demise of the shelter sheet

[woodspirits]

the demise of the shelter sheet... is this the future of 'bushcraft' meets? hordes of pointed tents?

in the relatively short time i have been a member here, i have seen a swing towards this type of camping even in the warmer months. all my life i have done conventional camping and this hobby was a way to shed all that extra baggage and get back to basics and learn a few new skills on the way.

as organiser of a midland meet i am seeing a steady increase of this type of accommodation, be it in the form of a lavvu, tipi or whatever. is anyone else noticing this trend, or is it just me?

 

[Toddy]

I think it's because folks travel by car and don't need to carry their tents very far. The only time I had used a bell tent before was with cub scouts.
They were considered group shelters, now they're mostly used by individuals.

Lots more disposable income too it would seem

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Barn Owl]

As Mary says, most meets allow you to stack the car up and only have to walk a few hundred yards to set up.
Fine for social meet ups i'd say, i know however that i'm trying to keep it simple for my packs sake as i'm sure most do when venturing solo or in a small group.

 

[crosslandkelly]

I still use a tarp at meets and for overnighters. I also have a couple of tents and a hammock that I like to use as well. it all depends on where, how long and how far to carry.View attachment 14973View attachment 14974

 

[Squidders]

There is also the popularity of the canoe to consider... many people enjoy a bigger shelter if the canoe is taking the weight.

For me personally my tipi is my family shelter, too big to use on my own.

 

[knifefan]

I still prefer using my tarp. But I have a bivi bag as well. Only because I react badly to insect bites! !

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[presterjohn]

Its horses for courses. I was trying to sort out all my kit the other day (I failed its a bigger mess than ever now) I have tents and tarps for hiking and purer bushcraft activities (that don't really get much use). I have solo one nighter tent car camping stuff, weekend family camping stuff and the still to be used giant sized 10 man tent for a holiday in France that we have still yet to have.

 

[Man of Tanith]

I think the aesthetic side of things is definitely influencing people's kit choices.
a tipi bell tent or lavvu appeals to folk in a way a tarp doesn't
there is also a cycle within a lot of crafty types and one I have noticed with myself. start basic minimal kit. then get more specialised and have monster amounts of kit. then back to a more minimal set up once more as they realise they probably don't need half the stuff they take.I'm still working in the minimal set up again.....

 

[SimonM]

I take my hammock and tarp out for 90% of my overnighters. In fact, Im all packed for a weekend away, starting tonight. I've packed the hammock / tarp combo and a parachute as a group shelter. On top of this is a 3 x 3 tarp for use as a brew up area for the Leaders.

The lavu is used for the odd Scout camp where there aren't suitable trees, or when I need to store gear out of the way.

Simon

 

[bigroomboy]

Its all about boys and their toys. The main advantage I find in the lavuu is being able to dry things.

 

[Elen Sentier]

If I saw a set-up like that, rows of tents in a desert, I'd turn round and go home again. This is certainly not what i go out for! Looks like a posh glastonbury festival :yikes: ... not my scene.

 

[sasquatch]

Is that a pic of what the lads have brought back from Norway this time round Steve?

Like all things bushcrafty I have options with what I use, sometimes a tipi is nice but 95% of my time is spent using a tarp.

 

[Elen Sentier]

I still use a tarp at meets and for overnighters. I also have a couple of tents and a hammock that I like to use as well. it all depends on where, how long and how far to carry.View attachment 14973View attachment 14974

Nice set-ups, shall crib for advice when I see them in the flesh

 

[crosslandkelly]

Nice set-ups, shall crib for advice when I see them in the flesh

You will be very welcome Elen.

 

[John Fenna]

I much prefer a tarp to a tent, even in sub zero conditions!
I get a bit claustrophobic in a tent these days, no matter how big it is.
My general set up is a 4x3m tarp over my hammock, stretcher bed or ground sleeping stuff as a standard ridge. The hight setting and or angle of drop depends on the weather but I enjoy having a good view out of my bed in the morning
I have played around with lean to, ridge tent, pyramid type pitches but for me nothing beats a 360 degree view from a standard ridge pitch

 

[woodspirits]

If I saw a set-up like that, rows of tents in a desert, I'd turn round and go home again. This is certainly not what i go out for! Looks like a posh glastonbury festival :yikes: ... not my scene.

Is that a pic of what the lads have brought back from Norway this time round Steve?

Like all things bushcrafty I have options with what I use, sometimes a tipi is nice but 95% of my time is spent using a tarp.

that pic was the last North Wood meet,

I much prefer a tarp to a tent, even in sub zero conditions!
I get a bit claustrophobic in a tent these days, no matter how big it is.
My general set up is a 4x3m tarp over my hammock, stretcher bed or ground sleeping stuff as a standard ridge. The hight setting and or angle of drop depends on the weather but I enjoy having a good view out of my bed in the morning
I have played around with lean to, ridge tent, pyramid type pitches but for me nothing beats a 360 degree view from a standard ridge pitch

with you on that one John.

please dont get me wrong im not knocking the guys who prefer to do it that way, more power to their elbow, (and back!) no it just seems to me that its evolving into something else, some call it glamping, whatever.

and yes Mary i can understand with these meets its rarely more than a couple of hundred yards from your vehicle, and some people probably do have more disposable income to afford this style of camping.

like many others on here over the years i have accumulated a lot of gear , but i can safely say other than the main summer holiday, i will probably never use my tents etc again. i will continue with either the tarp or hammock.

this isnt a kit envy thing, and ive heard the argument 'why not be comfortable?'. its just that i struggle to understand why people who love the outdoors as we all do, want to stoke up the woodburner and shut themselves away from the sight, feel, sound and smell of the very thing they come for?

 

[Squidders]

It has nothing to do with evolution or glamping or anything else... it's just camping... If you are under a tarp at night, you're camping, if you are in a hammock you are camping and if you are in a tent you are still camping.

The aspects concerning maintenance of your sleeping area, sanitation and equipment is camp craft, bushcraft is typically what you do when you are awake.

You make camp, you don't make bush.

I don't suddenly feel like a better bushcrafter in the summer when I use my hammock under a tarp - everything comes down to personal preference, not ability or being a more adept bushcrafter.

Why else might tents be popular at meets? Privacy perhaps?

 

[woodspirits]

thanks squidders, appreciate your input but my observations are just that, at a particular location over the last 3 years they are my observations. i dont recall implying a lesser ability? no this is just me trying to understand a trend in what is undeniably happening here at North wood.

 

[crosslandkelly]

It has nothing to do with evolution or glamping or anything else... it's just camping... If you are under a tarp at night, you're camping, if you are in a hammock you are camping and if you are in a tent you are still camping.

The aspects concerning maintenance of your sleeping area, sanitation and equipment is camp craft, bushcraft is typically what you do when you are awake.

You make camp, you don't make bush.

I don't suddenly feel like a better bushcrafter in the summer when I use my hammock under a tarp - everything comes down to personal preference, not ability or being a more adept bushcrafter.

Why else might tents be popular at meets? Privacy perhaps?

+ 1 to that.

 

[Squidders]

thanks squidders, appreciate your input but my observations are just that, at a particular location over the last 3 years they are my observations. i dont recall implying a lesser ability? no this is just me trying to understand a trend in what is undeniably happening here at North wood.

I didn't dispute your observations, I believe you 100% that more people now are using tipis than before. I also didn't say that you implied anything ability wise... but my observations are that sooner or later on these forums, comments are made about the more experienced or confident or some such being good enough to be happy under tarps. Nothing you said mate, just nipping it in the bud before offering my answer...

Why I think more people use tipis than tarps...

Privacy. When you're out on your own or with a mate overnight, a tarp is great but when you're at a meet with potential strangers walking around, you want some privacy and when you keep expensive things like knives where you sleep you want them out of sight. Not every bushcrafter is honest even if we like to think so. I think a few people have had things stolen including Dave Budd at the wilderness gathering.

After more thought I would also like to add coverage to the list of why tipis might be more popular... If you're out on your own, you may have a hip flask but at meets I know things are often more social... Meals are more extravagant and all this takes up more room on things like cool boxes, tipis offer more space to store these things.

Cowboys and indians... yes, we're all out in the woods playing cowboys and indians... None of us bushcraft for a daily grind - even those that teach do it because they love it... Indians are cooler than cowboys and indians live in tipis, who'd want to take a mock up wild west frontier town with them to a meet?