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FLIX's 1000th Post Shelter Contest!
- Thread starter Pritch
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
- Messages
- 5,944
I think that would worrk right nice..I might try to make one out of heat sheets for this venue.
Flix is there a limit to entries per individual?
Flix is there a limit to entries per individual?
- Joined
- May 3, 2006
- Messages
- 1,819
I think multiple qualifying entries would be fine. I want us to have as many examples to draw on as possible.
-- FLIX
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2003
- Messages
- 2,373
I'm not entering this one in the contest because I made it a few years ago and it doesn't use heat sheets.
My daughter and I did a two night trip during rainy season. Normally we use hammocks and large overhead tarps for this kind of weather but for this trip we only took a bivy bag and poncho each. That forced us to get creative with the shelter and this is what we came up with, a double bunk rock shelter.
Classic quote "Dad, this whole trip my knife never left my hand." We stayed in this shelter for two nights with frequent tropical downpours. We didn't heat the shelter directly with fire but we did have a fire back under the rock wall to dry out and cook with. The only rope used was at the high stress lashing points of the frame, the rest was all done with imbira bark strips. Mac
My daughter and I did a two night trip during rainy season. Normally we use hammocks and large overhead tarps for this kind of weather but for this trip we only took a bivy bag and poncho each. That forced us to get creative with the shelter and this is what we came up with, a double bunk rock shelter.
Classic quote "Dad, this whole trip my knife never left my hand." We stayed in this shelter for two nights with frequent tropical downpours. We didn't heat the shelter directly with fire but we did have a fire back under the rock wall to dry out and cook with. The only rope used was at the high stress lashing points of the frame, the rest was all done with imbira bark strips. Mac
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
- Messages
- 5,944
Pict, That is awesome..Man very very cool.
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2003
- Messages
- 2,373
It was very comfortable. You first lay a layer of weeds lengthwise on the bed and then lay the grass crosswise. The weeds keep it from falling through. When making a bed like this it is critical to make sure you don't have lumps and knots poking up at you.
You can build a bed like this with less cutting if you use only poles laid lengthwise, it goes much quicker. The problem with that is that you need to cut down many more trees. Making the bed with cross pieces allows you to use the tops of the poles you cut that wouldn't hold your weight if laid long.
Looking back at the shelter during a brief sunny moment. Mac
You can build a bed like this with less cutting if you use only poles laid lengthwise, it goes much quicker. The problem with that is that you need to cut down many more trees. Making the bed with cross pieces allows you to use the tops of the poles you cut that wouldn't hold your weight if laid long.
Looking back at the shelter during a brief sunny moment. Mac
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thanks Pict. Yes you would cut more trees down making them length wise.
in the pic it looks like there is only just a couple of inchs and I was thinking that looks kind of thin LOL but I have never built one like you did there in the jungle. The way you said that you made the matterss give me and idea on some thing like that for my area. I am going to try it out. If it works I will post it if not I will not LOL
Thanks again for the anwser pict.
Bryan
in the pic it looks like there is only just a couple of inchs and I was thinking that looks kind of thin LOL but I have never built one like you did there in the jungle. The way you said that you made the matterss give me and idea on some thing like that for my area. I am going to try it out. If it works I will post it if not I will not LOL
Thanks again for the anwser pict.
Bryan
Hi all, I got a few more pics of the heat sheet but with me in it and how I was in the little shelter through out the night. Some of my family wanted to see what it looked like in person so we went out there today. I was able to get a few pics of me in the just how I laid in there that night. I did not keep my coat on me all buttoned up. I laid my coat in there and then crawled in and well you can see what it looks like. I put my shoulder kit on the ground for a pillow and then put my flison hat on that then my head. I put my SAS headover on that really kept me warm.
Here I am on my left side and the then on back with my knees raised and then on my right side the my coat was open to let the heat from the fire warm the side that was towards it. Like I said earlyer my legs did get chilly
( no long johns on just jeans) and when they did I would lie on my back and then raise them up. then they warmed up. any ways here are the pics.
I can tell you that just laying next to a fire with out the heat sheet was way colder. I for got to say that in my earlyer post. I got up a 3am roughly to go pee and when I came back into camp I was over on the other side of the fire. It is night and day difference the lean to. It really did help in keeping heat around my body instead of just exscaping to the back of me and into the air. the heat sheet did help in holding some heat in.
I did set up another tarp today. Just to show what a little bigger and I think better way to go is. For a one person and dog LOL depedning on the size of your dog LOL. this one is perfect. I put a few peaces of wood to show where me fire would be. This is a great set up I have used this many times.
here are a few pics of it.
Here is where my tarp will go once I cleen it up a bit.
This looks better I did this in about 5 minutes.
here is is all set up and ready to go with me in it. My nephew took the pics.
here is the back side of it.
I used 3 logs that I cut ( each one about 2 feet long) and put them in the inside of the tarp to keep tention on the back and at the foot area to lift up the slanting part of the tarp ( I hope that made sense ) The tarp is a 6'x 8' canvas tarp. at the foot area I just tucked it in and under itself and then pegged the corner down and I tell you with a fire this is a warm way to spend the night.
I was at first going to tie off the top to the branch comming off the tree there in the middle but instead ued the upper branch and you can see I tied of just 2 points with cord then towards the foot area. The tarp lays on that bottom branch then goes to the ground and is tucked in and under it self and the pegged at the corner.
If you did not want to carry a blanket or sleeping bag with you just carrry your coat and then some insulated over alls and then put them on I really think you would be pretty good to go for the night out, just being warmed by your fire and the cloths on you body. Also it is more versitle to carry your insulated coat and over alls, then to carry a sleeping bag on just a hike some times. People would not, know you were planning on sleeping out. Just some to think about.
Bryan
Here I am on my left side and the then on back with my knees raised and then on my right side the my coat was open to let the heat from the fire warm the side that was towards it. Like I said earlyer my legs did get chilly
( no long johns on just jeans) and when they did I would lie on my back and then raise them up. then they warmed up. any ways here are the pics.
I can tell you that just laying next to a fire with out the heat sheet was way colder. I for got to say that in my earlyer post. I got up a 3am roughly to go pee and when I came back into camp I was over on the other side of the fire. It is night and day difference the lean to. It really did help in keeping heat around my body instead of just exscaping to the back of me and into the air. the heat sheet did help in holding some heat in.
I did set up another tarp today. Just to show what a little bigger and I think better way to go is. For a one person and dog LOL depedning on the size of your dog LOL. this one is perfect. I put a few peaces of wood to show where me fire would be. This is a great set up I have used this many times.
here are a few pics of it.
Here is where my tarp will go once I cleen it up a bit.
This looks better I did this in about 5 minutes.
here is is all set up and ready to go with me in it. My nephew took the pics.
here is the back side of it.
I used 3 logs that I cut ( each one about 2 feet long) and put them in the inside of the tarp to keep tention on the back and at the foot area to lift up the slanting part of the tarp ( I hope that made sense ) The tarp is a 6'x 8' canvas tarp. at the foot area I just tucked it in and under itself and then pegged the corner down and I tell you with a fire this is a warm way to spend the night.
I was at first going to tie off the top to the branch comming off the tree there in the middle but instead ued the upper branch and you can see I tied of just 2 points with cord then towards the foot area. The tarp lays on that bottom branch then goes to the ground and is tucked in and under it self and the pegged at the corner.
If you did not want to carry a blanket or sleeping bag with you just carrry your coat and then some insulated over alls and then put them on I really think you would be pretty good to go for the night out, just being warmed by your fire and the cloths on you body. Also it is more versitle to carry your insulated coat and over alls, then to carry a sleeping bag on just a hike some times. People would not, know you were planning on sleeping out. Just some to think about.
Bryan
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2008
- Messages
- 7,702
Hi guys, I thought I'd bump this up to see if anybody was out shivering in a mylar shelter this weekend. I spent the weekend in the woods with my wife celebrating our 18th anniversary, but a primitive shelter just didn't seem right.
-- FLIX
Not this weekend...but hope to be able to this coming one if I can get out to a good spot.
- Joined
- May 3, 2006
- Messages
- 1,819
That's good. I would feel bad if I knew you were out freezing while I was hanging out in the hot tub or getting a hot stone massage.
Cool place just outside of Mt. Rainier National Park. The deer were down with the Obama plan and were happy to come right up on our deck and eat out of my hand.
Here is a buck on our deck. I spared you any pics with me in them because, well I was dressed for the hot tub!
-- FLIX
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2008
- Messages
- 7,702
Wow! Right up on the deck! That's awesome 
Glad you and your wife had a great anniversary :thumbup:
Glad you and your wife had a great anniversary :thumbup:
MacHete
Hair Cropper & Chipmunk Wrangler
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2000
- Messages
- 2,559
Great idea Flix- I wish I had an entry. In fact, I am planning on doing this very type of work later this summer, but I won't make the deadline for your contest.
There is a decent sized rockface way out on the family compound, and I was wanted to build a "semi-permanent" shelter there. I'll share when that happens, but in the meantime, good luck to all entrants. Great ideas and techniques!
There is a decent sized rockface way out on the family compound, and I was wanted to build a "semi-permanent" shelter there. I'll share when that happens, but in the meantime, good luck to all entrants. Great ideas and techniques!
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2008
- Messages
- 7,702
I don't think I'll make this contest after all, way too much studying in the next two or three months to get out for very long on the weekends (won't be online much either). Good luck to everyone else though! :thumbup: