Parachute shelter?

[Backyard Bushcraft]

Hi just negotiating a big parachute off ebay for my scout group in hopes to make big shelters in, im thinking if i attach a loop at the top in the middle and atach a rope and go over a tree with that then peg the outers down i'd end up with a tipi shaped thing??
has anyone else done similar (pics would be nice trying to convience nice scout comittee to part with their pennies)

 

[Aliwren]

If I have interpreted you correctly your idea sounds similar to Woodlores 'base' camp. They have a parachute hung relatively high from the trees and staked out to provide a shelter, though no sides . Under this is a small fire and kettle and a circle of logs for people to sit on. This area is used for socialising and lessons and provides a centre point for everything.

I am useless at photos but I will try.

 

[chas brookes]

Here are a couple of pictures from a course I did at Woodcraft School they use a parachute for a shelter. The size is adjustable by how much you pull the base of the canopy out and they also have a fire in it 24/7
Hope this helps

Chas

 

[Aliwren]

Ok here goes first attempt at posting a photo onto the internet!! These were taken at my Introduction to Bushcraft course last year.

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[hammy]

Hope this helps persuade them to give you the cash. Same again fire 24/7.

 

[Backyard Bushcraft]

and do they need much moding to get this effect??? they look really impressive and homely ha ha

 

[Goose]

I will be taking a parachute to the delamere meet, so you have a proper look and atke some pics while you are there.

 

[Backyard Bushcraft]

you the man goose, you the man ha hah a

 

[MitchelHicks]

There really good to stay under in a light shower although if you get some hard rain it goes through the material and you get a fine mist coming from the roof of it.

There really big though you can peg it out really well depending on what size one you get.

The photos on here I think are from Ray Mears Courses and they used one on my course and it was easily big enough for a circle of 20 people and a large fire in the center.

There worth it if you have a large group as its a real center to a camp however making the chairs is time consuming or you can just sit on the floor.

Good luck

 

[spade13]

is ther any way to proof one of these? im thinking of making a tipi out of one and jsut wondered how much modding it will take?
cheers

 

[Greg]

Do you mean like this:

 

[Shewie]

is ther any way to proof one of these? im thinking of making a tipi out of one and jsut wondered how much modding it will take?
cheers

I don`t think you can ever get them completely weatherproof spade but they will take a fair bit of rain before starting to leak.

They come up on ebay from time to time so keep your eye out

Just seen Gregs post for a few going

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=354561#post354561


Rich

 

[Mike Ameling]

A parachute does give you a lot of material to work with, but it is designed to be a half-sphere. Hanging it from the center and tying/staking out the bottom edge will still leave a whole lot of extra fabric flopping about.

They do work great for a "sun shade", and so-so for shelter from the rain. The steeper you set it up, the better it sheds water. But that also narrows down the final floor space.

Waterproofing will be problematic. Most parachutes are made from a modern nylon type fabric of a fairly open/loose weave. Waterproofing soaks into the threads of the fabric, and swells them up so that the little gaps between the threads are closed up. The more the threads swell up, the tighter the fabric is and the better is sheds water.

So they will work better as a "fair weather" shelter or sun shade.

Early parachutes were made of silk - like those used in WWII and before. Silk offered the best strength for weight combination. After WWII, they developed better/cheaper modern fabrics to use - like nylon. I haven't done much reading on parachutes, but I don't think they ever used cotton fabric.

So, in my opinion based on the few parachutes I've worked with, they are better for fair-weather sun shades, and only work so-so for shedding rain (unless you set it up with really steep sides).

Just my humble thoughts to share. Take them as such.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[spade13]

well thats just saved me a whole lot of faffing about then think ill just get my self a lavvu tindie what with the xmas bonus just ariving in the bank! wooohoo

once again cheer guys

 

[nicodiemus]

When i was in the Himalayas this time last year, i stayed in a large tent made from a parachute. Or rather the roof was. The walls were made from what appeared to be old sail canvas, and patches of nylon tarp, all held up by bamboo and bits of wood i couldn't identify. The shelter was warm, heated by a simple woodburning stove with a steel chimney. It quite happily held us (six of us) for a few days, and would have easily held more. We slept in seperate tents, but most of the time not on the ganga was in the big tent.

 

[RootsFS]

hello there, is there a way to set up a parachute shelter like this without the benefit of overhead canopy? presumably we'd be considering a central pole? any thoughts welcome... thanks!

 

[RootsFS]

hey folks, is it possible to set up a parachute shelter like hammy above without the benefit of overhead canopy? i'm looking to create a base structure for teaching, crafts, etc - presumably we'd be looking at utilising a central pole? any ideas welcome

 

[TheNugget]

So, we've done this.
We have a central pole made from 4 or 5 metre long gas pipes about 2inches in diameter. We've threaded the pipes and have a pipe on an L shaped connector at 90degrees on the bottom for stability.
All we then do is screw the pipes together, hook the parachute centre to the top and stand it up.

Then we have guys on the chute and either tie them to appropriate trees giving the chute lift, or put 2 meters poles at the junction of the chute and guy and peg to the ground. Or a mixture.

Takes about 20 minutes with 3 people to put it up.

It's not waterproof, we've tried to Fabsil it but it doesn't work.
However it tends to shed rain to the edges then leak through there.
With a big fire under it you get your own cloud!