Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Made a new shelter. going to build in character poles, stakes, and more rope.

http://s1322.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... sort=3&o=3

ill post some of the other configurations in the coming days.

Frothgar

Aw shucks Frothgar!

I was expecting to see bear skins or Auroch horns or something! That looks rather civilised!
Dude! you are the one we are all living our Barbarian dreams vicariously through!!! You gotta represent!!

No really, very fine job looks sturdy and well made as well as versitile!
Great job as always!

I see what your saying.
I often find myself straddling a line between public (read Hollywood) perception of Barbarians, and my own more historically feasible interpretation.

Nothing says civilization like bleached white fabric. i plan to dye it dark brown when i can.

I admit i cheated and used grommets. not something barbarians would likely use. but i wanted this project done and didnt want to get bogged down producing and sewing waxed leather washers.

ive got more to say but i just got out of the hottub, and my mind is a touch slowed.

Frothgar

Frothgar wrote:
ive got more to say but i just got out of the hottub, and my mind is a touch slowed.

Frothgar

Wait a minute, Barbarians had hot tubs ? Crap. where do I sign up ?

Were do you think they get all the drinking and carousing practice? besides hot tubs don't seem so much like bath tubs!

You know I am just kidding Frothgar and that I rather enjoy the "hollywood Barbarian" but I think that a more historical interpretation is a much better and more difficult but enritching course for your study and recreation.

Looks great!

You might try to get some really cheap tea and do a tea dye on it- basically boil the hell out of the tea bags, and then while the water is still hot- put the (already wet and warm) tarp into it. Takes the whiteness wayyy down very quick! You will need to keep mixing it, so have a stick handy to do so. Another option is to use a cold dye in a very pale grey, as linen fabric is a pale, almost blue-ish grey color when the linen is not bleached~

One other bit- you should sew the leather you used for the grommet reinforces down, and it will work a great deal better. As it it, eventually the fabric will stretch away from the grommets, and it'll be basically the same problem you see with plain grommets in canvas. Use a fairly substantial thread, or the thread itself will cut the cloth! Don't ask how I know this, just understand I do...

Looks good, you did a great job! Such a versatile form a shelter, a lean-to makes a great fire reflector and can hold in a lot of heat when set up properly.

Nice! Now we're one step closer to a period/Ranger camp at Rag! You're a lot bigger than me, so you might be kind of cramped, but have you tried folding yours like I do mine? It's amazing at blocking rain and doesn't allow anything in under the tent.

re: hot tubs...

Geysers and hot springs brah...

Lost one grommet already from the way i staked it down, not promising. im going to replace it, and once i have my poles made i intend to spend a day showing various ways of pitching the tarp. next time i build one of these ill try to find heavy duty grommets.

Nemo, ill try it with your method im sure, but im not sure if it would hold up to rain like yours does. mine is untreated painters canvas, compared to the oilcloth of yours.

im thinking i will primarily use it in an A frame setup. with a long rope between two trees or posts as a ridge line.

Time will tell

F

Just a thought, but if you would like to make those gromets more sturdy and also increase the amount of period look to the tent, you could sew around the gromets as was done to iron rings in sails and canvas. Just stitch around it in a tight rolling stitch and cover the whole thing. it doesnt take very long and it will look good as well as keep those suckers from popping out!

Awesome set-up Frothgar.

One alternative method to using grommets: somewhat more primitive, you can put a small pebble in the corner of the canvas (where your grommets would be), wrap the material around it and tie your line so as to hold the pebble in a sort of sac. Works miracles when setting up a poncho as an emergency shelter. The downside is that it's not very permanent.
Does this make sense? I couldn't find a pic of it.

i know exactly what your on about Dirhael. and that was my M.O. For a good while with tarp shelters. but it came to a point where the the pebble method wasnt field expedient enough. and and the deformations in the cloth made it collect water and flap in the breeze more readily.

Frothgar

Made the poles, and plenty of rope. Got it setup in the back yard in the a frame setup now.
Noticing that the grommets are already pulling away from the fabric. Despite the spacers i added. Next time i may try to stiffen the fabric with wax or glue or something. Going to experiment with it a while longer while i make stakes. See if it will hold up to field use before i spend the time dyeing it.

Pictures on the way.

Frothgar