So the hubby and I are booked onto the RM fundamental course which I am really looking forward to. However I am unsure whether being of the girly persuation if I should go with just my bivvy / tarp or if on this occasion I would be better with a tent for privacy since I have no idea who else will be there, let alone any other woman. Any thoughts?
TARP or TENT?
- Thread starter Swarley
- Start date
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I am not sure if its the same but when I went on the junior fundamental bushcraft course with woodlore we took tents just to store our kit in. we were loaned a Gore-Tex bivvi bag and a hootchie which we slept in on the nights were we did not sleep in debris huts.
It's up to you on this one I think, you're the only one who knows how comfortable you'll feel. If it was simply the case of which is better, tarp or tent then you'd get lots of answers, but in the specific social context you can be the only judge of how much privacy you need.
You must have changed clothes on the beach, so do you: a) take one of those long curtain type things with an elasticated neck to cover your whole body while you change; b) struggle with just a towel and hope you don't fall over when your toe gets caught in your pants; or c) whip 'em off quick and hope that no one gets offended?
Remember you're going to be on the course for a week so it's slightly different from a bunch of complete strangers on the beach.
You must have changed clothes on the beach, so do you: a) take one of those long curtain type things with an elasticated neck to cover your whole body while you change; b) struggle with just a towel and hope you don't fall over when your toe gets caught in your pants; or c) whip 'em off quick and hope that no one gets offended?
Remember you're going to be on the course for a week so it's slightly different from a bunch of complete strangers on the beach.
.............I was going to answer with option 3, but I'd have been lying :sulkoff:
I did mine last May (the one where it poured down hard for the whole week!) and thoroughly enjoyed it!
Tent, Hammock or Tarp, it's up to you. I tarp'd and bivi bag'd it for the week, but sometimes I did wish I'd taken a tent - especially when I woke up to find a HUGE grey tree slug had crawled into my mouth!
You'll spend 2 or 3 nights under a tarp anyway. They supply an Aussie hootchie and used to supply a British Army bivi bag for that part of the course, but I understand that you have to take your own bivi bag nowadays.
With regard to privacy, the base-camp area is pretty large and you can camp as close or as far away from others as you choose.
As for knives, they issue you with a Frosts Clipper and they prefer that you use it on the course, so that everyone is operating with the same cutting tool. There was no mickey-taking at all on my course. Sure there were some gags and "insightful comments" from the staff, but always to a good end and never ever were they malicious. Don't bother taking an axe or parang - you won't be allowed to use it. Any heavy cutting will be done by the staff. If you've got a crook / hook / spoon knife, take it along.
A few sheets of coarse and fine sandpaper for sanding your carved wooden spoon etc, is a good extra to take (keep it in a ziplock bag and dont put the green wood in the same bag as the damp makes the sand come off the paper).
A foam sit-mat is a good idea. There's a fair amount of sitting on logs around the camp fire, carving, making cordage, etc and it helps to reduce the numb-bum!
If you're getting there by public transport, take a change of clothes for the homeward trip and seal them up in a plastic bag to change into after the final assessment. There was a camp shower for a freshen up, but I was still minging (by normal standards) by the end of the week!
The course is alcohol free (alcohol & sharp knives - never a good mix), so don't bother taking a crate with you - although I did take my hip flask for a nightly nightcap!
Food is all provided and I never went hungry.
Head torch and spare batteries is a good plan.
Gloves are a good thing too - nettle cordage and hot billycans - OUCH!
Have a great time!
I did mine last May (the one where it poured down hard for the whole week!) and thoroughly enjoyed it!
Tent, Hammock or Tarp, it's up to you. I tarp'd and bivi bag'd it for the week, but sometimes I did wish I'd taken a tent - especially when I woke up to find a HUGE grey tree slug had crawled into my mouth!
You'll spend 2 or 3 nights under a tarp anyway. They supply an Aussie hootchie and used to supply a British Army bivi bag for that part of the course, but I understand that you have to take your own bivi bag nowadays.
With regard to privacy, the base-camp area is pretty large and you can camp as close or as far away from others as you choose.
As for knives, they issue you with a Frosts Clipper and they prefer that you use it on the course, so that everyone is operating with the same cutting tool. There was no mickey-taking at all on my course. Sure there were some gags and "insightful comments" from the staff, but always to a good end and never ever were they malicious. Don't bother taking an axe or parang - you won't be allowed to use it. Any heavy cutting will be done by the staff. If you've got a crook / hook / spoon knife, take it along.
A few sheets of coarse and fine sandpaper for sanding your carved wooden spoon etc, is a good extra to take (keep it in a ziplock bag and dont put the green wood in the same bag as the damp makes the sand come off the paper).
A foam sit-mat is a good idea. There's a fair amount of sitting on logs around the camp fire, carving, making cordage, etc and it helps to reduce the numb-bum!
If you're getting there by public transport, take a change of clothes for the homeward trip and seal them up in a plastic bag to change into after the final assessment. There was a camp shower for a freshen up, but I was still minging (by normal standards) by the end of the week!
The course is alcohol free (alcohol & sharp knives - never a good mix), so don't bother taking a crate with you - although I did take my hip flask for a nightly nightcap!
Food is all provided and I never went hungry.
Head torch and spare batteries is a good plan.
Gloves are a good thing too - nettle cordage and hot billycans - OUCH!
Have a great time!
Thanks for the input guys.
Truthfully I am not all that shy and the hubby would prefer it if I just tarp it as it would save having to buy and carry a tent.
Truthfully I am not all that shy and the hubby would prefer it if I just tarp it as it would save having to buy and carry a tent.
Hi Swarley,
Here's an idea... take a big tarp and - if necessary - make a bentwood frame on-site. Gives you less kit to carry and more options.
This is just a 'halfling' that I made, but you could easily make something more tent-like. It will help develop your skills quickly. This took be about 40 mins to do from cutting some ash saplings to laying out my poncho. There's still plenty of tarp left and I could have given myself less headroom.
hope this helps
Here's an idea... take a big tarp and - if necessary - make a bentwood frame on-site. Gives you less kit to carry and more options.
This is just a 'halfling' that I made, but you could easily make something more tent-like. It will help develop your skills quickly. This took be about 40 mins to do from cutting some ash saplings to laying out my poncho. There's still plenty of tarp left and I could have given myself less headroom.
hope this helps
Go with the tarp, it makes you feel alot closer to nature than a tent, don't worry about anyone else they will more than likely be in the same boat as you.
Enjoy the course!
Enjoy the course!
unless the wife comes along then it would probably be a hotel 
Rod said:Hi Swarley,
Here's an idea... take a big tarp and - if necessary - make a bentwood frame on-site. Gives you less kit to carry and more options.
This is just a 'halfling' that I made, but you could easily make something more tent-like. It will help develop your skills quickly. This took be about 40 mins to do from cutting some ash saplings to laying out my poncho. There's still plenty of tarp left and I could have given myself less headroom.
hope this helps
Nice one Rod :You_Rock_
If your worried about a little bit of privacy you can always undo 2 bits of the tarp and itll make a pretty effective barrier from one direction. Its always better to wake up under a tarp gives you a better view and a better experience.
On the Ray Mears courses I've been on there haven't been any women so it might be a bit hard to find a space just for you but Im sure the tarp idea will work.
Good luck and dont forget to take some pictures.
On the Ray Mears courses I've been on there haven't been any women so it might be a bit hard to find a space just for you but Im sure the tarp idea will work.
Good luck and dont forget to take some pictures.
you'll probably get to choose a more secluded place to camp - mention it early on.
i'd take both personally - they dont take up much room (if you have a small tent) and its nice to have both set up.
if i'm sleeping outside i dont really bother with a tarp, i dont see the point of putting that thing in the way of all that lovely 'world'!
the slug in the mouth Surrey Yeoman mentioned - whats wrong with that!? talk about economy of movement when foraging!
i'd take both personally - they dont take up much room (if you have a small tent) and its nice to have both set up.
if i'm sleeping outside i dont really bother with a tarp, i dont see the point of putting that thing in the way of all that lovely 'world'!
the slug in the mouth Surrey Yeoman mentioned - whats wrong with that!? talk about economy of movement when foraging!
Why not have the best of both worlds, A tent that is a tarp and visa-versa!
http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/popup.asp?PhotoURL=/upload/productimage/96_E.jpg&ImageTitle=&Refresh=05%2F04%2F2007+10%3A08%3A49
http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/popup.asp?PhotoURL=/upload/productimage/96_E.jpg&ImageTitle=&Refresh=05%2F04%2F2007+10%3A08%3A49
As your both going why not take a tarp each, that way you can set them up sepeateley in any of the usual configurations ( some suggested earlier on the thread ) or in a similar way to Wayland does in this picture.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showpost.php?p=270263&postcount=10
With 2 you can also set them up like Waylander does but facing one another, giving almost a tipi but where you can fold any one side back on itself to produce a 3 sided shelter with the most appropriate side for the weather/view/fire open.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showpost.php?p=270263&postcount=10
With 2 you can also set them up like Waylander does but facing one another, giving almost a tipi but where you can fold any one side back on itself to produce a 3 sided shelter with the most appropriate side for the weather/view/fire open.
Well thank you one and all for your input. I have made the decision to go with the tarp, I think it would make a much more natural experience anyway, and as many of you have pointed out there is definately flexibility in its use. I know that when the hubby and I go out on our own I wouldn't want a tent anyway so it does seem silly to buy a tent for what will only be a couple of nights use.
I think my uncertainty has came from the fact that every one of my female friends seem to think I am "off my head" for even considering doing the bushcraft thing and would much rather sit on a beach somewhere rather than get their hands cut and dirty doing stuff in nature. I have decided that they are the ones missing out and I am not going to listen to them any more. I fully expect to be knackered and in pain by the end of the week, but I plan to make the most of it, and it will be nice to experience the whole thing with my husband/best friend.
I think I need to find some new female friends. What about you guys do your partners do the bushcraft thing with you?
I think my uncertainty has came from the fact that every one of my female friends seem to think I am "off my head" for even considering doing the bushcraft thing and would much rather sit on a beach somewhere rather than get their hands cut and dirty doing stuff in nature. I have decided that they are the ones missing out and I am not going to listen to them any more. I fully expect to be knackered and in pain by the end of the week, but I plan to make the most of it, and it will be nice to experience the whole thing with my husband/best friend.
I think I need to find some new female friends. What about you guys do your partners do the bushcraft thing with you?
I've tried getting the missus involved, but three kids seem to stop us all the time. This year though, we are back in UK and can abandon our kids with the olds, so we hope to get out for a one night camp over the summer at some stage. I'll go out in most weather, I feel the cold but I think that makes the dos bag at the end of the day even more welcome than normal!!
I would say go with the tarp, and if you both take one, you could set them up as a booth for when you want to get changed and thus preserving your dignity. I'm not too worried about getting naked in front of others, spent way too long in germany to get embarresed about things like that, but it may put others off their tea!!
I would say go with the tarp, and if you both take one, you could set them up as a booth for when you want to get changed and thus preserving your dignity. I'm not too worried about getting naked in front of others, spent way too long in germany to get embarresed about things like that, but it may put others off their tea!!
What do you need privacy for? It could get Ray Mears hang around for a little longer than I have heard he usually does... 
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