Tarp Shelters

Joe,
If I'm guessing correctly, and if I recall from his posts on another forum, Dale's 11oz. raingear and shelter is the Sixmoon Designs Gatewood Cape. I recently picked up the same one and have been pretty impressed with its performance, but the quality and the finish on the sewing could be a little better. To learn more about it check out their website sixmoondesigns.com and the reviews on bacpackgeartest.com.
 
I could have sworn that spray paint adhered to tyvek?
Waiting on Gibson to tell us.
Chris, I have another type of house wrap, it's a light green, like the color of a fresh new leaf in the spring. But this stuff is more woven, thinner than a standard blue tarp, but definitely thicker than white tyvek.

My neighbor's a builder, I'll see if can scrounge a piece of white for paint testing.
I through away tons of tyvek scraps when building my house...dang it...oh well, can't keep everything.
 
idroptapul said:
Joe,
If I'm guessing correctly, and if I recall from his posts on another forum, Dale's 11oz. raingear and shelter is the Sixmoon Designs Gatewood Cape. I recently picked up the same one and have been pretty impressed with its performance, but the quality and the finish on the sewing could be a little better. To learn more about it check out their website sixmoondesigns.com and the reviews on bacpackgeartest.com.
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Thanks! Shoulda thought of backpackgeartest.org myself. I'm lazily looking around for a product like this cape -- it'll be my dayhike just-in-case raingear/tarp, so it needs to be super light to fit into my dayhike pack. Seems like this and a few other entries might work.
 
Joe Talmadge said:
Thanks! Shoulda thought of backpackgeartest.org myself. I'm lazily looking around for a product like this cape -- it'll be my dayhike just-in-case raingear/tarp, so it needs to be super light to fit into my dayhike pack. Seems like this and a few other entries might work.
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My 11oz. tarp shelter is indeed the Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape Shelter. If you really want to get into tarp shelters, check out the forums atBackpackinglight.com. It's where all the fanatic gram counters hang out :) Some of the guys there are going out with 5 pound (and less) base pack weights. A knife in that world is an SAK Classic or a Leatherman Micra. The hard core ultralighters would crap over something like my 7.5oz Entrek Javalina, let alone some big Swamp Rat or Busse chopper.

The basic ultralight tarp is a silicone coated nylon tarp, preferably with a caternary cut, so it piches taught and sheds wind. Most poncho shelters are so small that a bivy sack is needed to really make them work. Add Sprecta lines for guy lines and titanium stakes. Trekking poles or sticks are used for pitching.

From the tarp, it goes to shaped tarp tents and single wall tents. Many hover around 2 pounds. Henry Shires is a well known maker, as well as Six Moons Designs, and GoLite. There are more. The ultralight hiking world is full of mom-pop garage businesses and oddball inventors, so there are all kinds of options. There are compromises and most of the UL stuff isn't cheap.

The gain in the shelter I use is that I can leave a 12oz rain parka at home and get my shelter too. My previous shelter was a GoLite Hut1, which weighs 15oz, for a net weight reduction of one pound-- the 12oz rain parka plus the 4oz savings on the shelter.

For day hiking backup, one of the Adventure Medical bivies and a poncho will cover a lot of bases. Add some line and 10 light stakes. A space blanket will do for a ground cloth. Of course I think the Gatewood Cape is the way to go too.
 
GibsonFan said:
I just went and dug a can of spray paint out of the shop, I'll take it to work tomorrow and see if it sticks. I'm guessing not.
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That crunching sound you hear is me, eating my words. I'm pleased to report that a regular can of DAP gloss black spray paint stuck to the Tyvex just fine, dried normally, and did quite well regarding scuff-resistance. Bending, folding, creasing, all had no effect. Abrading two painted surfaces against each other did rub some paint off, but I had to work at it. The paint adhered well enough that a piece of clear packaging tape applied to it and rubbed down tight, then peeled off, did not affect it at all. The paint was noticeably dulled by scraping with my thumbnail, and of course, a knife blade scraped it about half off easily.

The fibrous, random nature of the material shows up very well when painted; I think if your aim is camouflage, this would be in your favor. I have zero experience putting in grommets, but I don't see why you couldn't. It can be sewn into garments, after all.

On the down-side, resistance to flame is about zero.

Now I just need to find a couple tarps' worth without buying a whole roll. Orrrrr, talk the little woman into sewing a boatload of 9.75" strips together, I can get those free, lol...
 
USPS priority mail envelopes are made of tyvek and already have adhesive on them, maybe you can pick some up at the post office and stick them together until you have a tarp or groundcloth :D
 
snare said:
USPS priority mail envelopes are made of tyvek and already have adhesive on them, maybe you can pick some up at the post office and stick them together until you have a tarp or groundcloth :D
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Heheh-- and wear one for a hat too. They don't make half-bad organizers/stuff sacks and garbage bags. FedEx are my favorites :D

Seriously, Tyvek makes a great ground cloth, but it will tear in the wind. A blue poly tarp is the cheapest durable tarp version I know of. The smaller ones aren't outrageously heavy. They are a perfect option for a vehicle based survival kit. Silnylon is the way to go for hiking-- cost aside.
 
BrettP said:
Runningboar I like the idea of using arrow shafts. How do they go together? Do they interlock somehow?

Cheers
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I bought a box of assorted easton arrows at a swap meet and had just enough 2315s, a size I don't shoot, to make my poles. I cut them to length with a tubing cutter epoxied in some 2018 pieces that I had left over from cutting some down and that's it. When I get home tonight I can take some pics if you are interested. Chris
 
Some really great pictures. I love tarps for when a lot of rain is not expected, but I have never really found one that would keep my wife and I dry in a sustained downpour.

I have even used a 10X 12 one and rain was still getting under it. Also if a lot of rain comes down at once it will run under the tarp and unless you are in a bivy or something (which kind of defeats the purpose of the lightweight tarp anyway) you can wind up getting wet.
 
runningboar said:
I bought a box of assorted easton arrows at a swap meet and had just enough 2315s, a size I don't shoot, to make my poles. I cut them to length with a tubing cutter epoxied in some 2018 pieces that I had left over from cutting some down and that's it. When I get home tonight I can take some pics if you are interested. Chris
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Thanks for the info. Now I understand how you get them together. That is a smart idea.

Thanks
 
If it is just me, I totally dig my hennesy hammoack, asym, but when going lightweight with the wife, we use MSR's Trekker Tarp. It is a 2 piece,updated kinda baker tent. In foul weather (when no mosquitos are about), I use just the shell. It has a screen insert, when pitched by itself, that is great for stargazing, or put in the shell when needed. Each part weighs about 2 pounds. Super versatile setup!
 
hollowdweller said:
Some really great pictures. I love tarps for when a lot of rain is not expected, but I have never really found one that would keep my wife and I dry in a sustained downpour.

I have even used a 10X 12 one and rain was still getting under it. Also if a lot of rain comes down at once it will run under the tarp and unless you are in a bivy or something (which kind of defeats the purpose of the lightweight tarp anyway) you can wind up getting wet.
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Funny, I lived in one for a week of sustained gale winds, freezing rain and rain. Horrid conditions and stayed drier than any tent I ever owned.

The trick is to suspend the tarp tipee style from the middle and pin it to the ground and seal it. TO do this you do need a large tarp at least 10X12. In sustained wet locate it on higher ground with good drainage and dig a trench to drain downhill. A tent is no different and needs a trench and carefull placement in biblical torrents.

People forget that a tarp does not have to have open sides but rather it can be sealed shut from the elements especially in colder conditions. Matter of fact my tents all have mess roofs under the fly and let in wind freezing you where as my tarp is 100% windproof trapping warm air inside. Condensation will build up but will run down the sides and is no big deal, no different than a tent but much more room and you sleep in the center.

For the benefits I am a 100% convert to the tarp now. My tents gather dust and are used only for car camping.

Setting up a tarp in different configurations is a skill but can be learned and practiced.

My 2 cents.

SKam
 
fod said:
If it is just me, I totally dig my hennesy hammoack, asym, but when going lightweight with the wife, we use MSR's Trekker Tarp. It is a 2 piece,updated kinda baker tent. In foul weather (when no mosquitos are about), I use just the shell. It has a screen insert, when pitched by itself, that is great for stargazing, or put in the shell when needed. Each part weighs about 2 pounds. Super versatile setup!
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I swear there is a whole tribe of hammock campers. I really need to try it some time. It would think that those whole liv and camp where there are lots of creepy crawlers would love 'em. The only thing that seems to need some special attention is insulation when it's cold-- and you need trees :)
 
DOnt forget you sleep alone so lb for lb a hammock is less practical weight vs space wise vs a silnylon tarp.

I have a Clark jungle hammock and can't sleep in it when temps dip 10 degrees below the freezing point.

Freeze my arse off even with a foam pad, thermarest and decent bag.

That said its great in summer on solo trips or with people you dont want to be next to haha.

Skam
 
Skam,

What do you think of those down insulators they make to go under the hammock to insulate you from below? Have you tried them out?

-- FLIX
 
I have zero experience in a hammock but 16 years in a nylon army cot, I can't see it being much different, I haven't had any trouble just using a thermarest.

I have read on line about some hennessy fans using a car windshield reflector to use as a mat to reflect body heat, seems like it would work well. It doesn't seem to me that down would work that well, it would compress to much and down works like it does because of its loft. Chris
 
Chris,

You're right that your body weight would compress the down too much to be of much thermal value. I've heard people say the same thing about their Thermarests. The way I understand the down "cozy" it is that it is suspended under the hammock, so it provides an insulative barrier but isn't crushed.

-- FLIX
 
FLIX said:
Chris,

You're right that your body weight would compress the down too much to be of much thermal value. I've heard people say the same thing about their Thermarests. The way I understand the down "cozy" it is that it is suspended under the hammock, so it provides an insulative barrier but isn't crushed.

-- FLIX
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That's right on the down-- it goes under. Hammocks are a love it or hate it thing, IMHO. My guestimation is they are great in the Summer, but less so for other times of the year-- you have to haul this, that, and the other thing and it gets too busy for me. The people who like 'em go forth with the glint in their wild eyes :D
 
FLIX said:
Chris,

You're right that your body weight would compress the down too much to be of much thermal value. I've heard people say the same thing about their Thermarests. The way I understand the down "cozy" it is that it is suspended under the hammock, so it provides an insulative barrier but isn't crushed.

-- FLIX
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Aha, that makes sense and proves my ignorance about hammocks. I am a thermarest addict, can't live without it.:thumbup:
 
DaleW said:
I swear there is a whole tribe of hammock campers. I really need to try it some time. It would think that those whole liv and camp where there are lots of creepy crawlers would love 'em. The only thing that seems to need some special attention is insulation when it's cold-- and you need trees :)
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Do it and ground dwell no more

Yes, Insulation is a need. Even in summer. Usually my sleeping pad and bag suffices. My back thanks me when I sleep in in it.
 
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