I have a few very large tarps, as in the smaller of the batch is 20x30ft and not the thin grade.

Trying to figure out the best way to store them to keep the mice and critters out, keep them dry, and take up as little space as possible.


Tried a 55 gallon barrel. While it works, its seemingly impossible to fold the tarp small enough to fit more than 1 tarp per barrel.


I've folded and put many tents and sleeping bags back in their packs that other people could not (many years in the scouts), but these large tarps are kicking my a$$


What do you all do for your XL tarps?

Fold and roll? Stack in a pyramid?

Foodsaver  

But seriously, about the best I've been able to do is to lay them out in the yard on a calm day, fold up neatly (with a helper or three), and when you get it about as folded as it's gonna fold, tie it up tight.  I use a knot that has a loop tied in one end of the line, pass the rope around the object, bring the opposite end back through the loop and then back on itself.  You can pull this knot incredibly tight (the loop acts as a kind of snatch block), and secure it with a slipknot at the loop when it's all snugged up.  Kinda hard to explain, but I'm sure somebody knows the REAL name for this knot and can probably explain better than I.

Anyway, using a couple of these ropes across both length and width of "package" lets you crank it down pretty dang tight.

fold/ remove air from folds

Fold them and put them in large plastic storage boxes w/lids. I do it with my drop cloths and it works well.

Did you treat it like a sleeping bag?  Fold until it is the height of the 55 gallon drum in one dimension and then roll it up using your body weight to keep it compressed?



One thing that might work would be pvc or something on the inside edge, roll it up and then if the pvc was attached to the tie downs before you started you could crank the pvc to tighten it up perhaps?  Kind of depends on how many folds you have I guess.



I would get some 2x12s out and drive the car or tractor over it to compress it perhaps.



The ropes someone mentioned might work, but I like good ratchet straps.  The ones that actually let you use them as mini winches and crank the heck out of things.  My small ones are rated at 2 or 3k lbs maybe, and they add bulk to things but if you get it compressed you can tie it into shape with rope and then remove the ratchet straps if you plan it right.  My planning sucks, I would have ratchet strap hooks under the tightened rope or something equally bright.



You know how you unspool a new winch cable and hook it to something so the winch winds up under a bit of tension?  Might that concept work to keep all the folds tight?  At a lower weight concept of course.



I think you want to introduce mechanic means, and crushing with great weight or rolling under tension sounds about right.



But you are talking to the guy who can't get the sunday paper to look anything close to proper after I have read my comics.  I just read the comics.  And the whole thing exploded.

The knot I mentioned acts just like a ratchet strap, winching up tight - really tight - before you actually tie it off.  I wish I could figure out how to illustrate it.  It's actually great for securing loads and stuff too... any time you want to pull a rope guitar-string-tight without losing any of it when you try to tie it off.  Since I'm pretty sure I didn't invent it, I'll see if I can find a diagram on the net somewhere.

ETA:
"My" knot is a variation on the Trucker's Hitch knot, but in this case I just tie the first loop in the end of the rope instead of somewhere along the middle.

Great knot.

Try folding lumber tarps for

<<<<---------



Tarps are 28'x 25' with formed end flaps.



2 truckers can fold these in about 5 mins, together,

or about 15 mins each by myself.



These weigh about 150 lbs each.

Need 2 per trailer - 48' long









1. spread tarp out flat

2. fold end flap in.

3. fold each side into the middle.

4. repeat this fold on each side

5. fold one side over the other - now it is 4 ft wide x 28 ft long

6. fold plain end over the end-flap end, right over left in above pic.

7. roll from fold to end, right to left in above pic.

8. secure with bungees.

9. do it again with the next tarp.

10. take a break - I'm tired.



Secure with bungees when rolled up.











And if you are really tough, this is done 12' in the air, standing on top of the load.

In the rain. Or snow. Or wind.



Of course, this same technique can be used for plain tarps.

Big thing is folding them the correct, standard way, so anybody can unfold it,

without a shit fight.



Tarps suck.

Where do you buy the economical versions?

OP once I get a big tarp folded into a 2 to 4 foot wide strip, I'll drag the ends to meet in the middle and repeat until the last fold of the middle and I'll have a nice bundle that sits flat on a shelf.

Fold tarp as flat and compact as possible, secure tarp in folded condition with short pieces of duct tape, put tarp inside plastic garbage bag, tie off bag opening and then store.

Roll them like a rug.  Hang from eye bolts in ceiling (of basement or garage)..  Above your head and away from the furry critters.

The fewer bends (and the less sharp a bend if you have to) the better.  Fold points weaken over time especially when exposed to UV when in use.  So a 20ft wide straight roll would be ideal storage situation if your space allows.

 

I am lysdexic. I was wondering why you can't hang the traps on the wall from a nail.

A long piece of pipe and roll the tarp around it and you can hang it from the rafters.

Depends on the size the smaller ones I have rolled and bungied into a tube

Thanks for all the ideas, I'llmess aaround with them.

I'm at the point where uf I cannot keep the mice away, I'll pitch the tarp. Mice have tarps chewed to hell in a couple months anyway.

Big plastic bins.

I have a 25X 40 foot tarp that I put over our camper in the winter.

During the summer when it isn't in use, I put it in a Space Saver bag.

Need more 5 gallon pails of Antifreeze around.   I made mine dog proof by putting the lids back on and cutting a hole with a hole saw. and then inserted  length of (broken) pool hose  to reach the ground.  The mice like the tubing, climb right up in and into the bucket where they can't get out.    It worked better than the can with pb on a wire.

I've got to see this, got any pics?  They ought to fold up no bigger than a large phone book. Can't imagine how you're doing it. trapping a lot of air in them? Crappy folding job / wadding them up?  Seriously curious. At worst should be no bigger than a briefcase, and you can fit 8-10 of those in a 55gal drum.


Typically I re-fold such things into a foot-wide strip and then roll them up. That gets the air out nicely.

Pretty big tarp.

When I bought it new, factory packaged, it took up most of the cart.

I just roll them up and paracord them til they're needed again
I treat them like the consumable item they are
They wear out and get replaced

Trifold, roll it up, secure it with straps close to the ends and in the middle.  It's generally so tight I don't have to worry about critters but if I did, I'd put it in a contractor trash bag and tape it shut.

Yes, tarps suck.  Until you need them!