Shot at a tent

[Paul Ungur]

After I tested with my gf our new UL tent, I came to question how practical is saving even a pound if by the end of a trip our sleeping bags are wet from touching the walls of these extra small tents.

I had a lot of time to think about it in bad weather. I want an asymmetrical tunnel tent.

I want to make a mockup out of cheap hardware store tarp, but I need something to make my poles out of. Any idea what I can use for CHEAP testing poles?

[Roger Caffin]

See for a start:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_part1.html
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_part2_2012.html
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_part3_2012.html

Cheap poles – assuming you do NOT want them to take ANY weather at all:
Heavy fencing wire (a bit thin maybe), poles from a $10 Walmart or op-shop tent (but they may be fiberglass and rather stiff), thin bamboo with Al tubing joiners, heavy edging strip from structural composition board (rather flexible), …

Someone did manage to use bits of cheap fiberglass poles joined with elbows made of clear beverage tubing – search here on BPL for pics.

Cheers
PS: GOOD choice!

[Jerry Adams]

pvc pipe is cheap and somewhat flexible

black plastic pipe for drip irrigation is probably too flexible

check out big box home improvement or plumbing store

another thing is to use a string, like nylon mason line to simulate ridges

[Jerry Adams]

I've played with tunnel tents but found pyramid tents better

Maybe 1 pound for tent and 1 pound for pole and stakes

I wrote an article but you have to be a "M" to read it

http://chrisroane.blogspot.com/2011/02/myog-10×10-pyramid.html is pretty good

if you're a couple and don't want a tent pole between you that's a problem, but you could make tent wider on one side/shift base of pole over a little

[Anonymous]

Along the lines of what Jerry said with Pyramid (or Tipi tents), you can also put a loop on the outside apex to hang the tent, or find a branch similar length to your pole and do an inverted V to get more couple space (you have had to put something under the pole if it's not adjustable or add a pole jack.) Obviously a loop/cord solution will give you the most space (and will weigh the least, if you don't bring a pole), but does take a bit of the convenience factor away.

[Stuart R]

I made a wood frame mockup for creating patterns. However, I cut the main arch to match the curve of the Al pole used in the final tent.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=46644

Don't underestimate the effort required to make a tent. Hint – it's not a w/e plus a few evenings.

[JOHN Hixon]

If you're going to use PVC, make sure to wear safety glasses when bending. It can shatter without warning.

[Kevin Beeden]

I made a newspaper tent mock-up years ago, which may be what you're trying to do here (coincidentally, also an asymmetric tunnel).

To mimic the poles, I used a folded triangle of corrugated cardboard for the straight section of the pole, and a cheap, plastic curtain rail for the curved section.

Of course, this mock-up proved the fallacy of using straight pole and circular arc sections to try to mimic a bent aluminium pole subjected to the loading of a tensioned flysheet…

[Franco Darioli]

"I want to make a mockup out of cheap hardware store tarp"
Even less expensive is to use painter's drop sheet.
The best part with this is that cheap tape (wide clear or brown packing tape ) will stick to it so easier to make a few mock ups for less than $10.
Here is one of mine :

That type of drop sheet has a bit of give so somewhat simulating what you get with silnylon.
Newspaper would work better if Cuben is what you want to use .
BTW, mine was just a quick (a couple of hors hork) and dirty mock up to test the size, I had no intention whatsoever to make a real one.

[Jerry Adams]

Or, even easier, you can run line on the ridges and get a good idea how much room there will be.

[Franco Darioli]

Yes good suggestion.
Much faster to see if it will not work and or if it can work , by doing the string mock up.

Do that then shove your mat/sleeping bag and gear under it and if it looks tight then well it will not work.
If it starts to look OK , keeping in mind some sagging and or possible claustrophobia, start with the walled version.
Tips : on a paper drawing tents tend to look bigger than in reality.
Cats don't need a lot of headroom.

[Paul Ungur]

Good stuff ppl. I hope I can find some bamboo sticks or craigslist an old tent for it's poles.

I never tried to attach two pieces of silnylon together. I really need to learn a lot more about stitching in general. I know silicone is quite hard to glue together. I guess don't stand a change to just glue my seams? Too bag vhb tape won't work on silicone :(. Cuben would be cool but way too pricy for what I want. Is there any material that is comparable to silnylon but adhesive friendly?

[Jerry Adams]

Takes too long for glue to dry

It takes a bit to learn how, but sewing isn't that difficult

Cuben can be attached with double sticky tape

[Sam Farrington]

"I want to make a mockup out of cheap hardware store tarp, but I need something to make my poles out of. Any idea what I can use for CHEAP testing poles?"

For scale models, I use music wire on either foam board used for signs or reinforced cork used for bulletin boards.

For full size models, you might try the fiberglass rod sold in many hardware stores to hold up driveway markers/reflectors. I've mostly used alloy poles from old tents no longer in service because the old poles have the same flex as new ones will have. But neither of these may be as 'CHEAP' as you want. PVC pipe I found too flexible to reliably simulate tent poles. For patterns, I've also tried cutting up cheap discount store tents, but without much success, as they were made from poorly sized patterns to begin with.

On Roger's AU site,
http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/DIY_RNCSummer.htm
http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/DIY_RNCSummer.htm#2M2P
-there is quite a bit of useful info about building frames from wooden panels, and a rigid wood frame will probably not only be cheaper, but produce pattern pieces that are more accurately sized. The flexing of rods makes it hard to use them for a frame that will yield pieces for a pattern that are correctly sized.

The best tents I've seen on MYOG have used the wooden frames, like Stuart's linked above. Being lazy, I've tried to use rods and tubes, and taken many years to makes tents, while others used the wooden frames and got them done in a few months. There must be a lesson in there somewhere, but it has escaped me.

My cat takes up a whole couch most of the time, much like Franco's cat takes up the whole tent mockup. Cats may be in secret psychic communication with each other everywhere about how to keep the upper hand with humans.

[Paul Ungur]

I found some driveway markers that are really good.

Back to material. What are the practical differences between silnylon and PU coated nylon? PU would be a lot easier to glue and tape.

[Roger Caffin]

> What are the practical differences between silnylon and PU coated nylon?
Weight for weight, silnylon can be 3 – 4 times as strong in a tear test. Seems unbelievable, but it happens.

Silnylon does not (really) absorb water into the fabric; PU-coated fabric can.

Cheers

[Paul Ungur]

I saw mentions of ELASTOSIL E43 for glueing silnylon. Any idea how good it actually is?

[Dave Ayers]

For something straight, bamboo gardening poles are really cheap.
For something that bends, the Coleman fiberglass replacement tent pole kit is ~$7 at Walmart.com and has 4 27" pieces.

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