Hi all,
Just joined the group after lurking as a guest for a while, looking for useful information - and found a great deal more than I'd even hoped for. I'd first like to say a big Thank You for that. Let me explain why I'm here...
I got my first taste for real, old school camping years ago when I joined an historical re-enactment society and got in with what they call the 'Living History' crowd. I and the other half have the same old canvas tent we bought (second hand) over 30 years ago, a replica of one from the Hussite Wars of the 1420s, the original of which is in a museum in Gratz, Hungary.
Our tent (with a few repairs) is still going strong and we love it, but it has one design problem for the 20thC: a couple of 8-foot poles, which I can't be arsed to make sectional versions of. As a consequence, the nearest and dearest travels trapped in the front passenger seat of the car by the poles in transit - and not being allowed to smoke in the car, on long journeys this can be trying for us both.
So get a roof rack? I would, but she's a worryguts who frets about the rack coming unshipped en route and spilling our tentage all over the road or blinding the windscreen with canvas so that we career, blindly and out of control, to our untimely doom. We had a one-nighter event to go to recently so, after doing research here, I went and bought a Polish Army surplus 'peleryna namiot' (commonly called a Lavvu). Mightily impressed with it, and despite her forebodings and dire premonitions Madame Le Becheur and I passed a really comfortable night therein.
Now she complains about its small size for two people, and so, inspired by the 'Lavvu On Steroids' thread, I am planning using the Wilco clothes prop tripod method to raise the height to the maximum 280cm and add detachable skirts of c. 100cm to the lower edge. I'll let you know how it goes - undecided whether to try 4x ex Bundeswehr Zeltbahn/shelter halves or get a custom-made canvas tarp. Suggestions welcome.
Oh, and during my researches elsewhere I also got hooked on the idea of a Zeltbahn, so have just bought 4x Swedish Army triangles. Madame Le B. is presently unaware of this. I shall probably explain its future advantages as a 4-guyed sun shelter of distinctively cool character, on top of an extending canopy (or Wilko) pole
Just joined the group after lurking as a guest for a while, looking for useful information - and found a great deal more than I'd even hoped for. I'd first like to say a big Thank You for that. Let me explain why I'm here...
I got my first taste for real, old school camping years ago when I joined an historical re-enactment society and got in with what they call the 'Living History' crowd. I and the other half have the same old canvas tent we bought (second hand) over 30 years ago, a replica of one from the Hussite Wars of the 1420s, the original of which is in a museum in Gratz, Hungary.
Our tent (with a few repairs) is still going strong and we love it, but it has one design problem for the 20thC: a couple of 8-foot poles, which I can't be arsed to make sectional versions of. As a consequence, the nearest and dearest travels trapped in the front passenger seat of the car by the poles in transit - and not being allowed to smoke in the car, on long journeys this can be trying for us both.
So get a roof rack? I would, but she's a worryguts who frets about the rack coming unshipped en route and spilling our tentage all over the road or blinding the windscreen with canvas so that we career, blindly and out of control, to our untimely doom. We had a one-nighter event to go to recently so, after doing research here, I went and bought a Polish Army surplus 'peleryna namiot' (commonly called a Lavvu). Mightily impressed with it, and despite her forebodings and dire premonitions Madame Le Becheur and I passed a really comfortable night therein.
Now she complains about its small size for two people, and so, inspired by the 'Lavvu On Steroids' thread, I am planning using the Wilco clothes prop tripod method to raise the height to the maximum 280cm and add detachable skirts of c. 100cm to the lower edge. I'll let you know how it goes - undecided whether to try 4x ex Bundeswehr Zeltbahn/shelter halves or get a custom-made canvas tarp. Suggestions welcome.
Oh, and during my researches elsewhere I also got hooked on the idea of a Zeltbahn, so have just bought 4x Swedish Army triangles. Madame Le B. is presently unaware of this. I shall probably explain its future advantages as a 4-guyed sun shelter of distinctively cool character, on top of an extending canopy (or Wilko) pole
