[Artemisia] Tyvek and use in tents and kites.

[Regis Johanns]

I want to know about the indestructible tent....

HE Bronwen
Subject: Re: [Artemisia] Gambeson construction.


> 
> 
> Has anyone used Tyvek paper to construct a wicking vapor barrier? 
> Inside a gambeson?  Just wondering, I have used this wonderful
anachronistic
> Material to make nearly indestructible kites and tents.   
> I may be crazy but am wondering .....Hmmmm
> 
> Anton von Heidleberg
>
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Tyvek paper is really a sort of plastic spun cloth that is used in
construction as vapor barriers for housing.  In regards to tents, it's
lightweight, and makes wonderful ground cloths for under backpacking
tents and the like.  I have never tried to make a large pavilion or
period type of tent.  What I have done is hem the edges either with a
sewing machine or I have rolled Nylon 300lb test cord in the hems and
used contact cement to glue the hems.  I use about an inch border.  This
technique works okay for making a lightweight lean to, rain fly type of
cover.  If you can scrounge up free leftovers from a construction site
then it's a great material to play with.  The only annoying feature is
that you have a Tyvek logo printed on the paper.  Somewhere it is
possible to get rolls of this material that are just white because its
sometimes used to make windbreakers and waterproof paper tablets.  It
can be printed on with a inkjet printer.  I haven't tried using spray
paint but it might be possible to use it for banners and the like.  

Now as to kites,  I have an 8 ft high by 8 foot wide Scotts Sled style
kite from Tyvek.  This was a design that was intended to be a load
bearing kite and has approximately a 150lb + lifting ability. I used
300lb test line and have flown it up to 1300 feet.  I used an old Hose
reel and had to use large tent stakes to anchor it to the ground.  We
actually had to fight the kite to bring it back down to earth as it had
quite a bit of lift.  It took 20 minutes to reel it down.   This was a
blast to fly and I wonder about painting a heraldic banner on it and
flying it over an event someday.

Gosh, My kite story sounds like something from mythbusters, but I swear
its true and if challenged I am willing to get it out of my storage unit
and take it flying with you.   Maybe out on the salt flats?  I also have
documentation for the design and instructions for building your own kite
if anyone is interested.