Tarps in the Mountains
- Thread starter Biddlesby
- Start date
In the mountains, I usually use them like a bivvy and wrap them around me and if materials avaliable, place heather and such under neath.
Bit uncompfortable if its raining, but then most situations are in the mountains when its raining. Handy if you know the area your visiting alittle, such as where emergency shelter might be had, like bothies, caves, outcrops.
Hope this helps
Bit uncompfortable if its raining, but then most situations are in the mountains when its raining. Handy if you know the area your visiting alittle, such as where emergency shelter might be had, like bothies, caves, outcrops.
Hope this helps
I think the first thing I'd do would be to find the best natural shelter available,according to wind direction, maybe a large rock or bush etc., then depending on weather and season, either make a fairly open lean-to, using the two poles to keep the front supported and then use rocks to pin the rear down, pack it with moss or turf for wind protection and have adjustable lines to lower it at night.
If it was bad weather I'd probably go for a similar set up, but have it lower to the ground, and maybe have just one pole in the middle and peg out all the other sides.
I don't know how a centre line construction would hold up. You'd have to burry the poles in fairly deeply to give it enough support.
There is/was a British Army 2 man bivi tent which came with two wooden poles and had a strap stitched on at each end at the top and two "doors". All you had to do was hammer the poles in a bit and then the tension would keep the whole thing up, once all the sides were pegged out tightly. This method would probably work as well,if the ground wasn't too rocky or too soft for pegs.
Julian.
If it was bad weather I'd probably go for a similar set up, but have it lower to the ground, and maybe have just one pole in the middle and peg out all the other sides.
I don't know how a centre line construction would hold up. You'd have to burry the poles in fairly deeply to give it enough support.
There is/was a British Army 2 man bivi tent which came with two wooden poles and had a strap stitched on at each end at the top and two "doors". All you had to do was hammer the poles in a bit and then the tension would keep the whole thing up, once all the sides were pegged out tightly. This method would probably work as well,if the ground wasn't too rocky or too soft for pegs.
Julian.
W
WNZer
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Dig a trench into the side of the mountin then stake it down over the trench, put sod on the top of it to stop water running in, then hop inside with a sleeping bag and sleeping mat.
Biddlesby said:
To be honest generally I would say don't unless you know the area very well and you know what the weather forecast is.
If you have no option then do not site it on top of a ridge or high point, always drop down from the main ridgeline itself. Try and site it so that the wind will be running into the side of the tarp and if you can site it somewhere level and in natural shelter do so. Also try to keep it low as this will decrease the buffeting effect it will get from the wind.
If you can site it so that it is an inverted V all the better as it may help with gusting or changeable wind conditions, as one of the others mentioned try and weigh down the sides with rocks at the edges (almost like you would on a tent with a valance).
Try to block off one end so that you do not get a through draft that can strip the heat from your body and good ground insulation is a must, the other end of the Inverted V can be blocked off with your daysack or bergan so you almost get a tent effect.
Beyond that take a good mountain tent
Is that the old RM Pup tent? Heavy as hell though weren't they - especially when wet?Jjv110 said:
Personally, drop off the top of the ridge (away from the direction of the prevailing/current wind!) and drop down as far as is practical. This way you can eliminate the direct wind, as well as the turbulence which is present nearer the top.
Then find a decent natural shelter - a rock, bush or a shallow depression - check the ground for moisture, get some insultation beneath you, wrap yourself in the tarp and sit still. You can go for a more formal basha arrangement - but it depends how long you'll be there for.
Ellis Bringham did stock an emergency shelter - effectively a tarp with string/lines in the corners. Stick the two walking sticks in the ground and put the tarp across them diagonally, pegging down the two corners, tieing the other corners off on the walking sticks - and down too the ground if required (for extra stability).
Hi Batfink,Batfink said:
I'm not sure what an RM Pup is. To me those abbreviations read : Royal Marine pick up point !!!! I'm sure that's not what you mean! Could be the same tent though. These were sort of brown colour and yes,as you say, very heavy and made of thick canvas. Luckily I never had to carry one very far as the vehicles normally carried them; (suspension right down of course)! I did buy one from Silverman's years ago, but haven't used it for a long time.
Cheers, Julian.
Jjv110 said:
Hi Julian, Yep - a Royal Marine - but not a Pick Up Point - but a Pup, as in puppy, tent. I'm pretty sure its the same things. One of our cadets bought one on exercise with him last year as his basha kit. The staff said "No, for God's sake don't take it!" and offered him our own basha kits, but he insisted. 3km later's we had a radio call asking for us to go and pick up his kit because it was a bit too heavy! Bless!
I think you can pick them up for about £10 these days as the Regulars/MoD Disposals seem to have entirely dropped them - probably having issues carrying them and the Bowman in the same Landy!!
Biddlesby said:
Harry, that depends on the wind direction, look at the grass in the picture you will notice that nearly all of the basha's are pitched so that they are facing the same direction as the grass has been flattened.
That gives you an idea of the prevailing wind direction
If I was going to use a tarp regularly in the mountains I think I would invest in one like this
http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/trekkertent.asp
or this
http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/twinpeaks.asp
and I really fancy one of these for using with the canoe
http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/missinglink.asp
George
http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/trekkertent.asp
or this
http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/twinpeaks.asp
and I really fancy one of these for using with the canoe
http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/missinglink.asp
George
george said:
Surely this one :
http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/hubbahubba.asp
Who could resist a tent named "hubbahubba" ?
Well, I've got to appreciate the name, but they're all a bit pricey.
What if the wind direction were to suddenly change or swirl around a lot? Would you find yourself flying back down the mountain? I'm planning to try out a tarp in the mountains.
[edit] May there also be a problem with rain coming in?
leon-1 said:Harry, that depends on the wind direction, look at the grass in the picture you will notice that nearly all of the basha's are pitched so that they are facing the same direction as the grass has been flattened.
That gives you an idea of the prevailing wind direction
What if the wind direction were to suddenly change or swirl around a lot? Would you find yourself flying back down the mountain? I'm planning to try out a tarp in the mountains.
[edit] May there also be a problem with rain coming in?
Biddlesby said:
Haven't got any experience in pitching a tarp in the way as in Zambezi's pics - but since I've got involved in bushcraft, always been intrigued in how to do this (pitching without trees).
IIRC it is possible to use your rucksack (it's somewhere in a post on here) as some sort of barrier, to give you some more protection against the elements.
Needless to say though that the weather in the mountains must not be underestimated (says me ... a dutchie - living in world's flattest country
). Personally I was thinking to use a tarp in highlands ... but that's probably madness to do ...
Harry
Did you see my tarp at the last East Anglian meet? It was based on the ideas of Ray Jardine although slightly bigger. Read about it on his website or get one of his books, he has used his tarp in many and varied conditions.
If you are taking some sort of pole and pegs then its a doddle or you can just lay it on the ground and prop up one end with your rucksac and use rocks round the edges.
But always making best use of the terrain.
Did you see my tarp at the last East Anglian meet? It was based on the ideas of Ray Jardine although slightly bigger. Read about it on his website or get one of his books, he has used his tarp in many and varied conditions.
If you are taking some sort of pole and pegs then its a doddle or you can just lay it on the ground and prop up one end with your rucksac and use rocks round the edges.
But always making best use of the terrain.
Ok its not been tried in the mountains; however I have tried this on a hillside in Brecon and on open pasture land without fences or trees.
I have adapted my British Army Basha to be used almost anywhere. I know a lot of guys who purchase bivi poles to support their bashas without the aid of trees (It is basically is a lean-to). However this tends to leave a high profile and acts like a sail when the wind picks up.
I have combated this by adding small ringlets along the inside end of the basha. These are only about 10mm in diameter. Through these I thread (when needed) a 2m length of carbon fibre tent poles (the type that have the elastic, through the centre to hold them together). I also carry a set of 6 IPK pegs (any squaddies here should know about these), but basically they are hollow aluminium pegs.
So to set it up, I place in the poles and stretch out the basha. Next I put one of the pegs in the ground and insert one end of the poles, moving over to the other side I do the opposite. This continues until the basha is up. Finally I connect a guy line to the ends and peg in into the ground. The end result is an elongated dome, which do not collect the wind like a lean-to, keeps the heat in and provides a quick shelter without the use of trees, fences or any other supporting system.
Jason
Next weekend when i come home, i'll post a picture on this thread.
I have adapted my British Army Basha to be used almost anywhere. I know a lot of guys who purchase bivi poles to support their bashas without the aid of trees (It is basically is a lean-to). However this tends to leave a high profile and acts like a sail when the wind picks up.
I have combated this by adding small ringlets along the inside end of the basha. These are only about 10mm in diameter. Through these I thread (when needed) a 2m length of carbon fibre tent poles (the type that have the elastic, through the centre to hold them together). I also carry a set of 6 IPK pegs (any squaddies here should know about these), but basically they are hollow aluminium pegs.
So to set it up, I place in the poles and stretch out the basha. Next I put one of the pegs in the ground and insert one end of the poles, moving over to the other side I do the opposite. This continues until the basha is up. Finally I connect a guy line to the ends and peg in into the ground. The end result is an elongated dome, which do not collect the wind like a lean-to, keeps the heat in and provides a quick shelter without the use of trees, fences or any other supporting system.
Jason
Next weekend when i come home, i'll post a picture on this thread.
Jason, I take it you mean something like this :
http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/ponchotent.htm
George
http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/ponchotent.htm
George
mojofilter said:
Sorry, not at the moment, but when i go back to work after the weekend i'll take some and post them up.
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