How to make a 100% waterproof tarp from a bedsheet!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Make your own waterproof tarp out of a king-size bed sheet or any type of cloth easily at home. this is great for survival and bushcraft or just camping. practical use as a survival tarp or bushcraft tarp
This video was inspired by nighthawkinlight. he did a video on this subject and I just had to try it out. I want to give full credit for his experiment and link to his video here • Recycled Bedsheets Mak... I have tried for years with little success to make a tarp like this using other means and products but this is the best I have seen.
Check out my Amazon influencer page www.amazon.com/shop/speiroutdoors
Hey thanks for the shoutout! Looks like it worked great.
Thanks for the amazing idea. This will help many survivalist and bushcrafters!
@@SpeirOutdoors How many did you wind up making? I'm thinking of making several, and putting them together. Sort of like those tents that have a couple compartments, for kids, gear, potty room etc. Thanks for reminding me. I'd already seen NHL's video on this and wanted to try it out
I made 2 sheets and 2 pillow cases for dry bags
@@SpeirOutdoors Where can I get it?
🤔 A small bush craft dingy, or short canoe. I like it!
I like people who give credit to the correct person. Great video.
Thank u!
I am a subscriber of NightHawkLight and got curious when this video came up in my feed. What I really appreciated was that you started to give credit to NightHawkLight at the very beginning so you earned my respect and in addition a new subscriber.
Thank you. I appreciate the comment. I tried this experiment out for myself and naturally wanted to give credit to him.
Made a couple of "sheet" tarps and they came out fine. I then used the same solution to waterproof several old and dried out topo maps, worked like a charm. I was able to fold or roll the maps up with no problems.
I’d didn’t eat the ink?
Maps are pretty cool. I like maps.
Compared to other videos on this waterproof bedsheet, this one seems the simplest of all. Looking forward to the long term test.
It is supposed to rain tomorrow
@@SpeirOutdoors, did you make a video of this tarp in the rain, and a long-term review of it ???
Keep up the great work !!!
@@random269The information is in the words😮.
Exactly
THIS Video is also a God-Send...
I am moving... and was going to give away my Big King-Size Bed.... and was going to throw away the sheets (old)....
YOU saved me a lot of money
Thank You so much... Plus... since these sheets are so old... they're the really heavy duty sheets you can't buy anymore.... YEAH... Even better...
Thank YOU so much.
your very welcome hope it works out for you!!
I'm going to try this on an umbrella ..thanks for this tip
Or a tent maybe
I LOVE simple ideas that are brilliant that any one can do .
Me too
Awesome as always. Never seen this technique. Well done my friend.
Thank you. It's very useful
I don’t know if you know this or not, but he came out with another formula. That’s a little more fire resistant. And uses no Naphtha; It might be something you might enjoy checking out.
Did you give the thread count on the sheet? It seems to me there’s something about it needing to be 500 count or grader, but I’m hoping you’ll know about that.
Great video, very educational. Thank you!!
How long dose it last? Dose the silicone start st separate and flake away eventually?
Best question here and no reply
@jman1989 the answer is… it has lasted since I’ve made this video and it does not flake away
the answer is… it has lasted since I’ve made this video and it does not flake away
@@SpeirOutdoors 60% of the time it works everytime
@@jimsimminins3020they’ve done studies you know...
I wonder if using a thicker bag and a vacuum would help with saturation
Yup, *_NightHawks_* method was the BEST ONE I ever saw.
.... he's got a Great Channel
Yes he does
Very nice procedure. My experience has been that the silicone needs to dry out a lot longer (3-4 days at least) to resist being submerged in standing water for more than a few minutes. If it's cold outside, wait until it isn't.
This seems super easy, barely an inconvenience!
It is very easy and will save nearly 200 bucks
I might do this to my new wrangler pants...
I was thinking of tryin it on a hoodie and pants/ jeans
I would do it with a used one first
I used a painters drop cloth. Works great.
If is has completely dried, is it safe for kids and pets? I would guess yes but just asking to be sure. I would use it as a cover for our big beanbag (against spilling). Hope to hear from you. Thanks.
Yes indeed
Good instructional. If you were to weigh that tarp, how much would it be in grams or ounces? I'm tossing up spending on a light weight tarp for hiking or doing this instead. Need something that's light but want to save money.
835 grams and 29.45 ounces. Remember it’s a king size bed sheet
Other then the fumes during the process any worry about fumes or off-gassing if using this method to waterproof a camping tent?
Is 100% cotton better, or the polyester combined with cotton stronger???
The reason cotton is used is to demonstrate how cotton absorbs water and the actual water proofing
@@SpeirOutdoors So I should look for all cotton sheets?
If you fold it for packing away does it eventually leak on the fold lines?
Mine has not. I’ve folded it and rolled it and stuffed it and use it basically for a ground cloth when I camp. It’s extremely lightweight and handy. If I had more time I would make several more. Eventually I will
@@SpeirOutdoors Great! Thanks!
Good video, thanks! What about the weight?
I really like the idea. Q: How flammable is the fabric after it dries?
silicon is really inert, it practically doesn't burn
That's a good question.
But it also makes you wonder how long these would last when made?
The naphtha whatever stuff is pretty flammable... so I guess it depends on if the chemical reaction fully takes that out when it evaporates? Naptha is supposedly 'extremely volatile'. I suppose if someone were worried about that they could thoroughly clean the end product tarp with a wet rag to make sure to get rid of any residue leftovers of the naphtha.
@SpeirOutdoors It's been a yr now how's that sheet doing with age??
so much effort. goood job
Great video! Does the dried sheet have an odor?
A very minimal odor
Is the water drinkable if gathered from the tarp??
Great video.
Thanks.
I would use it
I would think all of the solvent would evaporatevand there's silicone around every one of your kitchen and bathroom fixtures.
I’m going to make one that’s a great idea.
I presently camping and using this sheet as a ground cloth
Curious, how flammable is it after it dries? Would, say, a spark or ember from a campfire ignite it more than a conventional tarp?
Good video thanks. Maybe you have already answered this, but I'd be interested to know how much it weighs? Thanks!
835 grams
This may be crazy, but I want to make a boat out of this haha
Plz let me know how it turned out
It is not crazy, it is interestingly cool
It's not crazy if it works.
Did you die
Can you use this method for zippered bags, like small backpacks and small duffel bags?
Sure. As long as the material absorbs the liquid your good to go
Pants, backpacks. Truck seat covers
Is there enough material to do more than 1 sheet, or a larger sheet using the recipe amounts you stated?
Also, I'm guessing that if you had folds in the sheet before it finished drying that it would ruin the end product?
Would this end product be too toxic to use the waterproof made sheet to use as a water catch, rain catch device to collect water?
You could get food grade silicone, but I don't know if there is a food grade alternative to the solvent
Will it resist a spark from a fire?
I'm looking up camo bedsheets now...
It has so far but then again it’s just the same as any other tarp an ember could make a hole just like with any other fabric. I have used this for nearly 2 1/2 years now
@@SpeirOutdoorsThis is helpful to know it's still holding up. Regarding the plastic bag and mixing the Napa and silicone, I feel like it would be easier if you just put it all into the 5 gallon bucket, then just use a drill with a metal paint mixer to agitate the mixture until ready. Seems like less of a hassle.
simple and effective i love it thank you
Like your video ....straight to the point, cut & dry ✓
Were there any solvent left from soaking a king size bed sheet using one and a half quarts and one tube of silicone ?, were there any left extra to do a smaller sheet ?
None was left. I did a pillow case with it as well the cotton absorbs all the liquid
I made on like that 30 years ago. I just sprayed it with linseed oil.
Does it still work? If so, did you have to re-apply the oil? I wanted to do one like that.
is there a way to substitute the naphtha? it's practically impossible to get it in my country.
Try mineral spirits. Naphtha is more volatile than mineral spirits. Assume m.s. will work ok?
Hey white spirit (also known as ‘turpentine’) might work here. The naphtha is simply being used as a solvent to get the silicone to penetrate the fabric and then evaporate away leaving behind the silicone. White spirit should also do the job, but you may need to test which ratio you need (ideally just enough to dissolve all the silicone before you then impregnate the fabric) reply here with any updates :D
What happens if you more than one silicone?
How many sheets or extrs stuff can you get out of one mixture ?
That mixture did one king size sheet and a pillow case
Hey there. Thank you for your short but very informative video. You got a new subscriber from germany. 😅
Have you made a long term test? How is it holding up?
Wissen Sie wie Naphta in Deutschland heißt?
@@anuschcka1 Ich habe es leider immer noch nicht getestet, aber Naphta ist meiner Meinung nach Wasch- bzw. Reinigungsbenzin. Falls Sie es eher testen, würde ich mich über eine kurze Info freuen wie es geklappt hat. LG
Did you wash the sheet 1st before soaking in the Sil/Naphtha solution?
I did not. It does not matter
thanks for this really informative video clip.
Great video Mr...thanks for sharing! This is what I was looking for. I wonder on what kind of fabric is the sheet (polyester?, cotton-polyester mix?) ...
It was a cotton poly blend
@@SpeirOutdoors thank you Very much Mr. ... Bleesings for you and your channel!
Thanks for the video, i also watched NH video on this camp hack... Im wondering could this be done on a tent, ive seen videos where ppl just redo the seams n i wonder why just seams and not the whole tent
It should work. May have to double the recipe
@@SpeirOutdoors thankyou for your reply, I received a 2nd hand tent not used for a few years wud like to do this n make it new. I'll give it a go 🙂
Is there a chance you have to do that again? Thank you for the info.
I have not. I made 2 one has remained in the woods since I made this video and it is still going strong. The other is folded up in my camping gear and I use it as a ground cloth
Did you attach any tie out points or grommets?
I did a whole video on making tie outs with an acorn on this sheet/tarp
@@SpeirOutdoors Respectfully submitted: I don't mean to be critical, but it's my nature to look for flaws. I think if I were to do this, I'd omit the ridge line. It seems to me that that rope line would compromise all the effort. I think it would make more sense to tie off the corners after installing gromets or using your acorn method. Keeping the sheet elevated and off the ground, off course. Then later, when you made your A-Frame cover for protection, you would be confident that no product had rubbed off that most critical of spots and you were as protected there as other parts of the sheet.
Would this work be better or putting wax mixed with mineral oil like in the other video? Is the gasoline in this regular gasoline? Greetings from Argentina
You can use Colman camp fuel or naptha to dissolve the silicone. The other video is for making fire starters.
What to do with the wast if there is any . But I like the idea 😊
When this was done there was no waste.
@SpeirOutdoors thanks
I've got an older tarp covering up my boat I was wondering if it would be possible to make that waterproof again if I painted it on instead of soaking it in it because I don't want to take it off if possible.
Coat it heavy I guess.
God Bless you Brother
Thank you! And you as well!
WIll this solution work through a garden sprayer?
It should. It will have to be cleaned very well with a LOT of mineral spirits afterwards or it will be ruined
Can mineral spirit be used instead of naphta solvent?
Yes. It will just take longer to dissolve
@ what is the mixing ratio
Can you use in a spray bottle?
I don’t have an answer to that. Sorry
whether the naphta aroma is strong like thinner or soft like alcohol ?
It’s extremely harsh!
Would this work on cheap tarps you get from amazon that are supposed to be waterproof and are not?
As long as the liquid can penetrate the fabric it should work. Another option would be to “paint it” onto the fabric.
I'm currently doing the mineral oil/paraffin method.. but am thinking of switching out the paraffin for the citronella infused type.. Will that matter? Will it make the tarp (or clothes) mosquito repellent? Or does that stuff have to 'burn' to be effective?
dont bother with the wax method. just do the silicone and Naptha(white gas) method. its much better than the wax method.
thnx did the sheet become sticky whed it was drying out?
Great video, thank you
Your welcome
I wonder if you could use this solution on fishing waders and "paint" it on their boots.
Can it be use on cotton cloth to make waterproof?
Absolutely
Interesting!
Maybe a blunt question, but could this work for building a water tank? That you use this as like a tarp to hold the water?
I've been searching around but waterproof tarps are getting very expensive -- especially the HDPE stuff.
I bought a couple of them & they all started leaking, so looking for any alternatives.
Maybe. I did a pillow case with this sheet off camera and used it to transport water. If the stitching was a little tighter it would not have leaked at all but it does leak slowly. The sheet itself did not lean and actually held water in it for over six months before I drained it out.
@@SpeirOutdoorsGood to know larger are gaps are harder to fill using this method. Maybe a second coat just around the seams would help. ?
Can this be used for an RV tarp?
is this more flamable now? could it catch fire easily?
No actually it’s less flammable
Did you wash your sheet first? New sheets have sizing or something similar than can make them resist liquid right at first. Might be easier to saturate faster if you didn’t.
BTW, is Naphtha still available for sale?
It was brand new. I did purchase naptha at the local Home Depot.
Good luck finding Naptha. I can't find it anywhere near me - not Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, Target. Amazon has it for $20/qt.
@@daviddeane3163tractor suppy Co. carries it ! Bought a gallon yesterday .
I've seen a very similar video where they use mineral spirits.
Everybody in Oregon sells it@@daviddeane3163
Does it leave marks when you fold it? I mean, like a waxed canvas does?
It does not
I bey this would also be a great DIY shower curtain
Fantastic. Now what is namptha normally used for?? Is that what makes it waterproof or is it the silicone you think?! Very cool!!
It is a solvent like mineral spirits. It dissolves the silicone quicker. Yes, the silicone infuses with the fabric and makes it waterproof
Flammable?
the sheet was already flammable.....
If you have any issues with a regular kitchen tall trash bag try using a trash compactor plastic bag. Roughly the same size but thicker plastic.
Can you use a paintbrush to apply it?
I am sure you could, but I have not done so
how long does it last before the water leak again?
What is naphtha ?
Good job
I wondered that too
Can this be used for water collection in a pinch? Or could pouches be made or would it be dangerous for that?
I was wondering that too..
It would be great as a water collector.
I would use it
I made a waterproof bag from A pillow case
@@SpeirOutdoors thanks 👍
el solvente thiner funciona igual que la naftha en mi pais colombia no la consigo asi
do you know how long this last in the summer sun, say in phoenix, arizona? i would like to make one for a sunshade for my van. the plastic tarps that people use usually disintegrates within a couple years in phoenix
I couldn’t tell you. This one has been hanging in the woods since I made this video and still good to go
Will this sheet catch camp fire 🔥 ?
I has not yet and I’ve used it several times near a fire
NOTE
Next video... please turn down your Background music, little too loud, making it hard to hear you at times.
Thank you.
Thanks for the input. This video was filmed 2 years ago and a lot has changed as far as editing. But thank you
Can it make only 1 sheet per that ratio?
It should be able to make more than one. The truck is to make sure it’s completely saturated and wringing it out
Any chance you've tested this for flammability?
It burns...
Interesting, I ended up slathering up my popup camper's canvas with this, after doing a couple of tests where I soaked some canvas and let it cure for at least 40 hours in the sun, and then attempted to light it up, it's obvs. not fireproof, but I did find after the solution cured it didn't seem to be any worse off than the plain canvas that the camper uses.
I used 100%silicone and Naptha as my solvent.
Thanks for the response! @@susanp.collins7834
can this sheet go through the laundry? will it ruin the dryer?
I do not have an answer for that
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 I can seal my lawn chairs!!
Yep
😮😊looks good😊
It is
Great tip!
Liked ( other than the Blaring Disco noise ) ! ☆
Disco? I'm afraid you may need hearing aids, friend 😅
Does this work with nylon?
I’m sure it will.
If I done it twice to the same sheet, would it make it more water proof or no???
Not sure. I never done it twice
I just used the bucket with out the plastic bag. I keep the bucket just for waterproofing. 👍
Awesome. I use that bucket for everything lol
EXCELLENT VIDEO
Thank you for sharing
I went a step further...
I painted a sheet with Exterior Latex House Paint... (cheap Walmart brand)
It really works... kinda hard to fold up... because I put a rew coates on it... HA Ha.
let me know how the paint worked out
Could you brush this on a Carhartt type coat? Soaking a garment 100% like a canvas shirt/jacket may not be the best for the skin. Thanks
I’ve done clothing and it wasn’t real comfortable. Like wearing a wetsuit.
So the bees wax would be the way to go?
How long does the sheet last or stay waterproof in the sun?
I’m not sure. One I made has been in the woods since this video was filmed and still holding up
Cotton bed sheets?
Yep
may god bless ya too
Thank you!
How well does it do against steam
I could not tell you. I don't have an answer for that
I was wondering about steam. I want to try it but worried if the solution of spirits and silicone would make toxic fumes
when heated.
Like. Well done.
Thank you very much!
What happens when an ember from the fire falls on it? Not being funny as this is very nice way to do it. Hope you or someone can answer.
I plan on answering that with a video soon as the burn ban is lifted in mississippi. No open fires right now. But this question is asked a lot on tiktok for this video
@@SpeirOutdoors If I had to guess I would think the silicone is just highly soluble in naphtha and the naphtha evaporates completely out of the sheet. If that's the case is would only be as flammable as silicone and bedsheet so not really and kinda respectively.
@@SpeirOutdoors Is that right? I don't really know lol
It will burn A whole just like other Tarps Or like another car seat or a carpet for a final boat seat.
The vinyl Was cracking And letting water into the seat on my Lawn mower I tore all The vinyl off And saturated the foam that was dry rotting on the surface causing it to shed kinda like sanding dust. Well I'd never seen or heard it done just in my head had the thought. It worked awesome and 2 years out in the sun still holding up no water Sucks into it Just brush it off From the low spots. Without seats for a $100 . I didn't know how it would turn out so I used the cheapest caulk could find and that was at the Dollar Tree It was a silicone I haven't seen it since. They have some other brand. I used a brush just let it soak up till it was solid but saturated completely in the bucket would probably work way better anyways it worked for me I'm gonna be trying it with these tarps I think the quality of the sheet would be very Important for them to hold up. I know you wouldn't wanna leave it laying around in the sun I'm fixing subscribe And check out more your videos
That naphtha is paint thinner or what? I can't find naphtha in my country.
its "White gas", it is commonly called "Camp Fuel" that you would use in your Coleman camp stove.
Been 2 years how is it holding up?
Yes it’s still going! I need to do a video on it
I am old school. Mostly old and lazy. Wouldn’t be interesting to see the longevity. Look forward to it