Goodbye Tipi, Hello Laavu?

[TurboGirl]

I see you have used the Helsport Finnmark sizes .

Are you concidering a porch Varanger camp style?.

I was hanging onto the thought that the OM and Youngling might prefer camp beds but as hubby never came in the tipi with me, it's daft to design around his possible preferences so camp beds are unneccesary- if I decide to raise up a bit, I'll upcycle the old camp bed design, using a coupla broken ones to make a curved bench/ ledge, sleeping on a curve was fine in the tipi

I used a scaled finnmark plan as the inner dimensions so the outer would be a wee bit bigger... there's lots of brill design features on it and as a laavu virgin, their pics and specs have really sold it to me as the perfect base design so I thought I'd use that rather than go for the full (impractical and more expensive) wish list!

Mmmm porch, Varanger style? I was thinking the range tent version, off to have a google-stalk

 

[Twodogs]

Hmmmmmm Nice

http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenoutdoor/5704634639/in/set-72157626685533724/

 

[TurboGirl]

Wowzers! Have you had a look through the rest of his photostream?! Loads of fab pics of close up detailing of different tenty projects including a laavu pro style, liners.... phwwooooaaarr! I don't want to go big on porches although I thought if I could make it mate up to my tarp, that'd be pretty cool- I'm feeling a potentially detatchable wing to drip protect the opening... in higher winds the tipi was fine without one as it was a pretty tall structure and set correctly (back to wind) it didn't need further shelter Here's the range tent, I'd have it shorter and less of an angle so it could be pinned back to the main tent support I reckon... it'd have the benefit of creating a door guttering too....

 

[Twodogs]

Yep Nice one
An add on tarp just gives you options , somewhere to hang your planters maybe , sun protection , rain protection , you know you want one .


Good stuff

Twodogs

 

[Elen Sentier]

That looks really good and your pattern gives me ideas for what I might do next summer (assuming we have one!) Is it coming to North Wood in Feb? Be great to see it in the flesh.

 

[MartinK9]

Nice updates Sal.

 

[Andy BB]

see http://www.cowboycamp.net/range_tents.php - got this range tent with awning on it. I think the awning has a central zip, allowing it to be folded back...

I just love the external pole arrangement - it frees up so much space inside - and you can put a d-ring on the side of the tent in the middle to attach to the A-frame

Ah - yes - the video on that page shows the zip on the awning...

 

[TurboGirl]

Is it coming to North Wood in Feb? Be great to see it in the flesh.

doubt if it'll be anywhere near ready but if I hhave the outer and fire,, might bring that . Hoping the spindle will be done tho

 

[bilmo-p5]

Wowzers! Have you had a look through the rest of his photostream?! Loads of fab pics of close up detailing of different tenty projects including a laavu pro style, liners.... phwwooooaaarr! I don't want to go big on porches although I thought if I could make it mate up to my tarp, that'd be pretty cool- I'm feeling a potentially detatchable wing to drip protect the opening... in higher winds the tipi was fine without one as it was a pretty tall structure and set correctly (back to wind) it didn't need further shelter Here's the range tent, I'd have it shorter and less of an angle so it could be pinned back to the main tent support I reckon... it'd have the benefit of creating a door guttering too....

This style of range tipui porch reminded me of a design I was messing with a few years back. Instead of the shorter pole I was trying to hold the porch up with a very long guy. The whole thing was pretty much a disaster although I learnt a lot in the process.

 

[Karl82]

I'm rely looking forward to seeing this now will you have in for NW in Feb?

 

[TurboGirl]

Baaad news... Fabric outer - 4x10m- £120, fabric inner - 3x10m - £105 (reflective), and that's without zips let alone other findings... Its not gonna happen, might try calculating a pro/ camp fire tent instead, keep me outta trouble for another week or two

 

[Twodogs]

Shame that , it was fun while it lasted

Twodogs

 

[drewdunnrespect]

Dam that's a shame

 

[TurboGirl]

Shame that , it was fun while it lasted

Ahhh well... it might help others, John was mentioning making one too. I have to go back to the drawing board and you'll have to accept that there'll always be a drooling amazonian redhead staring at/ trying to break in and claim squatters rights etc into yours... which I'm still absolutely dying to see, if you or Martin come back with a Finnmark, I'll be first in line to rave about it!

Thank you very, very much to all commenters and linkers... sometimes success is in what you DON'T do as much as the plans that DO come to fruition

 

[drewdunnrespect]

TG have you ever thought about making a baker tent or a patrol tent

 

[TurboGirl]

I've had a knight in shining armour come to rescue of my project and found 10 mins to have a play seaming the very wonderful fabric I now have!!! So excited, I need a slap with a wet lettuce.....

And here's my very quick seam sample, it sews beautifully (wrong thread, unfortunately, will use better on the real thing)

Now, lets find an appropriate smilie for my saviour....
:You_Rock_

 

[TurboGirl]

So much for a 'stealth project'.... it's a game and a half to hide the laavu goings-on!

I did a scale mock up at 1/10th (should have printed out a 'Betty' model, shouldn't I, give the whole project a bit of Fenna-appeal to go with the pink scale 'material' ) which maximises the available fabric useage at the rough dimensions bandied about earlier in the design. Initially I was a bit alarmed at the footprint and weight- it isn't going to be a lightweight option now for sure, especially when the liner is in too! But it'll be quite generous. I was surprised to see the effect on the laid out scale model of the distortion in comparison to the native indian tipi (which is designed on a half circle)- bringing the angle out and the apex a lot lower uses a good third more of the circle but wins you space exactly where the tipi lost out (around the head area- plenty vertically but that 45 degree setup was a design flaw for my useage).

Still unsure I was doing right, I've generated a full sized pattern piece, allowing 3cm for flat felled seam allowance and markings for the flyouts which will attach guys and liner. On a constant vigil for cost savings and useability in the field (woods, actually), I'm hoping to use loops of shock cord I already have and pin them together with sticks- light, loose-and-replaceable- rather than invest in plastic clips initially. If I use the system all round, I've found the elasticity very useful at keeping tension on pull outs on my homemade tarp so the system should be a good 'un. I'm toying with the idea of using something similar or the old lace through you'd see on the 9x9 and 10x10 army tents for the door rather than endless zips... I'll see how costs pan out but see a liner as a higher priority

I've got to pattern and sample the flyouts, vents (2 of, opposing sides, probably next panel to the door, probably about 15cm diameter, guesstimated rather than done the equations for air exchange!), consider the porch, chimney detailing, top... and source parts to make the chimney longer, including a spark arrester and butterfly, with a collar for both outer and liner (which can be moved up and down seperately). Cut out 10 panels and seam them (1 door, 2 vented, 7 plain). Call back in 6 months for an update

When I thought I was going to have to shelve the laavu, I did some very rough scales of loues and campfire tents... I'll bang the pic on just incase it helps anyone/ me in future if I don't get on with laav'ing

 

[TurboGirl]

Rather embaressed that Hubby's caught me playing with paper cut out dolls and their 'houses', he thinks I'm completely mad now but I'm happy as a 12yr old!

I wanted to get a feel for 3D useability, volume, door closure and porch. Happy with the door height and think I should stay with a central opening down 1 seam, possibly like the 9x9s looped ones if I can get cheap paracord

Absolutely delighted with the amount of room when lying, I think I might go ahead at this size even though it might be huuuuge- I definately will loose a lot with the liner (at least 15cm all round, tis surprising at how much capacity is lost with the liners in a tipi too). I'm thinking about releasable fastenings right to the top so it can be opened and used as a kinda communal fire loue with a central suspension sometimes when I'm hammocking/ mooting at festivals etc

3 x 6 footers, round the fire... I might rent out space to unprepared frozen folk (Not that we ever get them at NorthWood of COURSE )

Got a simple porch on it today, might make it out of my 2oz tarp camo leftovers so I can attach the tarp to it... its very rough and too big but I can work on that And I've flattened the pattern and added details as I work on them, last pic is the 2D pattern, just got to include vents, fly fastening and chimney/ support details now

 

[bigroomboy]

Partly for Turbogirl and partly for twodogs,

I was out in my helsport varanger last week and used the inner for the first time as SWMBO wants it to keep drafts and spiders away. I wouldnt say that it was saggy but it did take up a significant amount of the internal space up. This is partly because of the way it is attached only at the top and bottom, before using it I could have sworn that there were midway attachments as well be sadly not. Ordinarily this would not me a problem for us as we have the 8-10 for just two of us but we had friends this time making 4 with gear and a couple of chairs and stove which felt cramped but out organisation was bad this time. Also fitting the inner is a faff as it has to go around the pole after putting it up unless somebody knows of a better way of doing it?

 

[TurboGirl]

I was out in my helsport varanger last week and used the inner for the first time as SWMBO wants it to keep drafts and spiders away. I wouldnt say that it was saggy but it did take up a significant amount of the internal space up. This is partly because of the way it is attached only at the top and bottom, before using it I could have sworn that there were midway attachments as well be sadly not. ....Also fitting the inner is a faff as it has to go around the pole after putting it up unless somebody knows of a better way of doing it?

Thats a big help, I hope my inner will address that by having the lower tie outs too... did you loose a lot of space in the eaves too or was it a uniform slightly smaller fit? In cm, approx, for preference I was thinking about 15cm gap (inner to outer), might be being optimistic there though and I won't be able to fund a liner material for the foreseeable, unfortunately. Still want to get all the suggested hints and tips on board though!

I'm feeling to support it round the chimney instead of a pole with a collar for both outer and dropable liner but it sounds sensible to use a bracket attachment like a light scaffold joint... as fast as my husband strips the landie, I'm digging though the boxes of parts for bits