All This Talk Of Hammocks.

[Frogo]

Does anyone on the group build, attempt to build natural shelters, how do you heat them? You can’t always guarantee that you will have the right habitat for the hammock, so how do you people manage? Tents excluded.

I plan on building several of the natural shelters over the winter, to compare there insulation properties, I will post pics of each shelter after the event…If anybody is interested.

Frogo

 

[Ed]

If not in a hammock I'm under a basha/poncho. I love the idea of building natural shelters (and do a couple of times a year) but the 'powers that be' are very strict on me cutting wood and even gathering dead wood.... and i wouldn't want to loose my land access.... so a basha it is.


Ed

 

[hootchi]

how do you erect a basha if there are no trees? I find my hootchi quite unstable using walking poles or similar, tied down.

 

[tomtom]

the best way to heat you shelteris, of course, with a fire.. and the type of fire you build depends on the type of shelter you build.. Biviwak(sp) or a lean-too etc..

however if you were to build a Bivi.. you could also conserve heat by making the top low and by lifting yourself of the ground.

 

[Ed]

how do you erect a basha if there are no trees?

We have boulders and large rocks in the breacons ;-) and we tend to carry rope .... I can usualy always find a tieing point..... though a friend and I have used our rucksacks at either end to keep the basha off the floor and pegged it out around the outside.... very crampped, but did the job.


Ed

 

[TheViking]

Well you could build a heat-reflector of wood, stone or whatever material at hand. If it's a large group shelter, then a hole in the top and a fire under the hole, so the smoke will escape. But this would only work with small fires, but even a small fire is plenty to heat up a shelter.

 

[Frogo]

Ed

I’ve been using the same place for the past ten years or so, so the local forestry commission have got no problems with what I do, on many occasion they will pop into my camp when I’m there for a chat and a cup of tea, they always seem pretty interested when I build shelters.
Have you tried to get permission?

Frogo

 

[Ed]

The local forestry guys are fine :biggthump.... good people to chat to.... its the blokes in suits and all the internal polatics thats the problem..... as I teach outdoors I have to be careful not to them off toooo much ;-) I have permission... they just complain alot when I do something.... its a strange situation.

Ed

 

[Frogo]

The local forestry guys are fine :biggthump.... good people to chat to.... its the blokes in suits and all the internal polatics thats the problem..... as I teach outdoors I have to be careful not to them off toooo much ;-) I have permission... they just complain alot when I do something.... its a strange situation.

Ed

I guess in Caerphilly they are pretty easy going, in return I do point out all the badger sets, and other wild life of interest.

If you don’t mind me asking what areas do you use?

Frogo

 

[Ed]

Cynon and merthyr valleys .... and on toward brecon.... we are on the edge of the national park so I guess that is why they are pretty strict. I have private use of other land in the area but not many trees around.... mainly fields and old pasture :-(.... got a river bank though :biggthump

Ed

 

[Frogo]

Ed
Aberdare, Mountain Ash way? I do use some parts of Brecon thou without any complaints.

So the first shelter I shall build will be the Arctic Lean too, as demonstrated in Ray’s book. I will look at:
Materials used to build.
Time taken to build.
Insulation properties.
Comfort.
Etc.

Frogo

 

[tomtom]

let us know how it goes! :biggthump

 

[Frogo]

Tom

Will do.

Frogo

 

[arctic hobo]

In a snow hole or hammock, I read that the temperature cannot go below 10 centigrade - some physics law prevents it! I don't get it, but it means I only need a Trangia and my lovely Nanok Endurance SF -25 C sleeping bag to keep me warm. ):