Tent Material

[Chris Russo]

I think we're all agreed that canvas is the period tentcloth: nylon need not apply. Canvas just by itself--or even canvas covered with two layers of a boatcover canvas waterrepelling spray--isn't waterproof enough for me, though. I mean it's fine for drizzles and dew, but in the Adirondacks or Catskills you can have some crazy torrential downpours come out of nowhere. And so my question is, for my small trail tarp...

Sunforger or Oilskin?

Sunforger: Pros. It's about 10 oz a square yard and yet very waterproof; it costs less than oilskin; It still looks, feels, and flexes like plain ol' canvas; no greasy feel or waxy smell; it's flame retardant so I could build my shelter closer to the fire and save on warmth. Cons. Sunforger is a modern waterproofing method, so technically it's cheating; it only comes in white (not very stealthy, a white tent).

Oilskin: Pros. It's perfectly period--Aragorn could have used oilskin just fine; It's VERY waterproof if made right; Panther Primitives claims that their oilskin is 8 oz a square yard so it's even lighter than Sunforger; it's dark brown so it blends into the brush. Cons. It's VERY flammable--I'd want my shelter way back from the fire; it needs a wax touch-up every year or two to stay fully waterproof; a bit more 'spensive.

Thoughts?

[Peter Remling]

I looked around and I couldn't find any real alternatives to the two. I personally woud stick with the oilskin. Regardless of the material you are going to keep it a goodly distance from fire. While Sunforager may not burst into flames it will melt fiarly quikly and molten plastic on lyour skin will be worse than a burn from cloth. The molten plastic will adhere to your skin where the cloth can be brushed off.

Aside form the fire issue, the oilskin can be used for many other Middle Earth items. Haversacks, raincloaks and groundclothes or even a hunting blind are things that either won't look right or just won't work with a white synthetic.

[Eric C]

Somebody once gave me a link to a site with instructions to make your own oil cloth. Was it you Chris? I'll have to see if I can find that thread again. I think it was on SFI. I'm thinking it was in my thread about the ranger duster in the Mid-Earth forum. I'll check before the night is through.

[Peter Remling]

Chris: I just remembered something that would decrease the risk of a tent fire. The topic was unrelated to camping but the info could be used.

Twenty some-odd years ago, my wife and I went to Williamsburg, in the summer. While inside one of the houses watching the costumed staff walk around in long wool skirts and do hearth cooking, I asked one of them if they (the colonists) would have actually worn wool in the stiffling heat of the summer. I was told that wearing wool was actually a safty issue (not fashion or only option). Wool I was told, unlike all other materials of the day, doesn't burst into flames, it smolders and gives off a smelly smoke, allowing a person ample time to put out any fire before it actually started. It is credited with saving more than a few lives.

My suggestion would be to purchase whatever tent material you'd prefer and drape a spare piece of wool or your wool cloak over the area of the tent closest to the fire.

[Arik Estus]

Actually, if your fire is big enuf to catch your tarp on fire, its to big. To obvious to the orcs and other baddies. You can have a fire close enuf to heat and dry you out without burning your tentage up. Try to make it a wrap around, like 3/4 of a circle with a fly overhang. The fire would be slightly under the fly/flap/overhang and be protected from the wind.
My tuppence.

[Eric C]

Welcome Arik! Good to see you here. Thanks for the input. The bad thing about any size fire is that it can give you away. Thus you can die. The bad thing about not having a fire is you can't cook, dry things out, warm up. Thus you can die. I never went to find that link either. Sorry .

[Andy M]

I like the oilskin. This is a 3/4 oilskin cloak with hood that goes about half way down my calves and it works well as a temporary shelter. I stayed dry in a moderate storm.




http://www.meranger.com/cloak_shelter_op_800x478.jpg

[Peter Remling]

Home Despot has canvas painter's drop clothes 9x12 for less then $20. ea Two of these and a good waterproofing treatment would be more than adequate for a 1-2 man tent, flaps included. For tent poles I'd suggest makeing them socketed so they can be put together and make a decent walking stick. A really clever guy would suggest a spear head attachment also, but I guess I'm not that clever.

[Beornmann]

http://www.historicaltrekking.com/ has some great ideas, one of which in the Forum Section is this topic. Search oil cloth or waterproof.

Peter mentioned using wool. I think the wool would be too heavy when wet, but I have a friend who’s into tent making. I remember him making a Bedouin tent and using two layers or wool for the waterproofing. I’ll see him in the next week or so and I’ll ask about this.

My $0.02. I would rather sacrifice authenticity for safety….if it’s not frame retardant, I’m probably not going to use it.

[hesinraca]

Not exactly "tent material" but www.yurtco.com makes some awesome yurts, and for a more permanent outpost that doesnt get into heavy architectural efforts, these are great. The 8ft one supposedly only takes a few hours to put up...

[Sam]

Just surfing the web for some more ideas concerning tarps, I found a few links that may interest us. Check them out.

http://www.wizzywigweb.com/longshot/diamond.htm
http://www.crookedtreefarm.com/history/tent/tent.html
http://marina.fortunecity.com/seaview/2 ... =924350899
http://www.bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3421
http://www.whitesmoke.co.za/powwow/view ... 6e5eee6d04
http://www.equipped.org/tarp-shelters.htm

Anyone got an update on their shelters, or anything you have learned on their outings that you want to share?

I learnt that this:

(AndyM) I like the oilskin. This is a 3/4 oilskin cloak with hood that goes about half way down my calves and it works well as a temporary shelter. I stayed dry in a moderate storm.

...is probably one of the better ideas considering multi-purpose, effectiveness, and weight. It seems that Andy was onto a good, well-tested idea when he coupled this with his purpose-made ground cloth. (Pictures of both no longer available on the web, but I have pretty much all of Andy's pics from his website, and from his posts elsewhere on the web, stored on my HD at home. If anyone wants anything, then let me know. I also have (I think) the whole meranger website stored, which I uploaded in another thread.)

If I start to add up all the weight and bulk of the various items we come to feel as necessary (tarp/tent, groundcloth, blankets, cloaks) it starts to become impractical for trekking.

Does anyone know if Andy made the oilskin cloak from the same pattern that he made his other cloaks? From the looks of it, it seems different, but it's really hard to tell from the photo.

[Chris Russo]

I think it's less impractical in a small group situation than it is in solo trekking. In solo trekking, sure, you don't want more than a waterproof cloak to string over you. In a group of two or three, though, where one man can shoulder a small tarp while the other carries the blankets, you have much more versatility without adding all that much weight.

Of course, the most versatile of all is something like the shelter halves the Civil War soldiers carried: a 5x5 oilskin or canvas tarp each man carries, with buttons to attach them to each other. One shelter half makes a one-man lean-to, two make a warmer and more weatherproof two-man dog tent, and with four or five you can make even larger shelters. If we can make our cloaks do what shelter halves did, we'd be in even better shape.

[Mirimaran]

That's a good idea, Chris. I think that adding small grommets to the edges of cloaks or an overlapping flap for the grommets would not be hard at all. All we really need to do is agree on one uniform pattern for an oilskin cloak.

[Peter Remling]

The easiest way would be to use a 1/2 cicle cloak pattern the same length with buttons down the same side at the same intervals. Buttoned together you'd have a rounded dome or tepee tent. Use the hoods to cover the center or leave open for a smoke hole.

This project has merit. Anyone willing to make 2 cloaks. I'll provide enough canvas for both!

[Greg]

Anyone know of anyplace that supplies grey canvas?

Pete, I'd take you up on that, but I've got too many irons in the fire right now to dive into a project of that magnitude.