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Posted: 10/5/2007 8:45:01 PM EDT
[#1]
I only use tarps, actually poncho mainly, when I'm ultra-light. Ultra-light means no camera. I guess I figure if I can carry a camera, I can carry my 3lb tent less poncho.
If low wind and foliage permits, I simply use paracord to run the four corners to trees like a canopy then dig a little shallow trench to prevent runoff. This provides the most coverage area so you can squeeze in your pack/gear. Higher wind, I simply use a triangle approach. Narrow end center hole to a tree, corners staked down with long line. Then back staked down. You can use a small stick or rock in the back to create a hump so your feet have space. Back of the shelter towards the prevailing winds. If I can't determine that I go with traditional prevailing which is west. Once again a small shallow trench for runoff. You can double this (using two lines on the center hole at angles) so you can aim the front to a fire. No trees, same technique can be used with a hiking stick or stick with two guy lines to hold the stick in place. I don't care for the tuck under approach. I simply consider it a waste of material. If dampness is a concern, you can always build up your sleeping area with leaves or pine needles and there is no keeping bugs out without a sewn bottom and mosquito netting. Tj Note: When building to catch the heat from a fire. Its best to set your tarp up before you build the fire. That way you know where the fire should be. Moving trees isn't an option. |
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Posted: 10/5/2007 9:02:01 PM EDT
[#2]
thanks...great so far....how about more ideas...pics would be great thanks!
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Posted: 10/5/2007 9:08:27 PM EDT
[#3]
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Posted: 10/5/2007 11:37:03 PM EDT
[#4]
Some of the people that are ordering Tarp Tents from me now want them with "Snake Skins" -basically a sleeve for your Tarp. This allows for really quick deployment in case you get caught in a rain or whatever. Unfortunately, the DigiCam is TU or I would show you pics of the current build I am doing. I'll try to borrow the neighbors digi in the morning.
I also build a version of the Tube Tent that is a little more substantial than the current Emergency Tube Tents, but not much heavier, for the ole GHB/BoB. Five steaks in the ground, one 100" flex pole through the tube and tie it off. Done. Picture of my Tube Tent:  Here's a picture of my Simple Tarp and ground mat combo:  Another Quick Tarp built for a customer:    Another Customer build:     Each is set up a little different...I hope that helps. Spoon |
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Posted: 10/6/2007 5:20:02 AM EDT
[#5]
beat me to it TNS
          one i stole from genesmith of one i made fer him.. 
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Posted: 10/6/2007 6:28:01 AM EDT
[#6]
protus and thereisnospoon thank you!!! I love seeing your stuff set up...ok here are a couple questions
1. I plan on using a light weight silnylon tarp I recieved recently as an emergency tarp tent while out in woods....It does not have gromet holes so I am planning on sewing on tabs to be able to secure down with paracord. I see on your tarpa at each corner you have a tab as well....are your corner tabs out at a 45 degree angle? or all the tabs in line with one another....will this make a big deal? what is best for corner tabs angle or just straight out 2. I see that alot of the tarps are set off the groung a bit.....I also see that your running paracord from the tabs and then staking the end in the ground correct? what loops or knots are you guys using at the end with the stake? so basically its paracord from the tabs...make it tight...a loop at the bottom? stake goes in and stick in ground. 3. Do you guys leave the paracord in the loops at all times? making set up fast.....or everytime you guys set up the tarp tent you cut what you need and set up.....I just gigure sometimes your set ups will be very close to the ground...but then again set ups will be high off the ground. you guys....thanks for all your help...hope I dont sound to much like a Newb with this, I just want to be able to know that I can set something up fast on my own if need be having only this tarp...a few stakes...and some pracord.........school me thereisnospoon...IM sent Protus...pics 7 ,8, and 9 what kind of set up are those??? difficult?? instructions?? thanks :) |
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Posted: 10/6/2007 6:37:50 AM EDT
[#7]
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Posted: 10/6/2007 6:39:57 AM EDT
[#8]
i dont own those anymore. the lil green one was my 1st one.. i gave it away as agift,, the larger version(grey one),, i traded off to some weirdo that sew's they are harder to make,, becuase of the extra time in volved and size, but not that hard..... |
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Posted: 10/6/2007 6:47:34 AM EDT
[#9]
lol ok :) I will stick to the simple stuff....I cant get to complicated yet
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Posted: 10/6/2007 7:26:45 AM EDT
[#10]
ost
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Posted: 10/6/2007 7:42:58 AM EDT
[#11]
huh?
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Posted: 10/6/2007 9:45:51 AM EDT
[#12]
I use the hell out of my Henry Shires tarptent.     
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Posted: 10/6/2007 9:57:05 AM EDT
[#13]
2 trees with flat ground inbetween, 550 cord between trees, poncho over 550 cord, use sticks to stake down the corner eyelet... Good enough for 1 person plus gear.... |
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Posted: 10/6/2007 11:03:15 AM EDT
[#14]
waldo....do you use polls with your tent? also do your sides come down lower....I see alot of space between the mesh and the top and bottom of tarp.....any issues with bad weather?(rain getting in) also what model is that?
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Posted: 10/6/2007 11:07:40 AM EDT
[#15]
Yes, it really depends how tight you set it as far as the sides go. The floor is smaller than the tent itself. One reason is so any condensation can run down and drip onto the mesh instead of on the floor. Never gets wet in storms. It's the squall. |
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Posted: 10/6/2007 3:19:40 PM EDT
[#16]
That is damn nice. How much and where? |
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Posted: 10/6/2007 4:09:13 PM EDT
[#17]
I need to do some research on super light shelters so I can bring it with me when I travel.
The best size for me would be about 6'8" long x 48" wide for the floor. I would make one end only about 15" high and 3' wide with a flat end by my feet. I would like to attach the floor all the way around so I don't have to worry alot about water running into it. Sil nylon for the top and something water proof on the bottom would be good. The entire thing could be staked on the sides and then tied up in the middle to create the peak. I already travel with a 5x8 sil nylon tarp with 6 titanium tent stakes. I want to drop the tarp in exchange for this tent. I would leave the design and set up to who ever ends up making it. I really wouldn't mind being able to open up one side toward the campfire or for air flow. How much would something like this cost? I am not afraid of spending money! |
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Posted: 10/6/2007 4:14:12 PM EDT
[#18]
Here's how I like to set mine up, the center of a long side tied to a tree, and the far corners stretched out:
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Posted: 10/6/2007 4:18:59 PM EDT
[#19]
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Posted: 10/6/2007 4:24:36 PM EDT
[#20]
What's that one made of? It looks like oilskin, and the cut reminds me of Horace Kephart's "Compac" tent. I've been trying to have a copy of that one made from Egyptian cotton - I don't like the way nylon smells and condenses water, not to mention the way it turns to napalm if your fire gets too close. |
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Posted: 10/6/2007 8:39:59 PM EDT
[#21]
What kind of materials are you guys making your shelters out of? I kind of like Golites idea of creating a teepee style shelter for 4 season use, with the ability of having a small fire pit inside and using fallen limbs, instead of having to carry poles with me.
Golite Hex 3 http://www.golite.com/product/productdetail.aspx?p=SH6106&s=1 Building A Teepee http://www.manataka.org/page186.html (links left cold to reduce sphincter pucker factor that some people get about links) |
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Posted: 10/6/2007 9:27:32 PM EDT
[#22]
No offense Protus, but that fire is way too far from that shelter to do a survivor any good, especially at night. I'd call that a 'drinking fire'. Canvas is heavy, but I prefer it when building a fire close. (Half-shelters) The Germans really had their shit together when they designed their triangular zeltbaun shelters - they snap together in a zillion different ways, including poncho configurations.
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Posted: 10/6/2007 10:02:10 PM EDT
[#23]
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Posted: 10/7/2007 12:13:56 AM EDT
[#24]
Here's a picture of my latest design. This is an unfinished prototype in the pics, so there are a few rough edges and it doesn't have the front beak attached yet, but you can get the basic idea.
Also, please forgive the "field expedient" pole (hoe). This version requires 5 stakes and walking stick or pole. You couls also use a stout stick/branch,,,about 5 feet high. The floor of the tent is 8' and it is wedge shaped starting at 3' in the rear and 42" in the front.   |
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Posted: 10/7/2007 12:27:25 AM EDT
[#25]
I thought the "modern tipi" design made great sense until I actually used one. Ventilation is terrible unless you leave the doors wide open - but you can't when it rains because the slanted sides ensure that a huge part of the floor of the inside will get wet. When you zip the doors up for rain or bugs, the condensation is awful, and it runs down and onto anything that touches the sides - which are difficult to avoid because there are no sidewalls. They don't pitch well on ground that isn't perfectly level, again because there are no sidewalls to conform to the ground. They require lots of pegs to stay taut and not blow away. As for fire in a nylon tent: I won't. They turn to napalm if a flame touches them. And even if you aren't burned, you'll be stuck who-knows-where with no shelter, and probably not much gear. I have two tent stoves, but I only use them in canvas tents. I've come to the conclusion that nothing beats the standard, boring wedge design for a tent. Vertical doors, not too many pegs, no guylines to trip over. And my favorite material is Egyptian cotton, which is a very light canvas. It's difficult to find, though. Here's a review I posted recently: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=18&t=605822 
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Posted: 10/7/2007 3:29:01 AM EDT
[#26]
it was a cooking fire . nothing more except for small amount of light. im sure no one wants a fire 12-24 inches away when its already 75f out fabrics used for the newer tarps etc these days varies by designer. i use a combo of silnylon, parachute fabric, 1.3 and 1.9 oz dwr/poly backed nylon ripstops or poly rip stops. On some like the lil green one its a poly/nylon taffetta, which is then treated with silicone. It held up for 3 days of non stop rain with out leaks......pretty much any fabric can be used if its woven tight enough, then treated! |
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Posted: 10/7/2007 7:00:58 AM EDT
[#27]
Just found a good illustration of my favorite way to pitch a tarp:
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Posted: 10/7/2007 7:31:35 AM EDT
[#28]
also called a "holden" |
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Posted: 10/7/2007 8:04:34 AM EDT
[#29]
Thats awesome! I will have to try that this week sometime with my nephews. |
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Posted: 10/7/2007 11:26:51 AM EDT
[#30]
Anyone care to list weights on their tarps. I'm trying to see the advantages of one over a small bivy tent. I'm assuming silnylon tarps are weighing in at OUNCES compared to 2.5 pounds for a bivy, so a better choice in a BOB. Anyone using the tarp approach in areas with high wind and big temp drops at night? I like the light weight, but here in Idaho, a bivy seems a better choice.
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Posted: 10/7/2007 2:04:35 PM EDT
[#31]
Hmmmmm, that might be the best solution for a family bugout, with each member carrying his own triangle. |
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Posted: 10/7/2007 2:29:26 PM EDT
[#32]
Bivy sacks are kind of a last resort. You can survive in them, but that's about all you can do. You can't cook, read, or talk inside one. You can't get in or out of them without letting in the weather. A tarp is far more versatile and comfortable. |
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Posted: 10/7/2007 2:36:39 PM EDT
[#33]
Rodent is correct. Here is a pic of my Emergency Bivy...it will keep you dry and out of the wind, but that's about it. Crawl in and Crawl out.Period.
  This however, has enough room to sit up, change clothes and sleep two (really tight) if necessary:      the view from inside: 
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Posted: 10/11/2007 3:54:24 AM EDT
[#34]
Sorry about the crappy pic there Protus, I know I owe you some better pics. I'll make sure I get some next time. In that pic I used a few bungie cords to hold the tarp up which was used mainly as a sun shade and the next morning to fend off a light rain shower. This is the second time I've been able to use my Protus tarp tent and it worked great. 
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Posted: 10/11/2007 10:35:32 AM EDT
[#35]
Do you sell these? |
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Posted: 10/11/2007 12:29:41 PM EDT
[#36]
I slept in a makeshift tarp-tent once where I put approx 1/3 of a rectangular tarp on the ground (staked in corners), 1/2 at an angle behind me over a horizontally-strung rope (between 2 trees), and the remaining corners (draped over the rope) staked down with tentcord. Placed closed-side upwind it actually did a decent job keeping me warm, though the mosquitos kicked my ass until the wind picked up. It took the wind pretty well too. Just stuffed a poncho liner down in my sleeping bag and I was warm as baby kittens until morning. Stoked the fire, made breakfast, and all was well except that foxes stole some of my food.
It's probably not the best way to do it, but it was the best thing my dumb ass could come up with at the last minute. ETA: that "holden" idea looks pretty nifty... learn something new every day ETA2: since I just bought a new small tarp to keep in my toolbag it might be a great time to try it out.... |
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Posted: 10/12/2007 10:04:40 AM EDT
[#37]
This is an interresting thread.
The best setup I ever ever used as shelter was an old sunfish sail that I dunked into a large can of Thompsons waterseal and a hammok. It worked really well to keep me dry on a climbing trip up in the mountains of Colorado. It seems like it rained every night. I would string a chord across a couple of trees a couple of feet off the ground and then throw the sail on top of that, secure two ends to the ground and the third end to one of the trees and then string my hammok up under it so that I was about 2 feet off of the ground or so when I got into it. I could also use it as a ground shelter with my walking stick a short piece of rope and two sticks cut into stakes. The triangle shape of the sail lended it's self to awhole bunch of configurations. The only drawbacks to it was it was heavier to carry than a nylon tarp, pancho liner, or nylon tent, and it was white with a wide blue stripe. after soaking it in the waterseal, there was no dying it a more sutible color. One thing for sure though, it never leaked water even in the heaviest of downpours and if pitched correctly, it could shead the wind very well too. ...I wish I knew what happened to that sail. |
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Posted: 10/12/2007 10:37:36 AM EDT
[#38]
That is what my design is based on. I can do the Holden by folding my 9x9 in 1/2. To get the design I showed, All I did was unfold the 2 halves, leave everything staked and the pole in place and jus pull the 1/2 material forward, so instead of laying sideways in the holden, your now extending everything forward so youll lay long ways and put gear in the down slopped section. Everyone follow me?
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Posted: 10/13/2007 11:02:46 AM EDT
[#39]
hmmmm no but I am more of a visual learner....any videos of this set up?
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Posted: 10/13/2007 12:07:40 PM EDT
[#40]
No vids. but i have some pics, will get them up later on. |
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Posted: 10/19/2007 4:04:21 AM EDT
[#41]
pics? :)
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Posted: 10/19/2007 4:21:04 AM EDT
[#42]
 Sportsmans guide 9 x 9 tarp |
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