Water proof cover? | Squat the Planet

Water proof cover?

makan kotoran

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does anybody have any good tips on how to make a durable water proof bag cover? i was just thinking some tarp and elastic rope crap, an other ideas? I'm kinda desperate, trying to hitch through the south part of Sumatra back to java, and the wet season is just starting, I've only got another 1435km (fuck knows in miles, the imperial system scares me) but in Sumatra, where there are twice as many potholes as there is road and trucks can't go any faster than 20kmph (sorry again) maybe thirty on a good stretch that means 3-5 bouncing around on top of a truck trying to keep hold of bricks, cane baskets, scrap metal or fertilizer in monsoonal storms.
so far i've just been trying to use a crappy ass 2000rp plastic poncho that's thinner than paper and leaks, alot.
advice please, stealing or buying is not an option.
cheers
 

wildboy860

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put all of your stuff inside a plastic trash bag.
 

makan kotoran

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already is. and everything that i don't want water damaged is in individual bags.. but i still have to try and try my bag out in the meager minutes of sunlight. it's really not practical. plus thereis heaps of jagged shit in my bag the tears through the thin ass garbage bag without me noticing.
 

Shark

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i know this isn't exactly what you need but you can buy this spray on water proofing. makes water just bead right off of pretty much everything. just a thought since your worried about water proofing.
 
P

Pheonix

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without stealing or buying anything your options are find usable trash or weave together leaves. your best bet might be to barter for something and if that's not an option your pretty much out of options.
 

makan kotoran

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Shark:
is the spray silicon based? every little bit helps, cheers.

phoenix;
I have some thick ass canvas I found on the side of the road. and sure i could get some rope. buying will be possible in about 200-300 km when I reach Palembang, but still limited resources. hopefully some elastic and sealant to seal the holes that sewing make. I need it to stay dry even while i'm wearing it as sometime I have to stand on the side of the truck on just above the wheel arch.
 

cranberrydavid

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Sounds like a cool trip!

Waterproofing is good for light rains, but a heavy tropical rain is going to find its way through anything.

A real tarp that you can pull over yourself and your gear is going to be your best bet, but even then you'll get wet where it touches you.

Roll the clothes in your pack super tight and tie the rolls. They'll soak up less moisture that way.

If you can find bees wax it's pretty good for waterproofing, especially seams.

Even if you have perfectly waterproof rain gear, in the tropical humidity you'll get just as wet on the inside from condensation.

The nice thing about tropical rains is that if the bugs aren't too bad you can roll most of your clothes down and just wear shorts. You dry a lot faster.

In the end though, nature has you outgunned and you're just going to get wet. Enjoy the trip!
 

cranberrydavid

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Also, latex paint is one of the great waterproofing materials of all times. You can paint the top flap of your pack but not the bottom or you'll get a puddle inside. Paint a shirt and you've got a raincoat. Paint a bedsheet and you've got a nice light tarp.
 

cranberrydavid

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I heard the latex eats through canvass??

I've never heard this. I've seen a lot of latex paint on canvas and I've never seen a problem, so I'm guessing it's just a myth. If you put it on too heavy in just one spot it can maybe make a hard spot and the cloth will wear out at the edge where the fibers flex, just like cloth will wear out next to any patch. Other than that I don't know. Painters use canvas tarps all the time. Farmers do it. Commercial fishermen do it. Historical reenactors do it. We can't all be wrong.

If you thin the paint till it's runny it will soak into the fibers better. Also you won't add as much weight and it will be more flexible.
 

makan kotoran

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cover3.JPG
cover3.JPG
(bad as photo quality)

it works well, now i just need to make a backflap the cacoons the whole bag, and figure out a way to change the color of the tarp withoud weakening it or making it heavy.

View attachment 17157 View attachment 17158 View attachment 17159
 

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