Ultra light tent for bike camping @TechShop

This is an ultra light tent all made out of things found in the trash for long distance bike rides where guerrilla camping is called for. Perfect for wandering the waste land after everything come crashing down! humble beginnings here at TechShop Detroit This was the first project I made at here! 

Step 1: Get your materials

First go diggin in the recycling and get yourself some plastic bottles

Step 2:

then throw it in the vise and cut off the top of it w a hacksaw

Step 3: Drill your cap

put a nice big hole in it

Step 4:

Step 5: Cut the bag

cut your heavy duty garbage bag along 2 seams so it opens twice as big along it's length

Step 6: Tape the bag

put a piece of clear tape on 1 side of the back to reinforce it. make it point in the direction of the main vector of force when you're stringing up your tent to trees or stakes

Step 7: Make a gromet

put the threads of your cap under the bag

Step 8: Finish the grommet

then screw the cap on and stab it w some scissors. now you can tie a string thru the cap and yank on it w/o tearing up the bag

Step 9: String her up!

add an under tarp to stay off the wet ground and string your tent up from 6 places. 2 along the center line and four on each corner

Step 10: Fold up for packing

roll it up and wrap it w one of the strings and it stows away small

Comments

[camping crazy]

Those bottle grommets are an awesome idea!!! I was looking for cheap grommets and fasteners for the wall tent i was building with and those are what im going to use thanks a lot for posting.

[cathyb59]

Great use of disposed material! Good job

[WorkingGunn]

Neat idea with the Grommets. I saw some people post about not having a drill and I have often used plastic caps for project and i put a nice smooth hole in them with a nail, Pliers and a heat source. You just hold the nail with pliers add heat to the nail till its pretty warm and then gently push it through the lid. It is best to first remove the round plastic sheet found in most lids. Anyways I'm not sure i will ever use this kind of tent but the grommets is something I can defiantly work into my projects so thanks alot.

[wobbler]

I like the bottle top grommets, I've not seen that before. However, I'm not too sure about your chair tent pegs. They look a little too inconvenient to go cycling with.

[Editmefree]

i made this but i added a few more trash bags. i didn't use a drill for the holes but my knife. it worked okay but it took a loot of work. will post pictures later

[chokapi]

Of course there's the issue of having a drill...

Good idea with the bathtub design.

If you have paracord, (which you should ALWAYS,) make six monkeyfists with enough extra cord for your guyouts. Wrap the fly and groundcloth around the monkeyfists and secure them by tying a knot below the monkeyfist. If you carry a handful of guyout tensioners (or, alternately, make them with plastic gallon jug caps: just make three holes with the awl on your SAK in a row just big enough to allow the paracord to pass through) you can leave the guyouts attached and be ready anywhere.

[Mr.1911]

Great idea! I'm gonna try making one.

[arrtt]

Cool!!

[gomiboy]

Do you have the under-tarp attached to the tent top? I'd think you'd tear up the whole tent as you shift in your sleep, but on the other hand, if you have the bottom tarp attached to the top so the top is hanging outside, it might make it (slightly) more weather-proof. Either way, fantastic idea!

[Juankixote]

i do have the top and bottom connected. i'll add in a step b4 the wrap to show this but the under-tarp is attached by the same method as the gommets in 3 places so i think it should be ok, w tearing. if you were worried about it you could add some strapping tape. that stuff's got amazing tensile strength

[l8nite]

really like the grommet idea