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Phragmities For shelter?

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
5,944
I was thinking about doing a 3 sided thatch shelter on my next campout.. utilizing common reed or (phragmities) It grows in abundance along wetland areas and is easy to find.. In theory ( or at least in my theory.. as it is hollow to some degree, there should be allot of dead airspace in side which might make for some good insulation..so I was thinking thatched hut, and perhaps a sleeping mat... has anyone ever tried this? any thought?
 
Never tried it RR, but I would think it would be a terrific building material. I would say there is no shortage of that invasive species locally.

The hollow shaft should aid in insulating value, in theory, but you already said that. I would be really interested in your findings.

Paul
 
i've cut down cattails and then tied them into bunches around 4-5 inches thick in diameter. then used them for a roof, it works alright in the summer but i noticed when it pissed rain i'd get dripped on every now and then.
 
I would think it would take you a month to gather enough of those to build a shelter that would truley insulate you in cold weather. But I am lazy,


However, if you need a hand trying it and your free on Tuesday or Thurdsay. Let me know.

Edit: I just reread and see that you are talking about making a mat from it and not a whole shelter with it.. That would be interesting! Please let us know how it goes John.
 
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I'll look for a picture I have and try to upload it. We made an A-frame shelter almost completely out of Phragmites last spring. Worked great, very warm. Just don't have the fluffy heads exposed on the inner walls because that will make a small inside fire very difficult.
 
I made a mat with my father when I was younger. It wasn't terribly coosh but it was functional.The stalks aren't very stiff on their own and bunched they have some rigidity. They also feel sharp to the touch at the joints. I haven't tried making a flour from them but would love to try next summer.

RR, please let me know how it works for you. I can't wait to see.
 
They are SHARP as hell!

Do NOT try to pull them out. We use them for camo duck hunting. Cut them with a machete. Use a glove to hold a bunch then hack them.

I saw my buddy SHRED his hand years ago trying to pull a bundle out.


Carl-
 
Thanks guys...
PM Planning on using a machete..spen to muchtime wading through them as a kid.
Kev if you make the flour please let us know how it works out..
If and when I get to this.... I will surely post pics.
 
The American Indian Institute in Washingtom Ct. has a number of small shelters built out of phragmites and bark shelters also. When my kids were younger they had one that was about 15' by 30' and about 8' high made out of phragmites but it didnt last but about 5 or 6 years before it had to be torn down. It can be done but the time spent gathering and bundling them before starting construction is huge. I believe the A.I.I. hired some teens who gathered them all summer before hiring a guy that specialized in aboriginal structures.--KV
 
Thats the trick, the time vs construction. I can't imagine doing it without a machete (of course).

As far as primitive societies"
I'm wondering if it was a community thing to thatch a hut, or if it was just gathered for an hour or point of time each day.
 
time vs construction is an issue that prevents me from using natural shelter everytime I go out.. If I'm just out for an overnight..i will literally spend the majority of my time out preparing a debris hut..not to mention a thatched roof.. thats why now I save them for multi night trips...
 
I recall reading something (I don't remember what or where) that described a man in Japan forced to sleep by the road in feudal Japan. He bent over large clumps of tall grass in a circle and tied off the top to form a quick crude shelter. Anybody familiar with this?
 
I was in a "park" in New Jersey that's being established over a land fill and swamp land. You could see the garbage poking through the dirt on the paths, kinda disgusting but also interesting. I ran into what appeared to be a migrant workers encampment, no one was home but I didn't poke around too much in case they were on there way back. I also ran across some enormous fields of mutant toxin-enhanced phragmites. These things must have been 14+ feet tall and maybe an inch or more thick at the base. You could probably build a two story house with these things. I think I'd want a chainsaw to harvest them though :eek:
 
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