What is Reddit's opinion of Duck MAX Strength Heavy Duty Insulating Film for Patio Door/Extra Large Window, 84-Inch x 120-Inch, Indoor, 284352?

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Also recommend the Heavy Duty 1.5mil Polycryo - it’s halfway between regular (0.7mil) polycryo and Tyvek in weight and bulk.

I personally find Tyvek to seep water at pressure points, eg, kneeling on spongy wet ground, or used as a groundsheet on ice.

That's what I used, except the thicker one. It works well!

It's about twice as expensive as the last time I bought it, but heavy duty polycro is plenty durable and you can pretty easily make a bathtub groundsheet out of it. I have been using one sheet for the past two years/ 2300 miles, and despite a few holes I've patched it is still going strong.

Still though, I wouldn't expect a groundsheet to survive literal bath tub conditions and still keep you dry. Try to learn from this experience and not pick sites that are prone to flooding, rather than solve this with new gear.

I bought the smallest size of this last year and cut it to size. Whether you buy that or use it as a clue to hunt down alternative I'll leave up to you.

I used it maybe 9 nights I think through 2021. No issues so far.

I could not for the life of me find anything reasonable using the terms "polycro or Tyvek" at the time, everything was in the US, but then through some rabbit hole I found out it was not much different (maybe the same) as window insulation. Seems like pretty strong stuff to me. Hasn't torn yet.

Hope that helps!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PY2BTS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Here's the sturdy stuff. I used it on the PCT, and my buddy used the regular .75 mil thickness. The 1.5mil is noticeably less crinkly, blows around quite a bit less in the wind, and is way more durable. Over the course of the trail I had a couple tears in the corners (yanking from underneath particularly heavy rocks) or from being careless when drying on rocks and bushes. By the time I had walked about 1500 miles I noticed a handful of pinholes throughout the sheet, so rather than continuing to patch with tape I replaced the groundsheet for the last chunk of the trail. As long as you can avoid putting any unusual stresses, it should survive a full thru hike without any trouble.

The Patio size of window film is big enough for two groundsheets- just chop it in half. I used the included roll of double sided tape to fold over the edges and make a really basic hem, which helped in avoiding tears on the edges, at a slight weight penalty. After hemming the edges, my 4x7 polycro groundsheet was 3.6oz.

I've been waffling back and forth between continuing to buy and replace polycro every 1500-2000 miles, or just getting a sheet of Tyvek and eating the weight penalty in order to have something more durable. The hippie environmentalist inside me loves the idea of durable, non disposable gear, but the spreadsheet Nazi part of me is having a hard time reconciling the weight (and volume) that Tyvek would add. Considering I am looking at another ~8,000 miles of hiking over the next three or four years, the durability aspect of Tyvek does feel pretty alluring.

That said, it's literally just a groundsheet and I'm ~~probably~~ definitely overthinking this. Ugh.

The problem with radiant heat like baseboard heaters is they don’t heat the air, they radiate their heat to materials in their path which then radiate their heat to other items. Best thing you can do would be to put some window film on the windows as they would be the worst culprit for cooling the air in the room.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B015PY2BTS/

I did some research on this a while ago. The backpacking light crowd uses this stuff in place of Gossamer Gear's polycryo. Apparently it's the same thing, or close enough. It's cheap as heck and reasonably durable. Just cut the size you need and fold it up, ezpz.

I had the exact same issue in our bedrooms here in the UK and used the shrink film solution which I previously used in very cold parts of North America. I purchased this insulation film from the USA as it was thicker than any film available here and was a name brand I'm familiar with. I actually paid for expedited shipping from the USA and it arrived in less than 1 week. If you apply it carefully it's almost invisible. Thicker I find better as the thinner ones available in the UK aren't as sturdier. I actually order double the quantity needed to save on shipping for next year.

I applied it to all our bedroom windows a couple of weeks ago. In the last 2-3 weeks I've only had 1 morning with a very thin line at the very bottom of 1 window. If you'd like some pictures DM me and I can send you them.

I chose this method as it cost me 1/10th the cost of a couple dehumidifiers, didn't take constant energy use, and I didn't have to open up any windows.

Absolutely would recommend them as long as you apply it properly!!

If you are looking for a way to insulate your windows, use some insulating shrink wrap

tyvek

2m painter plastic drop

polycr(y)o cut to fit

Dead serious. Not a joke. Window Plastic.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PY2BTS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FL.tFb8D50TTT

Demonstration. https://youtu.be/SnlSvS9Bh0I

Search on Amazon for ‘window insulation film heavy duty’

https://i.imgur.com/Gey1Mif.jpg

This is what I’ve been using, and I really like it. It’s 1.5 mil polycro, so twice as thick as the standard stuff. Much stiffer than the .75, which makes it stronger and much less of a headache in the wind. I usually chop the patio door size in half and then sleep on it diagonally, you get two 5x7 sheets that way. Usually lasts around 1500- 2000 miles.

3.5oz if we trust my lighterpack.

I haven't tested it but you could probably get away with stringing up some clear polycro (typically used as a cheapie UL groundsheet), particularly if you pinch-and-tie the ridgeline rather than punch holes. The Duck Max brand is pretty sturdy, and you could probably tape or fold-and-sew the edges (with some grosgrain ribbon?) to make it last longer if you get tearing.

>"MAX" window polycryo

Ok I think this is it: https://www.amazon.com/Duck-Strength-Insulating-120-Inch-284352/dp/B015PY2BTS

Someone on this backpacking light board was questioning if the 1.5 mil is even polycro. Not sure why he has his doubts.

" Not sure who mentioned 2mil, but I question whether that's even the same material. Especially since I think they said they found it in the paint department. The plastic films sold as floor/furniture covering in the paint department are _not_ polycryo."

Okay tent on a budget... Here goes: Somebody suggested tarp/hammock. That's how I sleep. That's probably not what you want to go with if you're looking for, "cheap" as it's by far my most expensive camping setup.

Tarp though? Fuck yeah that can be cheap. What kit do you already have? If you're backpacking you'll want to get your "big-4" (Your tent, backpack, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag) under 10 pounds combined.

Let's assume you already have a sleeping bag and a sleeping pad, and just talk about the tent.

We're going to recreate every part of the tent, but as a tarp, for really cheap. What does a tent have? A floor, a ceiling, and bug netting.

So that's easy, let's start with the floor. This is a window insulation kit. You can cut the plastic pane in half and rollover the edges. You'll have a 3.5'x10' ground cloth which is such a perfect size. You can add duct tape to the corners and rubber grommets to stake it down if you choose. Many tutorials online for polycro groundcloths. Final weight, ~4oz, cost $6.00

Okay next up is the mosquito netting, a few options here. You'll want something like this. It doesn't need to zip around you, and they're really easy to actually make yourself. You can find them all over on amazon and outdoors stores. Just like, find one, y'know? Final weight, ~9oz, cost $15.00

Next up is tarp. You want cheap as hell? Home Depot blue tarp will actually serve you fine. They're far from preferred because they're heavy, bulky, and noisy. The the first significant jump up in quality is silnylon, which is nylon fabric impregnated with waterproof silicon. That's what I use. You want a 10'x10' flat tarp with lots of guy-outs and grommets. You'll be looking at spending about $100 on this tarp and it'll be fuckin bomb and last for years. I use this one while hammocking. There's also options like this silpoly tarp. Same thing as silnylon, but it's polypropylene. They don't stretch as much as silnylon. Bit more expensive but also better too. You'll see DCF/Cuben/Dyneema mentioned. Don't, it's too pricery. Final weight, ~30oz, cost $100.00

You always need the tarp. You need the ground sheet if you're on an inflatable sleeping pad or if it rains. You need to mosquito netting if there's any bugs. You will be looking at no more than $125 and about 2 hours of personal effort.

You will be just as comfortable as a tent. You will have more flexibility than a tent. You will have to start carrying trekking poles if you don't already. You will experience no condensation inside your taro

You should be fine. If you're concerned about it, use these to prevent drafts.

I have only used Tyvek as a groundsheet, but will be switching this year to save weight.

Dude made a polycro tarp out of window film.

The Heavy Duty Duck Brand seems to be have its share of fans.

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