximum useable floor area, awning for cooking & dry entrance/exit, and one-piece design with easy/fast/dry setup & takedown even in the rain.

In addition, it has tent features that are always appreciated: Situp height with high foot end, seamless bathtub floor, mosquito enclosure with full security from crawling and flying insects, large zippered doorway, vestibules for storage of wet gear, large storage pockets, clotheslines, light hanger, and most importantly, the lightest weight with all the above features and high durability.

72"

Weight (with 2 oz. of stakes): 2 lb.- 4oz.

Add for 54" x 90" Tyvek groundsheet: 4 oz.

Use hiking poles or 2 sticks from forest.

Optional aluminum tent poles, 48" & 30" long: 6 oz.

Height: 39" at door, 29" at foot. 121"

Figure 2. Useful Floor Area (grid): 59" x 92" = 38 sq ft 89"

54"x89" floor flexes to 59"x92" during use.

Tarp Coverage (white): 108"(door end)/72" (food end) x 121"

"Vestibule" widths: 24" 24" 54" 21" Awning Coverage: 108" x 21"

108"

Make-It-Yourself Plans

The Bilgy no-see-um shelter (includes the no-see-um sidewalls, silnylon floor & the door and foot panels), is joined to the silnylon Roof and Silnylon Eaves (the tarp components) to complete the "tarp shelter"/tent. Refer to Figure 3 below. Sketches in the instructions describe construction of the 4 major parts (Floor, Roof, Eaves and Sidewalls) which are too large for patterns. Patterns are provided for both the silnylon and no-see-um foot door & foot panel. Step by step instructions cover all construction details.

 

To make only the Tarp, (16 oz. with guy lines) cut and sew the Roof and Eaves. Sew the Roof to the Eaves following the instructions, "Sew Eaves to Roof and Sidewalls", on page 24. The no-see-um Bilgy Shelter could be attached later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3. Schematic Assembly of the Bilgy Tent

Why Build the Bilgy Tent?

The Bilgy Tent starts with a tarp. Besides being lightweight, tarps have important foul-weather features that tents don’t have:

  1. Tarps are open, spacious, and well ventilated.
  2. Tarps have an awning that provides a covered entryway and an area to cook in. The Bilgy has vestibules on each side of the mosquito shelter to store wet shoes and bulky gear.
  3. Tarps are easily setup and taken down without getting the interior wet, and can be lowered to shed high winds, or raised in hot weather for outstanding ventilation.
  4. Tarps are setup with hiking poles or sticks to further reduce carried weight.

The Bilgy adds features that a plain tarp does not have to gain all the advantages of a tent:

  1. The Bilgy has a no-see-um shelter (with zippered door) for complete bug protection, end flaps for complete protection against wind and rain, and a tub floor to repel puddled or flowing rainwater. The no-see-um shelter will be 10 degrees or so warmer on a cold night than a plain tarp.
  2. The Bilgy Tent no-see-um shelter has vertical walls for full usage of the floor and ceiling space, unlike many tents with slanted walls.
  3. The large Bilgy tarp overhangs the walls and ends of the no-see-um shelter to eliminate all sidewall condensation, a problem in single-wall tents and tents with a skimpy rain fly.
  4. Weight and bulk are reduced by integrating the Bilgy tarp and no-see-um shelter into one unit that is easy to carry, setup and takedown.
  5. The Bilgy Tent has only 4 reset & adjustable guys lines, which simplifies and speeds usage.

Simply said, there is nothing like a Bilgy Tent.

 

Construction time is 20 to 50 hours, depending on experience and patience. It is recommended that you have some sewing experience before tackling this project.

 

Tools needed are hot knife (see page 7, last paragraph) or scissors, pins, size 70 to 90 sewing-machine needles, hemming gauge, duct tape (heavy duty, indoor-outdoor duct tape for best adhesion to the slick silnylon), 12-foot tape measure, yard stick, carpenter’s chalk line, fabric marker (Note:  Chalkboard chalk or silver "metallic Sharpie" permanent markers work well on silnylon; remove Sharpie errors with a rag wetted with paint thinner). A working space of about 11 ft. by 16 ft. is helpful to layout the pattern pieces.

 

 

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

Quest Outfitters gave invaluable contributions to previous versions of the plans.

One of the beauties of making something yourself is to make it the way you want it, and you should feel free to do so, but with careful consideration of design and the following caveat. The Bilgy Tents are the result of 8 years of design and development and over 6000 miles of personal field testing in a wide variety of trail conditions (e.g., the AT, PCT, and CDT). An estimated 100 hikers have either bought or made theirs, some successfully completing thru-hikes. In that time significant modifications and additions have been made to improve protection, comfort and convenience; now, nearly everything has significant purpose. Without getting into a full dissertation of the design, I encourage you to build the Bilgy Tent as designed, and believe you will find it to be to your liking. I sincerely hope that any modifications you make are successful for you, and that you will share them with us so that others will benefit in the future.

Bill Gurwell bgurwell@hotmail.com June 2006

 

Major Contents

 

Page

Schematic Assembly of the Bilgy Tent 2

Why Build the Bilgy Tent? 3

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer 3

Materials List 5

Definitions and General Instructions 6

Layout Guide and Cutting Instructions 7

Notions 8

Making Subassemblies 9

No-See-Um: Layout 9

No-see-um Sidewalls 9

No-see-um Foot Panel 10

No-see-um Door Panel 11

Silnylon: Layout 12

Silnylon Floor 12

Silnylon Roof 14

Silnylon Eaves 16

Silnylon Foot Flap 18

Silnylon Door Flap 18

` Silnylon Storage Stuff Sack 19

Assembling the Subassemblies 20

Bilgy Too Tent User’s Guide: Guy Lines 25

Using the Bilgy Tent 26

Seam Sealing 28

 

Materials List

Quantity

1.1 oz. silicone-coated ripstop nylon, "silnylon" 12 yd. (Darker colors shade sun and moonlight, and resist UV deterioration better)

No-see-um netting 6 yd.

Zipper tape, coil, #3 3 yd.

Reversible, double-pull #3 zipper sliders for above 2 ea.

Grosgrain ribbon, black: ¾" wide 8 yd. 1½" wide (or lt. wt. webbing) 1 yd. Optional: 1 ft. each of red and gold 1½" webbing used for the Ridgepulls, easily identifies the Door end or Foot ends when orienting the tent and matching the poles. Or use red and gold thread on the black 1 ½" webbing.

Hook & Loop fastener, 1" wide, black: Loop 2 yd. Hook 2 yd. Note: Velcro brand hook works best to eliminate hooking to no-see-um netting.

Thread, 100% polyester or nylon: silnylon color (or black) 330 yd. Black 110 yd.

1/16" or 3/32" round nylon cord (braided sheath, with core) 25 yd. Colorful for easy visibility

#1, 5/16" grommets, 3 or 4 ea., and grommet setting tool or a grommet kit

Cordlock, small size (for storage stuff sack) 1ea.

Silnet Silicone Seam Sealer 1 tube Or Clear Silicone Adhesive/Sealant (auto parts or hardware store)

Hot knife (optional – See bottom of page 7) 1 ea.

Tyvek 1400 series (recommended for groundsheet) 3 yd.

Stakes, 8 ea. Carry 2 or 3 heavy stakes for ridge lines and lightweight stakes for remainder. Some choices: Kelty Nobendium aluminum (0.5 oz. each, easy-to-find gold), or Vargo or Simon Metals titanium (Tough - 0.5 oz. each, down to Lightweight - 0.2 oz. each. Paint titanium stakes yellow or pink for easy finding.) All available from various suppliers.

Optional Aluminum Tent Poles

Door Pole: 0.430" dia., 3 piece, 48" long, shockcorded (~4 oz.)

 

Foot Pole: 0.340" dia., 2 piece, 30" long, shockcorded (~1 oz.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definitions and General Instructions

 

 

Hook and loop fasteners are generic terms for trademarked Velcro fasteners.

Sew or stitch means straight stitch, about 12 stitches per inch, using ordinary 100% polyester thread and a new 70, 80 or 90 needle. Back stitch often to lock the threads, thereby minimizing the damage done if a thread is cut during use of the tent. 460 denier nylon or polyester threads (sold as "B46", "V46" or "Z46") are stronger and work in most home sewing machines.

 

Edgestitch means to sew close to the raw edge of the fabric in what will later be the seam allowance. Back stitching is not necessary.

 

Bartack means straight stitch over and back on a line, then overlay it with a narrow, tight zigzag.

 

Topstitch means to fold over the raw edges of the seam and stitch over the seam allowance 3/16" (for this project) from the first stitch line. Topstitching strengthens the seam.

 

Silnylon means 1.1 oz., high tenacity, ripstop nylon that is silicone impregnated and weighs 1.3 to 1.4 oz./sq. yd when coated. The coating actually penetrates the material, so both sides are the same. It may be listed in catalogs as 1.1, 1.3, or 1.4 oz. ripstop nylon, silicone coated.

 

Selvege is the specially woven, longitudinal edge of the fabric that prevents it from unraveling. Sometimes it is not smooth and needs to be removed from the fabric edge.

 

Make marks with chalkboard chalk or a Sharpie silver metallic pen; remove Sharpie errors with a rag wetted with paint thinner.

 

 

Maintaining the location of reinforcement patches, grosgrain ribbon loops and velcro pieces on the slick silnylon can be difficult. If so, try to align the materials and then run a long-stitch line (easy to remove if the parts that don’t line up properly) right down the middle or the edge, stopping when necessary to realign the parts. Alternatively, use a bit of glue stick to hold the parts in place on the silnylon; be sure to clean glue off the needle and presser foot though.

 

Pin only near the sewing line; you’ll be seam sealing there. Any pinhole is a possible source for water seepage. Pins perpendicular to the sewing line don't get caught under the presser foot.

 

Pinning long seams evenly: Stretch the first part by either 1) pinning to a carpet, or 2) duct taping to a hard surface (e.g., table or floor). Position and pin the other parts to the first part, evenly along the entire seam. Before sewing, check backside of pinning to catch any puckers or folds.

 

Sew silnylon by lightly stretching it, holding outside the pins ahead of and behind the needle, to prevent puckering of the top layer of material by the presser foot. Let the machine do the feeding.

Where possible, put the no-see-um down and silnylon up for most uniform feeding.

 

 

Pattern provided for No-see-um Door & Foot Pieces and Silnylon Door & Foot Pieces can be used in 3 ways:

  1. Easiest - Lay the material on the pattern, mark all matchmarks, and then hot or rotary cut in place. Silnylon and no-see-um are both transparent enough for this to work well.
  2. Lay the material on the pattern, mark all the mark locations and the perimeter, and then remove from the pattern before cutting.
  3. Lay cut out pattern over material and mark locations. Then cut.

 

Layout Guide and Cutting Instructions

Dimensions given for all the large, rectangular parts are exact. Exact dimensions and squareness yield better fit and easier assembly. One way to check for squareness is to measure the two diagonals of the rectangle; if they are equal the rectangle is "square", but this usually takes several adjustments and some care in measuring the diagonals accurately. Rather than do this for each rectangle of material to be cut, one can establish a Rectangular Layout Guide once and then use it to guide layout of any number of rectangles.

For this project, and many others, a 6 ft. by 11 ft. rectangular grid fits the bill. Establish this perfect rectangle on your workspace, with each of the 4 corners marked with a cross, +, as shown in Figure 4. I like to also mark a selvedge guideline on the long bottom side. The grid can be done directly on a floor; duct tape the corner areas before marking the corners.

 

Easiest, especially for hot cutting: 3 pieces of 1/8" or 3/16" thick by 4 ft. by 8 ft. hardboard paneling (from lumber store) taped together work well. I cut the 8 ft. lengths to 6 ft. to make a surface 6 ft. by 12 ft. which is already "square" and has edges to hold the hook-end of the tape measure.

 

Figure 4. Rectangular Layout Guide – 6 ft. wide by 11 ft. long recommended minimum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To use the Layout Guide, lay out the fabric within the grid, and the end of the fabric between the marks on one end, the left end in Figure 4; you can also match the fabric edge to the selvedge guide to help keep the material straight. Lightly stretch to remove wrinkles while duct taping the corners and a few places along the sides. Snap a vertical chalk line between the two left corners, and snap a horizontal line equidistant from (parallel to) the lower, or upper, crosses (and selvedge guide). (One can snap the horizontal chalk line up to 1" above the selvedge guide to avoid the wrinkly edge; however, if the silnylon was already trimmed to 62", line up the trimmed edge with the selvedge guide and measure from there.) You now have two exactly perpendicular lines from which the other two sides of the rectangle can be measured. After measuring and snapping all four chalk lines, recheck all dimensions and correct if necessary before cutting.

 

 

Cutting silnylon with a hot knife (i.e., soldering iron with dull, knife edge) can extend the life of cut edges by fusing them. However, the benefit is marginal since 1) the silicone coating holds the cut edges together, and 2) the cut edges of the Bilgy Tent seam allowances and hems are not directly exposed to damaging abrasion. (However, hot cutting is very effective on uncoated synthetics.) Once set up for hot cutting, it is easiest to also hot cut all the no-see-um pieces, rather than make another setup for scissor or rotary cutting.

 

Tent construction begins with the easy-to-construct no-see-um parts (door panel, foot panel and sidewalls) followed by the silnylon parts (storage sack, floor, roof, eaves, door & foot flaps) and finishes with the assembly of these parts into the completed tent. The following list of notions needed for the individual parts is given for reference as needed.

Notions: Cut notions as described in the following chart for each part. Hot cut the cord and the grosgrain, or fuse the scissors-cut edges with a flame; this will keep the cut edges from fraying.

Put sliders on the zipper, one from each end, redoing if they do not meet evenly & tightly. A clean scissors cut eases putting the sliders on the zip; note there is a top side to both the zip and slider.

 

 

PART

Velcro

Velcro

Grosgrain

Hot cut

Grosgrain

Hot cut

Cord

Hot cut

1" Loop Black

(soft/fuzzy)

1" Hook Black

(harder)

1.5"

Black, or

Red&Gold

3/4"

Black

1/16"

or 3/32"

Colorful to

see easily

Silnylon

Floor

2 @ 6"

Silnylon

Roof

2 @ 3"

2 @ 9",

Ridgepull

"

Light Hanger

1 @ 9 ft.

1 @ 6 ft.

1 @ 9"

Silnylon Eaves

4@ 34"

2@25"

2@6"

Corner Pulls

Side Pulls

& Lifters

2 @ 6 ft.

2 @ 9 ft.

Silnylon Door Pc

3 @ 5"

1 @ 8"

Silnylon

Foot Pc

2 @ 5"

1 @ 8"

No-see-um Door Pc

1 @ 12"

2 @ 5"

4 @ 9"

No-see-um Foot Pc

1 @ 12"

2@ 5"

No-see-um Sidewalls

4 @ 6"

Clothesline

2 @ 4 ft.

Silnylon

Stuff Sack

32"

Total Minimum

Required

1.6 yd.

1.3 yd.

0.5 yd.

6.2 yd.

19.8 yd.

 

Miscellaneous Silnylon Pieces:

Cut 2 pieces each, 13" & 17" long by 1½" wide, for the pocket bindings.

Cut 2 zipper-wide pieces, 2" long for zipper-end wedges.

Cut 2 reinforcement patches for the Ridgepulls, using the pattern provided.

Making the Subassemblies

 

Seam Allowances and Hems are ½" for the entire project (except for final assembly of the top of the Door & Foot Panels and Sidewalls to the Roof where the seam allowance is 1" to ease folding over for topstitching – see pages 23 & 24). Topstitch 3/16" from the first row of stitching unless stated otherwise.

 

Caution: Check the dimensions of each part before cutting. Make all the location marks shown on the part figures.

 

Figure 5. No-See-Um Layout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 6. No-See-Um Sidewalls (2)

 

Figure 7. Pockets (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. The two No-see-um Sidewalls can be laid out and cut in one rectangle, 33" x 88", as shown above in Figure 5, "No-See-Um Layout". Mark a diagonal line 11½" from opposite corners as shown. Chalk lines on no-see-um netting may be invisible after the material is moved; it is better to hot cut or rotary cut in place before moving. If cutting with scissors, re-define the lines with a contrasting-color marker (e.g., silver metallic Sharpie) before moving the material to cut with scissors.
  2. Mark the clothesline loop locations. Mark the corner match points, ½" from the end and 1" from the top of the No-see-um Sidewall, as shown in Figure 6.
  3. Cut storage pocket, 12" wide by 24", as shown in Figures 5 and 7.

 

Sewing: Bind the bottom and one side edge of the pocket with 1½"-wide silnylon using a ½" seam (refer to Figure 7).

  • To bind the edges of the pocket pin the cut 1 ½" x 13" strip of silnylon to one of the 12" edges of the Silnylon Pocket Piece (see figure 7). Sew ½" from the raw edge. Next fold the strip along the seam just stitched. Pin. Sew ¼" from the edge. Fold the bound edge up 8". Attach the remaining strip of binding along the left edge as shown in figure 7.
  • To attach the pocket to the No-see-um Sidewall, refer to Figure 6. Match the unbound side of the pocket to the door end of the No-see-um Sidewall at the top end of the No-see-um Sidewall Piece. (There will be excess pocket hanging over the top edge of the No-see-um Sidewall.) Pin in place and edgestitch ¼" from the raw edge on the side and top edges of the pocket to the No-see-um Sidewall. Note: later, these unfaced edges of the pocket will be sewn into the Roof and corner seams. Trim away the excess pocket material, which overhangs the top of the No-see-um Sidewall.

 

  • Referring to Figures 6 and 16 (page 17), edgestitch the clothesline loops to the inside of the other No-see-um Sidewall in the marked areas; i.e., 10" and 40" from the door end along the top edge (the diagonal edge) of the No-see-um Sidewall. Note: If done as shown the pocket and clothesline loops will be on the inside of the tent when the tent is complete.

 

No-See-Um Foot Piece: NOTE: THE NO-SEE-UM FOOT PIECE DOES NOT USE THE BOTTOM 10" OF THE PATTERN. Use pattern. Piece.

  1. Be sure to mark all the matchmarks and matchline for the Foot-Roof seam; these will align and evenly distribute the top edge of the No-see-um Foot Piece on the curved Roof. All marks are on outside of the No-see-um Foot Piece. Mark positions of the velcro loop fastener (1pc 1" x 12" long, and 2 pcs 1" x 5" long).
  2. Trim the 1" x 4" pieces of loop fastener as shown on the door/foot pattern piece. Pin the one 1" x 12" piece of loop fastener and the two 1"x 5" pieces to the inside of No-see-um Foot Piece at the marked locations on the pattern. Stitch close to the edge around all 3 pieces of loop fastener.


    3. The two No-See-Um Foot Positioners are struts between the Roof and Foot Panel. Their purpose is to keep the Foot Panel vertical when the Floor is stretched out toward the door.

  3. Fold each of No-see-um Foot Positioner pieces in ½ along the longest edge so that the fabric is doubled. Edgestitch ¼" from all the raw edges on each piece. Stitch the one edge of the two No-see-um Foot Postioner pieces as indicated on the pattern piece 1/2" from one edge
  • Pin one No-see-um Foot Positioner piece to the outside of the No-see-um Foot Piece as shown on the No-see-um Foot pattern piece. Do the same for the opposite side of the No-see-um Foot piece and the remaining No-see-um Foot Positioner piece. (They are symmetrical, so either the right or left edge of the positioner can be matched with the side edges of the No-see-um Foot Piece.) Edge stitch only the matching edges (the outside edge only).

 

No-See-Um Door Piece: (Unlike the No-see-um Foot Piece, the No-see-um Door Piece includes the entire pattern. Use pattern. Piece.

  1. Mark positions of the zipper and the three 1-inch-wide loop fastener pieces (2 – 1" x 5" and 1- 1" x 12" long). Mark all the matchmarks and matchline for the Door-Roof seam; these will align and evenly distribute the no-see-um on the curved Roof. All marks are on outside of the Door.

 

Sewing: Attach the zipper sliders to the zipper making sure both zipper sliders meet with no pucker.

  • Pin one zipper wedge (a 2" long by zipper-width piece of silnylon) to one cut end of the zipper tape on the face side (on the side with the teeth). Match one end of the wedge to the cut end of the zipper and stitch 1/2" from the cut edge. Fold the silnylon flat along the seamline (toward the cut end of the zipper) and topstitch 3/16" from the folded edge. Do not attach a zipper wedge to the other end of the zipper yet.
  • Pin the zipper to the outside of the No-see-um Door Piece along the marked zipper lines, lining up the cut edge of the silnylon zipper wedge with the bottom edge of the No-see-um Door Piece. Cut the unfinished end of the zipper 1" from the bottom edge of the door; then attach the other zipper wedge as above.
  • Sew the zipper to the No-see-um Door Piece, stitching 1/8" from the zipper teeth and 1/8" from the outer edge of the zipper tape.
  • Cut the no-see-um along the center of the zipper teeth, opening the zipper ahead of the cut.
  • Trim the corner of the 2- 1" x 5" pieces of loop fastener as shown on the door/foot pattern piece. Pin the 2- 1" x 4" pieces of loop fastener and the 1- 1" x 12" piece of loop fastener to the outside (the side with the zipper) at the marked locations on the door/foot piece. NOTE: split the 12" piece at the zipper so you have clearance for the zipper sliders.
  • Use four 9" lengths of cord for zipper pulls. Tie the free ends together with an overhand knot. Loop the unknotted end of them through the zipper tabs.

 

 

 

Figure 8. Silnylon Layout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caution: Check the dimensions of each part before cutting.

Make all the location marks shown on the pieces.

If inexperienced in sewing the slippery silnylon, the stuff sack and the Door & Foot Pieces (described on pages 18 & 19) are good practice pieces (Refer to general instructions on page 6, "Sew silnylon by lightly stretching it".)

 

 

Figure 9. Silnylon Floor – Width equal to silnylon width; see table on next page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floor width is the full width of the silnylon material. The floor length is adjusted to the silnylon width so that the corner dimension "C" is the same all over; this allows the tub-wall floor corners to be folded easily into a neat, seamless corner. (Refer to page 21, "Sew the four corners of the no-see-um Sidewalls and the folded silnylon tub corners" and Figure 19, page 22.) The following table, giving the proper length for various silnylon widths (65" is the most common silnylon width), shows that significant floor area gains are made by using the full, as-manufactured width of the silnylon.

 

Silnylon &

Floor Width

Floor Length

"C"

Useable Floor Area

62"

97"

4½"

56" x 89" = 34.6 ft2

63"

98"

5"

57" x 90" = 35.6 ft2

64"

99"

5½"

58" x 91" = 36.7 ft2

65"

100"

6"

59" x 92" = 37.7 ft2

66"

101"

6½"

60" x 93" = 38.8 ft2

67"

102"

7"

61" x 94" = 39.8 ft2

 

 

  1. Measure your silnylon fabric width and pick the coordinating Floor length from the above table.
  2. Layout all 4 sides, and verify the width and length dimensions & squareness before moving on.
  3. Mark the two 1" x 3" locations of loop fastener pieces along the centerline, measuring from the door end. (Note these fasteners ultimately fasten the Floor to the Roof, facilitating setup and takedown of the tent. Be sure to include these velcro loop fasteners, as well as the two hook pieces on the Roof. They really facilitate erecting, taking down, folding and rolling up of the tent. Mainly, they keep the material more folded up to avoid an air bubble while you're rolling up the tent and to make it less bulky to handle and to roll up. Secondly, when setting up the tent in the rain it helps keep the interior dry while the tent lies on the ground, and allows you to crawl under to clear out the exact area for the floor and layout a groundsheet before pulling the floor off the roof. One can also remove and stow away the groundsheet before leaving the protection of the tarp in rainy weather.

    4.  

  4. Locate and mark the four matchmarks for the 88"-long Sidewalls, and the four matchmarks for the 29"-wide Door and Foot, as shown in Figure 9. Measure all matchmarks exactly 88" apart on the sides (for Sidewalls) and exactly 29" apart on the ends (for Foot & Door), leaving 7½" from the matchmarks to the corners. (Refer to above table for the "C" value for your silnylon width.)

 

Sewing:

Using figure 9, pin two pieces of the 6"-long loop fastener to the 3"-long location marks (Note: only 3" of the 6" is sewn). The 3"-long handle faces the door end of the Floor. Stitch 1/8" from the edge of the loop fastener as shown in Figure 10.

 

Figure 10. Loop Fastener on Floor (2)

3"-long location mark Door End

Boxstitch 3" only, leaving 3" handle unsewn on Door End

 

 

Figure 11. Silnylon Roof – 62" wide by 123" long

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. The Silnylon Roof is 123" long by 62" wide. Define the four sides, and verify dimensions & squareness before moving on.
  2. Mark the Door and Foot Piece matchlines as shown above, preferably with a permanent marker. Locate the exact center of each matchline, and mark it with a nearly ½"-long matchmark pointing toward the end of the Roof, as shown. Locate the remaining, similar, matchmarks, as listed above.
  3. Mark the two Foot Positioner matchmarks 4" beyond the Foot/Roof matchline (at 113½" from the door end).
  4. On the centerline, mark the 2 Ridgepull Reinforcement positions (using the pattern provided), as well as the hook fastener positions, measuring from the door end.
  5. Cut the perimeter only; do not cut the matchlines.
  6. Transfer the Ridgepull placement marks to the opposite side of the fabric (outside of the Roof)..

 

Sewing:

  • the side with the matchmarks).

 

Use a 9" length of cord for a small nightlight hanger-loop on the Roof velcro nearest the Door. Tie the free ends together with an overhand knot and place the unknotted end on the edge of that velcro, nearest the door; stitch and bartack

 

  • Pin (or glue stick) the Ridgepull Reinforcements Pieces to the underside (inside) of the Silnylon Roof Piece matching the straight raw edge with the raw edge of Silnylon Roof at the location indicated in Figure 9. Sew ¼" and ½" from the rounded edge as shown below in Figure 12. Along the straight edge of the Ridgepull Reinforcement Pieces fold and pin the raw edge ½" toward the underside of the Silnylon Roof Piece. Pin. Stitch 3/8" from edge only along the reinforcement piece.
  • Fold the 1½" x 9" grosgrain (or webbing with contrasting colors) in half for the two Ridgepulls. Pin in place along straight edge of Ridgepull Reinforcement Piece in the center as shown in Figure 12 below. Bartack 1" and 2" from the folded edge.
  • Attach a #1 (5/16") grommet between the bartacks. Make the grommet hole by either melting it with a hot nail or stake (e.g., heat with a gas flame), or by cutting with a punch followed by flame-fusing the cut edges. NOTE: Do not make this hole too big, it is better to start small and trim larger if needed. Use a grommet setting tool to attach the grommet.
  • Pin on the 2 Ridgepulls as shown in Figure 12, sandwiching the silnylon between the two layers of grosgrain. Sew black Ridgepulls with contrasting-color thread (e.g., gold at door end and red at foot end which easily identifies the door and foot ends during erection of the tarp). Use a double box-X pattern and finish with a bartack at the Roof edge as shown below in Figure 12; add another bartack ~3/8" from the first one.

 

 

Figure 12. Ridgepulls (2) 1½" x 9" Grosgrain or Webbing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 13. Silnylon Eaves (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Create the 123" x 49½" rectangle and then snap a diagonal 13" from opposite corner, as shown in Figure 8.
  2. At 61½ " from either end mark the position of the Side Pull, and the Lifter.
  3. Cut out the Eaves. Caution: After cutting out the Silnylon Eaves, transfer all the Pull locations, on oneSilnylon Eave, to the opposite side; the two Eaves should then be mirror images of each other. Make sure that the second Eave is a mirror image of the first Eave.
  4. Using the Corner Pull template, mark the Eaves’ Corner Pull positions at 45 degrees to the ends of the pseudo-diagonal. Mark Side Pull positions perpendicular to the diagonal.

 

Sewing:

  • Fold in half the 34" length of ¾" grosgrain, and before bartacking at the 14 1/2" loop mark, twist (flip over) one side of the grosgrain to open the loop for easy stake entry; then bartack. Make a second, bartack at 11" from the loop end for lowering the Eave close to the ground; with this second bartack mismatch the ribbons edges ~1/4" to make stake entry easier in both adjacent sections of the Pull. You’re now covered for any wind condition!
  1. Attach the Corner Pulls, as shown in Figures 13 & 14 (where the diagonal meets the end of the eave). Use the Corner Pull Template to measure the fold-under for the corner as well as the location and angle of the Corner Pull. Sandwich the silnylon between the two layers of grosgrain (2½" long), double sew in box-X pattern and bartack at edge of Silnylon Eave.

 

Figure 14. Corner Pulls (4) ¾" x 34" Grosgrain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Hem only the diagonal side of the Eave, ½" to the underside.
  • Using the same technique as you did with the corner pulls sew the Side Pull to the marked areas on the diagonal edge, in the middle of and perpendicular to the diagonal as shown in Figure 15 below. Start by folding in half the ¾" by 25" long piece of grosgrain, and then flipping one side of the grosgrain; then bartack at 10" from the loop end, followed by bartacking at
    7 1/2" with the ribbon edges mismatched ¼". Sandwich the silnylon Eave between the two layers of grosgrain; double box-X stitch and bartack at the edge of the Eave.
  • Edgestitch the two Lifters to the opposite edge of each Silnylon Eave Piece (unhemmed), on the top side (outside) as shown in figures 13 & 16.
  •  

 

 

Figure 15. Side Pulls (2)

¾" x 25" Grosgrain Figure 16.

Lifters (2)

¾" x 6" Grosgrain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silnylon Foot Flap

  1. Use the pattern (described on page 6, bottom paragraph), noting that the Silnylon Foot Piece doesn’t use the bottom 10" of the pattern.
  2. Mark the three positions of hook fastener on the outside of the Foot Flap (1 pc 1" x 8" and 2 pc 1" x 5").
  3. Cut out the Silnylon Foot Piece making certain to use the top curved edge marked "top of silnylon door" (not the curved edge marked "top of no-see-um Door and Foot Pieces).

 

Sewing:

  • Hem the Silnylon Foot Piece ½", to the outside. Do not hem the bottom of the Silnylon Foot Piece.
  • On the outside, attach the three velcro hook fastener pieces (1 pc 1" x 8" and 2 pcs 1" x 5") in the marked locations indicated on the pattern).

 

 

Silnylon Door Piece

  1. In order to save material, the Silnylon Door Piece is made from two 30" wide pieces cut as shown in Figure 8. Sew & top stitch these together on the 30" side to provide one piece 29" wide by 32" high.
  2. Using the whole pattern provided (as described on page 6), mark the three positions of hook fastener on the inside of Silnylon Door Piece (2 pcs 1" x 5" & 1 pc 1 x 12").
  3. Cut out the Silnylon Door Piece making certain to use the top curved edge marked "top of silnylon door" (not the curved edge marked "top of no-see-um Door and Foot Pieces).
  4. On the outside of the Silnylon Door Piece, mark the one hook fastener position that is near the bottom.

 

Sewing:

  • Hem the Silnylon Door Pieces ½", to the outside. Do not hem the bottom of the Silnylon Door Piece.
  • Sew the 3 hook fastener pieces (2 pcs 1" x 5" near the outside curved edges and 1 pc 1" x 12" at the center) on the inside of the Silnylon Door Piece.
  • Pin the remaining 1" x 5" piece of hook fastener near the bottom (straight edge) to the outside of the Silnylon Door Piece as follows: attach one end, hook-side facing against the outside of the Door. Box-X stitch only the lower 1", leaving 3" free (hook fastens rolled-up door to the Floor loop).

 

 

 

Figure 17. Silnylon Storage Stuff Sack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stuff sack is a good piece to practice sewing slippery silnylon.

First, cut the 20" x 22" rectangle of silnylon.

 

 

Sewing, referring to Figure 17:

Fold over the two top corners (on the 22"-long side) 2" to the inside, on a 45 degree angle as shown, and stitch (see figure 17).

Fold the remaining top, 1" to the inside and stitch 3/4" and 5/8" from the top to form the drawcord sleeve.

Along the centerline, outsides together. Double stitch the bottom and side, finishing with bartacking at the drawcord sleeve end.

With outsides still together, pull out the sides apart to form a square bottom; lay this square bottom flat and stitch as shown, at 90 degrees to the bottom seam.

Thread a 32" long piece of drawcord through the sleeve and cordlock. Tie off cordlock ends, paired together, with a figure-8 knot.

 

 

 

Assembling the Subassemblies

 

Sew the No-see-um Foot Piece and Silnylon Foot Piece to the Floor: The Silnylon Foot Piece belongs on the inside of the shelter (for access) with the seam allowance on the outside (for seamsealing).

  1. Referring to Figure 18 below, match the bottoms of the Silnylon Foot Piece and the No-see-um Foot Piece to the Foot end of the Floor (farthest away from loop fastener) as follows: 1) place the inside of the Silnylon Foot Piece (the side without the hook fastener) against the topside (inside) of the Floor (The Silnylon Foot Piece is ½" short of the corner matchmarks of the Floor on each end of the seam), and 2) place the inside of the No-see-um Foot Piece (has the loop fasteners) over the Silnylon Foot Piece (The no-see-um will match at the corner matchmarks of the Floor). Note: the hook and loop fasteners will join; place duct tape over them if that is a problem.
  2. Pin in place and sew 1/2" from the raw edge.
  3. Next, fold the raw edge of the seam allowance toward the floor and topstitch 3/16" from the first row of stitching. Continue the topstitching to the Floor’s corner with the corner material folded over ½" to match the seam allowance; this prepares the Floor’s corners for the corner sewing (Figure 19, page 22).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 18. Pinning Parts to the Floor

 

 

Sew the two no-see-um Sidewalls to the Floor:

  • Referring to the above Figure 18, place the inside of the Sidewalls against the top of the Floor (the side with the loop fastener). Make sure the pocket(s) and clothesline loops will end up on the inside of the shelter, and that the tall end of the Sidewall is on the Door end of the Floor. Match the ends of the sidewall to the matchmarks on the Floor.
  • Sew ½" from the raw edge. Fold down seam allowance on the outside of the Floor and topstitch 3/16" from the first sew line; continue the topstitching to the Floor’s corner with the corner material folded over ½" to match the seam allowance.

 

 

 

 

Sew the Silnylon Door Piece and the No-see-um Door Piece to the Floor: Similar to the Foot Panel above, but here the Silnylon Door Piece will be on the outside of the shelter (to resist incoming wind) and the seam allowance will be on the inside when finished.

Place the Floor bottom side up (the side without the loop fastener). Place the outside of the Silnylon Door Piece (has only l piece of hook fastener) over (against) the bottom of the Floor; the Door Flap bottom will be ½" short of each corner matchmark of the Floor. Place the outside of the No-see-um Door Piece (has zipper and loop fasteners) over the inside of the Silnylon Door Piece. The No-see-um Door Piece bottom will match the corner matchmarks on the Floor; and the loop fasteners will join the hook fasteners on the Silnylon Door Piece.

Sew with ½" seam allowance, fold the seam allowance down toward the Floor, and topstitch 3/16" from the first row of stitching; continue the topstitching to the Floor’s corner with the corner material folded over ½" to match the seam allowance.

 

 

Sew the four corners of the no-see-um Sidewalls and the folded silnylon tub corners: Do the corners at the Door end first; they’re easier.

  • Pin the corners with the ½" seam allowance to the outside; the corner material of the tub Floor will also be on the outside. Referring to Figure 19 on page 22, match the seams where the tub Floor meets no-see-um Sidewall; also match the Corner Match Points at the top of the Sidewalls with Corner Match Points on the Door and Foot.
  • Sew the seam, from the Corner Match Point (the remaining 1" above is the seam allowance for the Roof and Eave seams) down to the bottom of the folded-down seam allowance on the tub Floor.
  • Fold the corner seam allowance, and the silnylon tub Floor corner material, against the no-see-um Sidewall, as shown in Figure 19. Topstitch 3/16" from the first sewn line, starting ½" below the Corner Match Point (frees up the 1" seam allowance above to mate smoothly with the Roof) and continuing to the bottom of the Sidewall-to-Floor seam allowance again. Now, backstitch almost ½" to near the tubs’ seam with the no-see-um. Then with the silnylon tub corner material still folded against the side as shown in Figure 19, stitch its top close to the tub Floor to no-see-um Sidewall seam; then add another row of stitching, or bar tack over the first stitching.
  • The corners at the Foot end are finished similarly, except that the Foot Positioner is there. It should end up as a continuation of the Sidewall beyond the Foot Panel, as illustrated in the bottom sketch of Figure 19 (if it were previously positioned properly on the outside of the Foot Panel, as shown on the template for the Foot Positioner). The top of the Foot Positioner is later sewn to the Roof, starting 4" from the Foot/Roof matchline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 19. Sewing Corners – Schematic side views.

 

Sew No-See-Um Door and Foot Panels to the Roof: We begin the assembly of the no-see-um shelter to the Roof by sewing the Door Panel, and then the Foot Panel, to the Roof.

  • Lay out the Roof upside down, with the inside (bottom) side up. Refer to Figure 11 on page 14 and the Door/Foot pattern. Matching the matchline of the Door Panel to the Roof matchline located 22" from the door end of the Roof, match the center matchmarks of the no-see-um Door Panel and the Roof, and pin in place. The raw edges of the no-see-um Door will be pointing toward the front edge of the Roof, and the inside of the Door Panel will be lying against the inside of the Roof. (Note the seam stitching will show on the outside of the tarp when finished.)
  • Starting from the center, match and pin the rest of the matchmarks with the matchlines overlapping. Aligning and matching each pair of matchmarks will assure that the no-see-um is properly oriented on the Roof and evenly distributed in the seam. Ideally, pin at 0" to 1/4" from the matchline; the stitching will lie within that range. The outer matchmarks on the Roof will line up with the Corner Match Points on the Door Panel.
  • While overlapping the matchlines on the Door Panel and Roof, sew at ¼" outside the matchline (i.e., 3/4" from the no-see-um edge); sew from one Corner Match Point to the other Corner Match Point. While doing this first stitchline, the no-see-um edge may need to be pulled backward (behind the needle), in order to keep the matchlines overlapped.
  • Fold the no-see-um seam allowance toward the no-see-um Door Panel and topstitch on the matchlines (1/4" from the first sewn line).
  • Do the same for the Foot end of the tent. Make sure that the Foot Positioners are not sewn into the Roof/Foot seam.

 

 

 

Attach the long, top edges, of the no-see-um Sidewalls to the Roof edges: The sole purpose of this step is to fix, by edge-stitching, the no-see-um Sidewalls and Foot Positioners to the Roof in preparation for sewing all three of them to the Eaves.

  • Pin the inside of the no-see-um Sidewalls to the inside of the Roof. The ½" seam allowances at each end of the Sidewall lay against the Sidewall and its folded top end should be even with the Matchlines (and Corner Match Points), as shown below in Figure 20. Make certain the pockets and the clothesline loops are on the inside of the tent shelter.
  • Start the top edge of the Foot Positioner 4" beyond (outside) the Foot Panel/Roof matchline as illustrated.
  • Attach the entire length of the Sidewall, and the Foot Positioner, to the Roof by edgestitching ½" from the raw edge. Sew with the no-see-um Sidewalls facing down against the feed dogs of the sewing machine to prevent puckering. If the no-see-um has stretched some, gently ease it to fit, avoiding puckers. Do not topstitch.
  • Do the same for the other side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sew the Eaves to Roof and Sidewalls:

  • Pin the outside (top) of the Eave to the outside (top) of the Roof ("right sides" facing each other) making certain that the wider end of the Eave is toward the Door end of the tarp. Also, make sure that the Lifters are between the Roof and Eave.
  • With the no-see-um underneath for uniform feeding, stitch 3/4" from the raw edge, the entire length of the Roof and Eave.
  • Flip the Eave over so you’re looking at the top of the Eave and Roof. Fold the seam allowance onto the Sidewall and the Roof bottom (away from the Eave) and topstitch ¼" from the first sewn line; along the way, bartack over the Lifters and the Clothesline Loops. Be careful to keep incorrect material out of the seam, especially at the corners of the no-see-um shelter, and along the Foot Positioners. If necessary, a slight and smooth adjustment in this stitch line can be made to assure that there is no gap between this stitch and the earlier corner stitching of the no-see-um shelter.

 

 

Finally, finish hemming the ends of the Roof and Eaves. You're done sewing!

 

 

Complete tent by attaching the Guy Lines and sealing the silnylon seams. Instructions for these are contained in the User’s Guide, which follows.

 

 

 

Bilgy Too Tent User’s Guide

Guy Lines

Use 1/16" or 3/32" round nylon cording, or Kelty Triptease. They hold adjustable tarbuck hitches nicely; parachute cord does not. Hot cut or fuse the ends. Pre-tied knots speed tent erection and taking down. See "Guy Line Knots" sketch, below, for knot tying details. Optimal line lengths are:

 

1 Ridgepull – Door end 9 ft.

1 Ridgepull – Foot end 6 ft.

Attach lines with fixed loops (e.g., bowline) to the ridgepull loops; place adjustable tarbuck hitches at the free end, which allow length adjustment or attaching rocks if necessary.

 

2 Lifters/Side Pulls 9 ft., both sides of tarp (spreads & rounds tarp Roof)

For Lifters/Side Pulls attach one end of the cord to the Side Pull with a fixed loop, and the other end to the Lifter with an adjustable tarbuck hitch. Requires use of only 1 stake for both; separately stake down the Side Pull if desired, or just lay a rock or log on the line next to the Side Pull.

 

2 Corner Pulls – Door end 6 ft. each – optional to raise eaves

For these Eave-lifting lines, tie a large fixed loop one end and an adjustable tarbuck hitch the other end. To use, loop the fixed end onto the door-end Corner Pulls and stake out the adjustable end at a 45 degree angle from the tent. One can store them inside the tent pocket when not in use.

 

2 Clotheslines 4 ft.

Attach clotheslines with an adjustable tarbuck hitch on one end and fixed loop on the other end. Adjust to non-sagging length, but not puckering the tent roof.

 

 

 

 

Bilgy Too Tent User’s Guide - Using the Bilgy Tent

E-Z Tent Setup, raining or not

Pole options are described on the next page. There are many ways to erect a tarp. The following procedure is one way that takes 2 to 3 minutes with experience. First, and foremost, establish a well-tensioned, tight tarp ridgeline (steps 1 to 4, illustrated and described below); this maintains sit-up room and gives stability to the tarp. All other lines are lightly tensioned, only enough to maintain lateral stability in the wind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lay the tent out on the exact spot you have selected, and pull the foot-end ridgeline (3 to 4 ft. longish) out straight and stake it. (Adjust line length with the tarbuck hitch.)

Install the foot-end pole vertically, but with the pole bottom moved a few inches toward the stake, as illustrated above, in order to keep the foot-end ridgeline taut.

At the door end, while keeping the tent ridge taut, install the door-end pole vertically, but with the pole bottom moved ~1 foot toward the stake location, as shown.

Stake the door-end ridgeline (~6 foot long), making a tight, straight-line from foot-end to door-end.

Keeping the tent ridge straight from front to rear, stake out the two door-end corner pulls at a 45 degree angle, lightly, just tight enough to unwrinkle the triangle of tarp material between the tarp ridge and these corners. (If you don’t have either long arms or a partner to hold the door-end pole straight from side to side, simply make a few adjustments of these stake locations to achieve the objectives.)

Holding the foot-end pole vertical, now do the same thing with the foot-end corner pulls as you did in step 5. Tent erected!

Time for some housekeeping:

  1. Clean out large debris from under the Floor and lay out groundsheet. Push groundsheet out to foot-end and spread it under the Floor as you work back toward the door end. Hold it in place with your hands as you move your feet to keep from brushing the groundsheet out of place.
  2. Pull Floor off Roof velcro tabs and lightly toward the door end leaving something heavy, like water bottles, in the door-end corners. If desired, roll up Door & Flap and velcro them to Floor.
  3. Retighten the ridgelines, if necessary after the Floor is pulled from the Roof. Then, using near maximum line lengths and only one stake per side, stake out the Lifter/Sidepull lines with just enough tension to round the rooftop and slightly spread the sidewalls.
  4. Duck under awning, leaving wet gear there or in the vestibules, and enter a dry, clean home.

 

Pole options: Use sticks from the woods (~4½ ft. and 3 ft. long), with the ridgeline wrapped around them next to the ridgepull. If using hiking poles or the special lightweight poles, insert them into the ridgepull grommets. Ideal, design pole lengths are 48" and 30" at door and foot ends respectively. For using sticks, learn to measure the correct ridgepull height on your chest and legs. For hiking poles do the same; or better yet, mark them with the proper adjusted height.

Headroom and floor area can be traded off. Every inch less of ridge height increases floor width and length by 2 inches, and every inch increase of ridge height subtracts 2" from floor width and length. Also, keep in mind that the pole lengths given apply to the grommet positions, and that a tight ridgepull line rises ~1 inch for every 8 inches beyond the grommets – the slope increases even more with overly-tight corner and side pulls. So, if sticks or trees are used, wrap the ridgelines around them at a position that yields the desired heights at the grommet positions.

 

Use Options and Hints

  • Setup the door-end pole slightly off vertical, with the pole bottom about 1 ft. toward the stake; if the roof sags later (usually from moisture absorption), reach out and straighten up the pole.
  • Condensation can occur, but only on the roof, never on the sidewalls. If you will be bumping against the roof in the morning, simply wipe down the interior roof before moving around. Condensation rarely occurs away from the cold, high-humidity streamside and lakeside sites; avoiding them keeps you warmer and drier, more comfortable.
  • In windless conditions open the top, or more, of the Door and Foot Flaps to prevent humidity buildup.
  • Like any tarp, one or both sides can be raised for increased openness and ventilation. Attach the optional lines to the door-end corner pulls and stake them out at a 45 degree angle.
  • In extremely high winds snug the Eaves closer to the ground by staking above the bartacks located midway on the Side & Corner Pull loops, or simply lay a rock or log on top of the Pull loop. Rarely needed; use full pull lengths normally for good ventilation.
  • Adjustable loops on the ends of all lines will hold a rock or log in lieu of a stake; simply snug onto the rock and roll up the line to the desired length.
  • Keeping at least a 6-inch loop on the lines gives room to move the tarbuck hitch easily.
  • Extra lines and sticks/poles on the lifter lines will lift the Eaves of the tarp roof if desired.
  • Keep a pair of food handler’s gloves inside the shelter to save your hands when you have to roll up a cold & wet or frosty tent.

 

 

Fast Takedown, raining or not

  1. Velcro the center of floor to roof and dump debris out the door. Attach the velcro at door end to the Roof. Zip the door and velcro the Door Flap up, or just leave them velcroed to the Floor.
  2. Remove groundsheet (if used) & stuff into pack, ideally in an outer pocket.
  3. Exit awning, and remove the side and foot-end corner stakes.
  4. Holding ridgeline up at the door end, remove the 3 stakes and the stick (or pole) there.
  5. Holding the door-end Ridgepull in one hand, shake the tent from side to side to lose excess moisture, and then grab the roof middle (at the velcro) with the other hand, and fold in half onto the foot-end Ridgepull; remove the foot-end stick and stake.
  6. Fold in half 2 more times and roll up. (If an air bubble forms, you likely forgot to velcro the floor to the roof). Ideally, stuff in an outer pack pocket.
  7. Pick up and stow stakes (and poles if used).

Happy Hiking! Bill Gurwell bgurwell@hotmail.com June 2006

 

Bilgy Too Tent User’s Guide - Seam Sealing

 

Erect tent tautly in order to stretch and open up the sewn seams.

You need:

  1. 100% silicone adhesive/sealant, clear, from auto parts, paint, or hardware store; or Silnet from sports or outdoor fabric stores. Other seamsealers do not work on silicone-coated materials.
  2. 1-inch tapered brush (50 cent "sash" bristle brushes at paint store work great).
  3. Several ounces of paint thinner (mineral spirits).

Squeeze (extrude) 10 to 12 inches of silicone into a small, 12 to 18 oz. jar; add about double that amount of paint thinner. Shake for 30 to 60 seconds, until the mixture is complete and uniform. Adjust, if necessary, to the viscosity of a quality wall paint. The silicone sealant cures with water vapor from the atmosphere, so it needs to be applied right away, especially in hot weather.

 

Brush onto all external seams, working the sealant into the seams and threads as the sealant is absorbed. Cover at least a half-inch on each side of the seams to cover any pinholes left from sewing.

Cover with sealant:

  • On the top outside, all exposed Roof seams & stitching, Ridgepulls and Roof velcro stitching.
  • On the inside of the shelter, seal the velcro stitching on the inside of the Foot Flap, and the joint between the Foot Flap and Floor.
  • Paint wide stripes across the Floor so your sleeping pad won’t slide around.
  • Exit the shelter and seal the stitching of the one outside velcro hook on the inside of the Door Flap before velcroing the Door Flap to the Door Panel.
  • Outside the shelter, seal the Door Flap's 3 other velcro stitchings, the Door Flap to Floor joint, and the seam that joins the two pieces of the Door Flap.
  • Finally, velcro the Floor to the Roof, and seal the stitching of the Floor velcro loops on the bottom side (underneath of) the Floor.

For future use, the brush and jar can be wiped out, and then cleaned and rinsed with paint thinner. A second coating, after the first is dry, adds assurance.

Takes several hours to dry, depending on temperature, coating thickness and humidity.

 

 

 

Silnylon Properties: Silicone-coated, 1.1 oz. ripstop nylon is a very lightweight, water-resistant and strong material, but thin and somewhat subject to sun damage. When used for evening/night camping it will last for a long, long time; but with a couple months of all day sun exposure it will become brittle and weak. Therefore, generally avoid leaving the tent set up all day.

The silicone coating is not fire-retardant, but the material burns rather benignly and brushing the burning edge of the fabric easily puts out flames. (Reference: "Burning Down the House", Backpacker Magazine, 2004 Gear Guide, March 2004, page 19.) Tent and tarp materials are flammable! Keep all flame sources or hot objects away from your tent. Don’t cook inside the shelter. When cooking under the awning, be careful. Keep the flame away from the tarp; also, be aware that a knocked over stove can flare up, sending out long flames in the direction of the shelter.