Tents and other portable shelters

What's your favorite portable shelter?

Mine currently is my Wenzel Starlite "2 person" tent. Yeah, it 'd fit 2 midgets or kids maybe, but for me it's a solid one man bivy. I've been camping with it for a year in the US and canada and has yet to let me down, even while being rained on day and night in BC.

It weighs less than 4lbs, packs small, and is easy to deploy, easier IMO than trying to shove poles through the arches on a dome tent. 4 stakes and the corners are down, 2 poles in front to form an A and one int he back, 2 more stakes, and it's up, It has 2 side guylines to stabilize it and pull the sides out wider for more room. Once everything is cinched down tight it's nice and solid.

I'm considering a tipi for this winter, so i can have a fire inside my shelter during snowboard trips to snow country. Anybody here use a tipi?

I'm also looking for any info on DIY lightweight tipis that anybody else may have already done. I might get some fabric and try to put something together next week.

I also carry a tarp, i have a 10x12 brown nylon tarp that rolls up small, provides shelter that a tent can't and can be configured in an infinite amount of ways. I've even seen someone rig up a kayak using a tarp, some saplings, cordage, and a few rocks. Pretty neat trick i'll have to try sometime when i'm near some water.

mod edit: removed survivalist from title due to creation of new forum

[edit on 12-12-2006 by UK Wizard]

I hade a two man coleman that was a typical triangular shape.
I retired it after 20 years, and moved onto one of those globe shaped jobs.
The ones where you get 3 ten foot collapsable rods. Either one was compact enough to sling onto my motorcycle.

For years I wanted to make a full sized teepee, but the amount of fabric involved was way too costly. I suppose I could go ghetto and make one out of green tarps.
The tarps fold down to nothing, and as long as you can find the poles in the woods, you are set.

Has anyone ever used those one man tents that coil into a ring shape?
They fully expand to shape upon release. The only drawback for me is the closed diameter isn't very convenient for bikes.

Cool thread, no point having all the gear if you can't keep out of the wet and cold!

I have a basic two man tent that does the job, but i love my good old army poncho that you can do a million different things with. In fact i was out in the woods today teaching my two little daughters how to make a shelter with one. They made a hammock too and it was a struggle to get them out of the damn thing! Made thier first bow too and actualy got the hang of it pretty quick.

So for me a two man tent if i'm planning on staying out, or just a poncho to hand if i'm out for a trek. A few bungees to throw it up with and i'm sorted.

I'm going to check out the different tarps later, i would like something a little bigger than a poncho, as long as it's waterproof and has eyelets along the edge i'll be happy.

CX.

Eureka Solitaire, weighs less than three pounds. I love it, so easy to set up and take down, less than ten minutes each. One person but for me it works.

Haven't used it in a while, really need to go camping soon, it's been way too long.

I do some overnights in the yard with the kids. I want to get them used to the concept before doing a weekend in the woods.

Don't worry. Gear can look after himself!

Anyway, Improvisation is the mother of all tools.
In other words, build it as you stop to settle down. That way, you don't need to carry it around it all the time.
At the most, all you really need is some waterproof sheetings and some string.

Makeshift shelters are good, but especially in winter conditions you need to really know what you're doing in order to survive.

If you're looking for a shelter to hold a family or to live in for longer periods you may want to look at Finn-Savotta tents, tents are based on experienxe gathered from Finnish Army tents. (original design dates back to '20s and is still in use.)

Finn Savotta
(the octagonal tents, 8 person tent is easoly one man portable for moderate distances)

PS. Their Paratrooper Rucksack (LJK) is probably one of the best available.

PPS. This is not an advertisement, but after 12 months in the woods with these, i've learned to repect them

[edit on 12-12-2006 by northwolf]

North wolf - thats a good idea for another thread.

Load carrying gear.

The para sac looks good for traversing and climbing in - nice and narrow so no snagging on any thing...


Cheers for the link, but as for carrying that tent any distance, rather you than me!

That octagonal tent reminds me of a yurt used by nomadic peoples of Mongolia and elsewhere.

As for the pack... Hmm I think a new thread is a great idea. That pack looks alot like mine which I had custom made years ago. Mine has the advantage of being able to unroll into a complete bivoac shelter in emergencies. I can literaly crawl into my bag. I guess it is a pack that can double as a shelter if needed and at minimal weight increase.

Does anyone else ever use bivoac bags? I have a back pack that I can unroll long enough that I can climb into it.

[edit on 12-12-2006 by Terapin]