Has anyone done much with Tyvek?

[Dr. T]

Has anyone used Tyvek for a survival shelter or tarp to lie boned out meat on?

It seems that it would be better and lighter than a plastic tube tent in a survival situation.

And I am thinking that a 6x6 foot sheet would be great to lay meat on as I bone out an animal.

Have any of you used it for these or other purposes (besides covering your house!)? Any feed back would be appreciated...

Thanks!

[WillyP]

If you want to take the crinkle sound out of it run it through a wash with no soap and line dry it. It still makes some noise but not like it does right off the roll ! I have used it for floor savers for tents or a ground sheet for tarping a little. I'd rather have a few garbage bags with me for multipurpose stuff.

[gobbler1662]

I use a piece of tyvek 4x6 under my bivy sack as a ground tarp. Its weight is much lighter than a nylon or poly tarp. Works great although a little slippery

[Reflex]

I brought a piece with me on my elk hunt last year. My intention was to put meat on it as I was cutting up my elk, but since I didn't recover mine, that didn't happen. I did use it as a ground cloth underneath my tent. We had three straight evenings of rain and the ground was pretty muddy. It was much easier to get the tyvek cleaned up in the morning rather than the tent bottom (we were hunting off our backs everyday).

[Dr. T]

Thanks you guys for the input.

Does it puncture very easy? It seems so thin... Is it more durable than plastic for a ground cloth?

[gobbler1662]

Tyvek is some tough stuff. I used it as a ground cloth for my bivy sack this year in Hells Canyon. Its tuffer than most tarps or visqueen. I am even thinking of adding grometts to one so I could also use it as a tarp. Like I said earlier its nosy, but I think it would hold up well to high winds and definately would shed rain very well. I would like to know if anyone has added grometts and used these as a tarp. On my scale a 6x8 tyvek tarp weights 5 oz compared to around a pound for a comparable size nylon tarp.

[WillyP]

I used to have to wear a tyvek coverall suit and crawl around under a huge industrial plater through what could be described as super draino. I never wore through a suit in a days time, and we were crawling around on cement and assorted crud in dried caustic and steam lines along with whatever washed out of the tanks. It sucked ! the tyvek held up though !

[WillyP]

btw one of the mylar space blankets work well too and does double duty.

[Dr. T]

For an emergency tarp I have thought of adding grommets, but I think the ole ball and string will be stronger. My thought was a small rock (ie. a little smaller than a golf ball) or even a pine cone in the corners and tie it with a cord. Then tie it to a tree or ground steak.

I don’t know how well this will stand up in the wind.

My fear is that grommets will start a tear. But that is why I started this thread… to see if anyone has any experience with it.

I will wash it to soften it and reduce the noise.

Thanks again for the input!

[KYwannabe]

I haven't used tyvek this way but used to do a lot of construction work where we used the stuff a lot. Try this, poke a hole in it with a knife or something and try to rip it by sticking your finger in the hole.

It's pretty tough stuff! I think it would hold up to a grommet. Esp if you doubled over the edges before you put the grommets in.

As far as softening it up to quiet it down just tying it to a clothesline or a tree branch and letting it flop in the wind softens it up pretty good along with Willy P's suggestion.

I'm going to make a ground cloth and tent footprint soon out of the stuff.

[Zbearclaw]

I have had to wear it on multiple diving jobs and have done things that tore my cotton coveralls under but the tyvek was still holding.

Strong stuff for sure.

[WillyP]

BTW there are several "weights" of Tyvek . Not that I know a lot about that but I have been told there are. I have used the factory made coveralls and the type they use here on houses under siding. That's it for my knowledge of all the kinds made. Just know Tyvek comes in different grades or whatever you'd reference it to .

[Dr. T]

Thanks again for all the input. I got some to try. I got 2 times as much as I need so I can do some experimenting with it.

I hope to put it to a field test in early September with some chunks of boned out elk. I hope I don't have to field test it as an emergency shelter!

Thanks again!

[Henryseale]

Where can you buy it? Does it come in rectangles like tarps or on rolls like visqueen? A few years ago I have worn Tyvek coveralls and they were very tough. I have seen it attached to housing insulation, but not sold just by itself. I would think it would make a fine tarp.

[WillyP]

" Big Box " stores sometimes sell it and will take it off the roll in different lengths like buying fabric. If someone in your area is building you might try and get the cutout from a picture window or sliding doorway. Slip one of the guys on a site 5 bucks and I bet he would roll you off 5 or 6 feet from the roll. I will also look on sites where the dumpster is at newbuilds and roll ends will be in there. How's that for a few ways to get some to play with ?

[Dr. T]

I kept watching at construction sites. In the store, a 9'6" roll is 150' long at about $1 per foot... but they would not sell it by the foot and I did not need 150'. They also have 9' and 3' wide by 150'. I wanted the 9'6".

I was prepared to give a guy $20 for 15-20 feet off of a roll, but he gave me the end of a roll with closer to 40' and was not even going to charge me. I gave him the $20 anyway. Win-win, just the way I like it!

If you can't buy it by the foot, keep your eye out on new construction, residential or commercial.

[WillyP]

Henry Shires sells it in sections on his tarp tent site. I was just hoping to get you hooked up on the cheap.
http://www.tarptent.com/products.html

[gobbler1662]

Go to ebay, sporting goods, camping and hiking. Several folks sell it per foot. Lots cheaper that way if you just need a 6x8 or so piece.

[Gabe]

The air force makes their evasion charts out of a material that is essentially tyvek. You can also use the charts as an emergency shelter, to lie on over snow, and to cover up to disburse your heat signature from infrared detection. Pretty cool!