HOW TO MAKE A BATHTUB FLOOR for Tarp Shelter

Here is some info on how to make your own bathtub floor to integrate with your tarp set up. For Tarp camping or whatever, this is a decent $20 answer to the myog/diy bathtub floor.

GENERIC TUB FLOOR.

Turn a groundsheet into a Tub Floor, by folding the corners out in a certain way.

The reinforced grommets in the corners will interfere with the folding plan, but there should be enough flex in the tarp to make the folds 'near enough'.

About 6 inches (15 cm) in from all 4 sides of the tarp, make a crease line. This will become the line at which the groundsheet ceases to be the 'floor', and becomes the 'wall' of the tub floor. In the 4 corners of the tarp, the crease lines will overlap, making corner squares.

Make diagonal folds in the corner squares, with the fold line coming in from the outermost corner.

Fold up the 'walls' of the Tub floor. The diagonal creases in the corner squares will allow spare material to fold 'bellows' style, into flaps that can point inside or outside of the walls of the Tub floor. Point them outside and use TearAid gear tape to tape a tube in place vertically here. It should be just a little longer than you wall hight. Tape the folds in place and stitch if needed. Tube helps support wall with cord or stake.

3” to 4” high walls works well.

 

NOTE: If using stakes thru tubes you will want 7” or longer tubular hook stakes that fit thru tube in fold. The tubes from bic pens or even good thick straws work well. Cut them down.

Tape tube in place    Try this on a peice of paper, bathtubing the sheet. It's pretty easy. I used TearAid gear tape on a nylon floor and used Tyvek tape on a tyvek one and it worked well. On another nylon one the TearAid didn't hold well so I stitched it. Hope this makes sense. On my Gatewood Cape I use shock cord thru the tubes that go to the pegs of the Cape. Then one goes to the pole that I wrap around pole. Works well. Cut the fabric about the same size and shape as the Cape and your folds will bring it in about perfect under the cape. I made mine in the "coffin" shape of the Cape floor plan using 6 tie outs but I suppose a rectangle would work as well. Just wouldn't have much room for gear on it. You can also just use pegs thru the tubes and have it free standing under a tarp.  The design works well. I have been in an Arizona monsoon and didn't get swamped. That is saying something. Here are a few pics of the nylon one. $10 WallyWorld Outdoor Product Backpackers Tarp and Some TearAid Tape. Here you can see the simple fold, the white pen tube, the tape and stake. Pretty simple. Using shock cord. This could go right to the stakes of a tarp or the Gatewood Cape. Under my Bear Paw Wilderness Designs 10x10. Good luck. Go play outside.