Shelter

Oh the joys of collective knowledge!! Have to try one of those painter's cloths ASAP. Thanks, RokJok.

Tom
 
pict said:
Temper,

If were just talking camping then he should take whatever he needs to be comfortable wherever he goes. If he's going to be in a desert he still needs to know how to adapt his surroundings to survive if the need arises. That is what wilderness survival is all about. I try to always carry the minimum gear necessary to make adapting the environment a viable option. No climate zone that I have ever done a "survival trip" in ever cooperates fully to make shelter building quick, easy, waterproof, and warm.

My point is that if you don't know how to fully make use of the terrain wherever you are then the resources that you did carry along will not be put to their best use either. Even in a desert of bare sand if you have a bivy sack, poncho, and liner, you are light years ahead of a simple hole in the ground. If you don't have those items in the desert and you don't know what to do with sand you will bake by day and freeze by night. Mac
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Tough to get humour with just an emoticon.
 
I looked at the woven polyester drop clothes at Lowes. $14.95 for 9' x 12'. No grommets. Marked "Leak Resistant." ??????????
 
Keeping in mind that paint is much thicker than water, it may not keep water from a heavy rain out for any acceptable period of time.

It's the same with the cheap tarps from Kmart and Walmart. They are water resistent, but not waterproofed, so for longterm use, they may fall short. However, the grommets make them more usable than a drop cloth. Bulk might make a difference though.
 
IF "cheap" refers to the "poly" - often blue - tarps, they are much more bulky and absolutely waterproof. In severe wind, the aluminum grommets on the cheapest can easily deform and pull loose. (Your rope then begins to saw through the plastic.) They cost $8.xx up for 9' x 12" at Lowes today.
 
The cheap ones deteriorate after multiple foldings and start to shed blue stuff (or whatever color they are) and leak. :barf:
 
Quite right. That's why I roll mine. I have one that just had it's 20th "birthday."

UV will, of course, eventually make any plastic deteriorate, although polyester is more resistant than "poly" or nylon.
 
same Bear from hammockcamping. Coy Boy says hi. Good advice. several hammock reviews can be found here as well.

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Shelters/Hammocks/

one I submited

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/rev...dition_Asym_Hammock/Coy Starnes/Field Report/

Coy Boy


Bear said:
Hammock? Great piece of gear. You can try one out for next-to-nothing:

http://www.imrisk.com/testhammock/testhammock.htm

Instructions for creating your own with no sewing required. Or get one of these:

http://www.mosquitohammock.com/

I've got both models, and they're among my favorites.

Bear
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