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DIY Camp Shelter
- Thread starter Uden1996
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I never used or use a shelter.
My requirement is a military sleeping bag system. With a Bivy cover. I've slept in all kinds of weather. I've woken up and had an inch of water in the sleeping bag. Which isn't as bad as it sounds. Your body warms the water up. It doesn't effect sleep.
Bugs....sorry, good for nothing bugs. The answer for that is a $20 net looking hammock. With the sleeping bag in it.
During the really nasty rain storms. I guess you could call it shelter. A roll of plastic held up by sticks. Sleeping bag inside that.
I've personally have never owned a tent. I've tried to sleep in a couple but they were either hot, hot and muggy, or the bottom fills with water. Boy scout trip. Ever since, I hated tents. Unless it's one of those military, "GP Medium" tents. Those ain't bad. But it's not something you can pack on your back.
Other shelters I used. Sleeping in between huge rocks. With enough overhang to provide some of a roof.
Did I mention bugs? Getting so use them, I'd comb my hair to get these small, pea sized roaches out. They'd craw inside your boots. They'd tried to eat the hat band out my hat. Oh, and you learn quick what bugs are repelled by some OFF. And what bugs it doesn't effect.
My requirement is a military sleeping bag system. With a Bivy cover. I've slept in all kinds of weather. I've woken up and had an inch of water in the sleeping bag. Which isn't as bad as it sounds. Your body warms the water up. It doesn't effect sleep.
Bugs....sorry, good for nothing bugs. The answer for that is a $20 net looking hammock. With the sleeping bag in it.
During the really nasty rain storms. I guess you could call it shelter. A roll of plastic held up by sticks. Sleeping bag inside that.
I've personally have never owned a tent. I've tried to sleep in a couple but they were either hot, hot and muggy, or the bottom fills with water. Boy scout trip. Ever since, I hated tents. Unless it's one of those military, "GP Medium" tents. Those ain't bad. But it's not something you can pack on your back.
Other shelters I used. Sleeping in between huge rocks. With enough overhang to provide some of a roof.
Did I mention bugs? Getting so use them, I'd comb my hair to get these small, pea sized roaches out. They'd craw inside your boots. They'd tried to eat the hat band out my hat. Oh, and you learn quick what bugs are repelled by some OFF. And what bugs it doesn't effect.
I definitely prefer embracing the outdoors myself!
Bugs are always the bane of my existence... I can't get over them lol
I see you mentioned some sort of an overhang or roof. Would something like a simple camo tarp or anything similar work for protection from the elements?
Thanks for all of the advice
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This looks like a good tarp shelter
Attached photo shows a bird's eye view of the tarp before folding along the 3 lines to form the shelter:
(Personally, I prefer a tent)
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It really depends where you plan to be. Warm and dry can mean living up here, where as I have camped for extended periods with no shelter other than what I constructed quickly in other states and countries. A good tarp, paracord, and a knife can provide all sorts of quick shelter that can work for many situations. You can get mosquito/bug enclosures big enough to string up under a tarp as well. Tents are nice and don’t have to cost a lot- especially if not needing a sub 4lb one. If you use a tent, a ground cover really extends the life of the floor.
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If you’re using lines or paracord such as shown by
barleywino
, or mentioned by
B
beeinak
, tie a simple overhand knot a few inches from where it ties to or suspends the tarp, The rain will run down the cord and drip off the knot, rather than dripping on you.
Have fun experimenting!!
barleywino
, or mentioned by
B
beeinak
, tie a simple overhand knot a few inches from where it ties to or suspends the tarp, The rain will run down the cord and drip off the knot, rather than dripping on you.Have fun experimenting!!
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Note that a lightweight 10' x 10' silnylon tarp costs $130. For $120, until Dec 4 you can get a tent from REI which provides bug protection, room for 2-3 people (or one person plus a lot of gear), room to stand up in and is normally $300 https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/camping-and-hiking/camping-tent/rei-co-op-skyward-4
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I definitely prefer embracing the outdoors myself!
Bugs are always the bane of my existence... I can't get over them lol
I see you mentioned some sort of an overhang or roof. Would something like a simple camo tarp or anything similar work for protection from the elements?
Thanks for all of the advice
That's hard to say. It'll either help or increase misery. Once climate-tize, you'll be amazed at how much things simply don't bother you. Rain, heat, cold.
What you're trying to prevent in the rain and cold are the chills. Where you staying feeling cold, can't warm up. With it lasting hours. With the only thing that'll knock it out being a very hot shower. But you won't have a shower and trust me. That creek, stream, or river is cold.
This was lets say, a forced camping trip, that lasted for a while.
You won't mind rain or the cold. As long as you keep a level of warmth.
Years back you could buy an Army poncho from the local army surplus. Now, they're not common and are expensive as hell. Reviews of the China made poncho. Some folks say it works as good as the military poncho.
And if you get a poncho. Get the poncho liner.
Boattale
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Second this! I’ve had one along time. I didn’t know they still made them.
They now have more features…good.
The ad didn’t show many configurations. You can literally make a tent if need be.
O.P., one thing you’re going to notice, as you move away from a tent and rain fly, is condensation.
Avoid the temptation to try a “survival” tube tent. Or, slit it open and use it as a tarp, so you don’t lay in dampness. G Grasshopperglock speaks the truth
The typical setup for a tarp shelter when bugs are an issue (and they almost always are) would be a bug bivy with a tarp over it.
A bug bivy is just a zippered mesh enclosure long enough for your body to fit inside. Since it's just mesh, it's extremely light weight and compact. It's almost like you aren't even carrying it. So you set your tarp up to keep the weather off of you, and then you set the bug bivy under that. This setup is really versatile and it leaves a lot of room underneath to put your gear. You can use it in all kinds of weather. You just need to make sure that your tarp is sufficiently larger than your bug bivy so that you'll get enough coverage.
Do keep in mind that in extremely cold weather you will require a fire at the mouth of the shelter.
I agree with what others have said about condensation. It's a huge problem with conventional tents. As you exhale, the moisture from inside your lungs ends up coating the inside of the tent due to condensation. It's pretty gross, really.
You are also going to want some kind of ground pad to lay on so that your body has some kind of insulation between you and the cold ground. The temptation would be to carry an inflatable one to save on space and weight, but a lot of people prefer the foam thermarest pads which fold up like an accordion.
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Hypothetical. Your group is walking in a snow-covered wood, temperature's about 10 degrees. Suddenly, a freak chill comes in and temperature drops to -30 degrees. What do you do? Assume the usual camping tools and equipment available.
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For backcountry winter travel, one normally carries a shovel (about 1 lb) in case of avalanche, falling into a tree well, campsite or camp kitchen preparation etc. I would dig a trench and stake a tarp to cover the opening like a roof, with steps down into the trench for egress. Warmer than sleeping on the surface. But I normally carry a tent, pad and sleeping bag when winter hiking, so might use those if I didn’t have a shovel. But there are lots of more bushcrafty options, like building a lean to with a fire in front
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A group of young Swedish skiers experienced that. They tried to dig a trench but the temperature drop was too sudden. Of the nine, only one survived.
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too bad. I wonder what survival gear they were carrying, if any. I don't think a space blanket would cut it.
They should have all got naked and cuddled. Body heat and all that.
My answer was similar to barleywino. Dig into the snow, set the tarp up over the hole, lay down my pad, and climb in my bag. I'd be dead, wouldn't I? It's tricky because you can't just start a fire on the snow, even if you could gather enough wood and you had the time to process it. You'd need to get down to solid ground first and then clear enough space around it to prevent the fire from drowning in melted snow. It depends a lot on how deep the snow is and how hard it is packed, and how much time you have which is basically no time at all from the scenario.
Of course if you have a camp stove then you could make your shelter really small and burn the stove for warmth. But would you suffocate?
My answer was similar to barleywino. Dig into the snow, set the tarp up over the hole, lay down my pad, and climb in my bag. I'd be dead, wouldn't I? It's tricky because you can't just start a fire on the snow, even if you could gather enough wood and you had the time to process it. You'd need to get down to solid ground first and then clear enough space around it to prevent the fire from drowning in melted snow. It depends a lot on how deep the snow is and how hard it is packed, and how much time you have which is basically no time at all from the scenario.
Of course if you have a camp stove then you could make your shelter really small and burn the stove for warmth. But would you suffocate?
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Perhaps if you were wearing a poncho, you could sit on your pack and set the lit stove (on very low setting) between your legs underneath the poncho? you would probably want to be wearing a down hood or something similar also
I travel solo to my remote cabin in winter and I carry way more stuff than I ever hope to need. One very small thing I always have in a pack with me is a can of sterno. Just lighting the can can generate substantial heat, and spreading the gel on wood can get a flame going when you think it wouldn’t. I practice bushcraft skills because I enjoy it, but when you are seriously cold it is so hard to have any dexterity at all, so I ‘cheat’ if needed. I also carry multiple lighters (different pockets) and ferro rod.
Snow shelters are great, and there are different ways to make them. The person who ran the World Survival Institute up here had a method that works great if there are spruce trees around. He focused on the lack of dexterity/fine motor skills. You can knock branches off by either pulling them, a blade,saw, or using a piece of wood as a club. Dig down or pack down snow. Stack the boughs facing the same direction about 6-8’ in length by x3-4’ wide and about 2-3’ high (doesn’t take lots to accomplish this). Pack snow on the boughs about 1-2’ thick leaving access to the stem side. Start pulling the lowest branches out and work them as it leaves a shell. You them break the boughs into smaller ones for insulation to lay on. I have done this twice just to do it and it is much easier than more complex methods.
For those who have never experienced -30F temps, it is friggin cold! Some folks say it all feel the same below zero, but I disagree. It actually hurts to breathe deeply if not using a gaiter to have warmer air. It is amazing how much harder it is to do things when it is bitterly cold. Batteries don’t like it, lighters don’t like it, fine motor skills don’t like it….
Stay safe everyone!
I would huddle for sure but at -30F any exposed skin is getting frostbite in a few minutes. Terrible freaky situation. I keep Mickey Mouse military boots and a -50 sleeping bag in addition to goretex bivy in my survival gear on my sled when going to my cabin.
I got badly stuck in lousy snow about 6’ deep on a hill a couple miles from my cabin and it was getting dark and below zero. I considered emptying my sled and flipping it over for shelter but opted to use a tarp over my snowmachine with sterno burning to have a little warmth while continuing to dig my way out.
I keep survival gear for ‘in case’, but it sure is nice getting to the cabin and getting the woodburning stove blazing!