Polish Lavvu Improvements

Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,669
McBride, BC
I do most of my carving these days with Pacific Northwest native style crooked knives.
The risk of tugging one out of the wood and getting hit in the chest is substantial.
I had to ruin a few shirts and get cut a couple of times to smarten up.

Bison hides? Haven't asked the rancher in years about those. Don't know what happens to them.
There was a stretch where he could not give them away. Tanned? Not a chance that I've heard of.
I suppose that a leather welder's apron would have been ideal but that's a 5hr round trip and $150 in gas.
The canvas was XXX airline flight bag fabric that I stashed years ago.

The problem is that most of the animals (2yr olds) get knocked down in November and later into the winter.
As hide work is best done outdoors for the mess, the weather is an issue.
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
27
70
south wales
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Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,669
McBride, BC
Sorry for the derail.

The furniture guy used a sewing machine that sounded like a steam engine as it chugged along.
I'm guessing that needle size and strength is an issue. Happy to have someone with experience do my sewing.

Any tent that I've ever had could have used another dozen or more loops added for guy lines in awkward campsites.
Maybe a square of leather with precut slots in it. Then a few on the inside to hang stuff from.
 

Laurence Milton

Settler
Apr 7, 2016
605
174
suffolk
There seems to be a lot of confusion about, regarding the way these should be set up. The shoulder sections and the way that the arm hole drains are stitched, don't seem to be consistent. It suggests that the intended way of using these is: As a poncho, with the shoulder flaps on the outside. And as a lavvu, with the shoulder flaps on the inside. But both ways are compromised.
So I modded the storm flaps and drains on the arm holes, so that the outside is the same side, whatever the config.

Thanks!

No confusion, the shoulder "flaps" go on the inside whether poncho or tent.............(why would you turn your coat inside out when used as a tent?):confused:
 
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gonzo_the_great

Forager
Nov 17, 2014
210
71
Poole, Dorset. UK
I stumbled upon the Polish Lavvu tents when googling for ponchos.
And for the price, I could not find an excuse, why not to get one.

I had the usual confusion over the way these are supposed to be used. inside out etc...
As far as I could see, the shoulder rain flaps would need to be on the outside, to shead water, as a poncho. Otherwise, any leak through the first payer, would run down inside and wet you, defeating the object of having the flap. But the way the arm holes are sewn, suggest that the flap would need to be inside, in tent mode, if you wanted any ingress into them, to drain outside. So you could be transfering wetness to yourself as you change modes.

What I did, was to re-stitch the arm slots to drain to the same side as the shoulder flaps, making the outside the same for any config.
I also added zips to the arm holes and the main panles. It took a bit of careful measurement, but I managed to arrange the zips so that you could use the same zips in lavvu or as two ponchos.
Double ended zips allow it to unzip from the ground, to open as a tent flap, or unzip from the face, when wearing as a poncho.
I left the buttons in place, as a backup in case of zip failure.
And a thorough coating of fabsil.

I have since made up an A frame, from some fibreglass tent poles, with a hinge arrangement at the top, and some cord between the legs at the bottom, to save the need to peg the ends in place. That seems to allow me to easilly adjust the shape of the lavvu, into an oval, giving more length. And the lack of the centre pole obviously. The new frame works in the living room, but have yet to use it in anger.
 

Laurence Milton

Settler
Apr 7, 2016
605
174
suffolk
I brought one of these after googling for poncho's. They seemed like a fun way of having yet another tent and a poncho. And at the price, I couldn't find a good reason not to!

I used it for a couple of over nighters, then went to town on the mods.
The issues I wanted to address were: Awkward buttons, centre pole being in the way and the daft inside/outside orientation.
Also, I still wanted it to work as a poncho.

The first thing was to sew in some heavy duty brass zips. The hardest part was to get them aligned so that ether half could be used as a poncho, or the two zipped together for the lavvu. I left all the buttons in place, as a backup, in case a zip failed.
I used double sided zips (ones you can operate from the inside or outside), which worked very well for both the lavvu and poncho. I fitted them so that the zips closed downwards, in normal tent fashion, which also allowed the poncho config to be free at the waist if required.
I chose a zip length that was about a foot short of the full length. Leaving the hood area of the poncho open. The top foot being buttoned up when used as a lavvu. In retrospect, I could have just used full length double ended zippers and used the top zipper to open up the hood end.
An unexpected advantage of having the hood end free to open, as a lavvu I can open the top for a bit of extra ventilation, especially if using the trangia in there.
I also added zips to the arm holes.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about, regarding the way these should be set up. The shoulder sections and the way that the arm hole drains are stitched, don't seem to be consistent. It suggests that the intended way of using these is: As a poncho, with the shoulder flaps on the outside. And as a lavvu, with the shoulder flaps on the inside. But both ways are compromised.
So I modded the storm flaps and drains on the arm holes, so that the outside is the same side, whatever the config.

I also did an A frame mod, using some left over fibreglass tent poles (you find lots of these in the bins after festivals). I made up a top hinged coupling, which was some tubing, hammered flat at the ends and a bolt/wingnut to secure them together and a bit of paracord tied the the ground ends, to hold the legs at the correct angle, without having to spike them into the ground.
With the A frame, you get rid of the central pole and can pitch it in more of an oval, if required.

Also I have mine a good going over with fabsil.

Yep, they are heavy. But certainly fun if you don't have to carry them too far. (Or have someone else who needs a poncho.)

I have yet to try mine as a poncho. Apart from testing it during the modding process, where my daughter said that I looked like a xmas tree. Thanks!


Shoulder flappy things go inside whether poncho or tent............
 

MikeeMiracle

Full Member
Aug 2, 2019
321
170
47
Northampton
I use press studs to keep it together so its easy to get out quick when you wak up needing a pee in th middle of the night.

Flappy things should be inside when used as a tent.
 

Laurence Milton

Settler
Apr 7, 2016
605
174
suffolk
It really surprises me that after 40 odd years, people still try to put them up inside out, whatever the thinking.....but if in doubt just look at the arm slots - one way lets water in; the other doesn't....simples!;)
 

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