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From Scratch event sleeping tent?


Tartan Jack

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As I am going to Lockhouse in July and am rapidly putting my kit together, I realize I need a tent to sleep in.

I have LOTS of wools to use as blankets and any crap covers inside the tent, so that isn't an issue.

My problem: not much budget right now.

SO, whereas, in theory, pirates would not have "general issue" camping gear, wouldn't have the means or necessity to have complex camping gear, that should not be overcome-able.

So, what should I buy?

How much of it?

How would I put it together?

What do I need to do with it before the event (prepping it)?

Oh, and this just for me to sleep in.

Edited by Tartan Jack

-John "Tartan Jack" Wages, of South Carolina

 

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You can put together a serviceable simple tent easy-peasy leamon squeezy for around $45-$60 if you aren't picky.

You need:

From Home Depot:

6'x 11' canvas painters tarp

two 2"x 2" x 8' redwood poles

two 3/8" x 10" screw bolts

1 can polyurethane coating

44 feet of manila/hemp rope

1 wood dowel

From Wal-Mart:

1 grommet setting kit

From Jo-Anne's or your favorite fabric store:

1 yard duck canvas, natural colored

waxed thread

From Army Surplus:

10 tent stakes

Tools needed:

A saw

A paint brush

A drill

A wrench

A grinder or bolt cutter

A sewing machine or at least a needle and thread

Scissors

A hammer

A sander or just sand paper

A wood file

The tent:

Cut 16 3" by 3" squares out of your yard of duck canvas. These will be used for rip stop support on each corner of your tarp, the two sides and at either end. As so:

3656386733_378a474763_o.jpg

You will sandwich the tarp between the pieces of canvas and sew as shown. Then grommet each piece.

You could use stitching to make it look like a piece of sail or paint it or something as well.

The poles:

Cut your redwood down to 6' lengths. Sand the bottom. Using the wood file, file off the corners along the top to round it out into a peg and sand. Leave the top flat, as such:

3657180878_e6e58b40e2_o.jpg

Screw in the bolts to the top leaving the haft exposed. Cut off the head with a grinder or the bolt cutters. Seal your poles with poly.

The rope:

You want four lengths at 11' each. Cut toggles that are about 4" long from your wood dowel. Drill two holes in them with a 3/8" bit. Sand and poly. Feed one end of the rope through each hole in a toggle and tie it off. Tie a simple knot into the other end of the rope, loop it over and tie it together with waxed thread as shown:

3657180890_afe1063f9a_o.jpg

Simply set up as shown:

3656386777_7257b1d56e_o.jpg

You can modify from there. Add on tent flaps to the front and back, water proof it with Kanvac, etc.

It's not fancy but it will work.

Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.

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Capt'n Mac you suggested about what I was going to. Also if you can't find tent stakes at an Army surplus check you local "big box" home improvement store. I've seen spikes 12' long that would work well as small tent stakes.

Yep, those large spikes work great! But a lot of people add washers to them to give them a bit more hold. Even though the head on those spikes are a good size, the canvas can still slip off, a good sized washer fixes that problem entirely.

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What are other style of tents and how were they put together?

Oh, while on it here:

How likely would a metal grommet be? As they weren't used on ship, I'm, thinking not very.

- Oh, and I have the grommets already from past projects, so that isn't the issue.

-John "Tartan Jack" Wages, of South Carolina

 

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I made a quick and dirty one for a weekend event: large dropcloth (I washed and dried it to shrink it up a little), used the old "musket ball in each corner with a loop of rope around it" for staking it down and used some recently cut saplings for the uprights and ridgepole. It held up pretty well, and looked suitably like I had scavenged it from a shipwreck.

Later, to make it a bit more weatherproof, I melted some beeswax, thinned it with soybean oil and painted the whole thing with it. I haven't had a chance to set it up since, so I can't yet tell if it was worth the extra effort.

Red Sea Trade

In days of old when ships were bold just like the men that sailed 'em,

and if they showed us disrespect we tied 'em up and flailed 'em,

often men of low degree and often men of steel,

they'd make you walk the plank alone or haul you 'round the keel.

--Adam and the Ants

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I'm working on my tent this weekend. Those diagrams are really helpful. I'll post pictures if people are still interested by then.

On another note, would it be more appropriate to do the eyelets by hand? or is that just being too picky?

Cook and Seamstress to the Half Moon Marauders

Lady Brower's Treasures, Clothing and other treasures

Hell Hath No Fury like the Wrath of a Woman... No that's it. She doesn't need a reason.

www.myspace.com/halfmoonmarauders

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I'm working on my tent this weekend. Those diagrams are really helpful. I'll post pictures if people are still interested by then.

On another note, would it be more appropriate to do the eyelets by hand? or is that just being too picky?

My fly shelter is done with hand sewn eyelets... Mind you I did it last summer during a span when I couldn't work and had nothing else to do... I'm not sure if it is just my technique sucks, but I have yet to set a metal grommet that has not popped off on me. :huh:

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I second Lady Browers inquiry, for i too am sewing my tarp together this weekend(what are the odds lol), and was also wondering about the eyelets. One other question though, is whats the most appropriate setup for a tarp(or sail if you will) i was gonna do something similar to a diamond tent, for it seemed the very simple and functional. Good choice, or bad?

Edit:good lord two answers poped up while i was posting LOL

Edited by Mr.Tignor

Monsieur René Truffaut - Sailor - grenadier - flibustier - free man (for now)

.........I am french, why else would i have this outrageous accent, you silly man!..........You don't frighten me, English sea dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called "Capi-tain" you and all your silly English Pieeer-raghts........

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This link was posted here (I think) years ago (by Patrich hand?)...

It is a lengthy web page with dozens of different setups for simple square or rectangle tarp style shelters. This Link

is for a PDF file version of the above link web page if you prefer PDF documents to web pages, I've had best luck in the past with the "Half Tetra"

tent003.jpg

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This link was posted here (I think) years ago (by Patrich hand?)...

It is a lengthy web page with dozens of different setups for simple square or rectangle tarp style shelters. This Link

is for a PDF file version of the above link web page if you prefer PDF documents to web pages, I've had best luck in the past with the "Half Tetra"

tent003.jpg

That one is on page 32 of the PDF.

It looks pretty good, easy to haul and set up (one large sheet and one pole).

It says:

Minimal protection from

weather – only use as a

Picnic groundsheet.

How has that worked out in real use for the road-reenactor?

-- I'm sure you've put it up to the test.

-John "Tartan Jack" Wages, of South Carolina

 

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Oooo... I like this... Sticky!

Been pondering about a fly or a tent for multiple people to sleep in.

Thanks for the info. :)

~Lady B

Tempt Fate! an' toss 't all t' Hell!"

"I'm completely innocent of whatever crime I've committed."

The one, the only,... the infamous!

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Icouldn't find the post I was looking for..... but I think there might be some stuff in the 1720's Careening Camp thread for PiP all about sails and tarps as shelter.......

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Icouldn't find the post I was looking for..... but I think there might be some stuff in the 1720's Careening Camp thread for PiP all about sails and tarps as shelter.......

This is the link I think you are looking for Patrick... It is the "getting Tentage Ready for PiP" thread.... It is 18 pages long, there is a lot of banter in the thread... But tons more awesome information!

Tartan Jack, that tent has held up to some pretty stiff rain... Nothing as hard as I have gotten recently in my wedge (which has held up better than hoped for!), but that "Half Tetra" shelter of mine is a lot better than what the quote on page 32 of that PDF file states.

Now take into consideration, I used top notch canvas (a fustion 50/50 cotton linen blend), and I took the extra time to shrink the fabric, twice, as well as hand sewed the seams (remember, I had the time I was not working).... and some of the things I had the extra time to do may have factored into how well it has help up... But it is still a great and simple shelter with a bit of privacy. Miine is 13' X 13' (15' X 15' of fabric, minus shrinkage and minus seam allowances) and it sleeps two, perhaps a bit less space than is ideal, but livable.

Another thing one should do if considering this design, is run an internal line from point "A" to point "E" to point "D" for extra support on the canvas, otherwise it tends to sag pretty badly and wastes a lot of space. You will alos lose a great deal of space at the "back" edge because the canvas is so close to the graound from the slope to be almost useless for the last couple of feet.

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Okay - I was going to look for a used wall tent, but this thread has inspired me (Thanks Patrick and others) :lol: to make my own. I did some recon at the Home Depot and decided to make a wall tent that will be 9-3/4' wide, with 3' 9" walls, almost 7' high in the center and 14-3/4" long. It will take two 3'9"x14'9" tarps and two 11"9 x 14'9" tarps. I just picked up the tarps, 100' of sisal rope, eight 12" nails (stakes) and a grommet kit and enough grommets. My total so far is $135. Not as cheap as I thought, but after I get materials to make poles and some sealant for it and have it sewed once I cut it out, I should be under $200 for a nice wall tent that would cost????

I'll post my progress.

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I must say i find it quite encouraging to see mooseworth take the "make it yourself" route. There seems like a number of all of us newbies are all goin at the same rate in getting ready for the future(PiP) lol. This is like the third project that we both happen to be working on at the same time....which is good....so that i know im not crazy...unless we all are.................

Monsieur René Truffaut - Sailor - grenadier - flibustier - free man (for now)

.........I am french, why else would i have this outrageous accent, you silly man!..........You don't frighten me, English sea dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called "Capi-tain" you and all your silly English Pieeer-raghts........

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