Pyramid Tarp Tent using a Tatonka 4 TC Modded!

[addo]

After seeing Mungos thread,

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38964&highlight=pyramid+tarp

and the excellent site from north west woodsman http://nwwoodsman.com/

I thought about making a pyramid tarp from scratch, with some canvas material available from my local army surplus store. But time is against me and I didn't want to mess it up, and cant afford one of the propper ones.
So bought a Tatonka 4TC Polly cotton tarp from Mad bear (cheapest last time I looked)
http://www.madbearoutdoors.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=TT4
and put all the loops where needed (see links), went off to the woods for the poles and hey presto!

Front with doors swept back
http://pix.myphotoalbum.com/a/ad/add/addo/addos/addos/albums/album32/s5001133.sized.jpg (http://addos.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=a lbum32&id=s5001133)

Side
http://pix.myphotoalbum.com/a/ad/add/addo/addos/addos/albums/album32/s5001135.sized.jpg (http://addos.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=a lbum32&id=s5001135)

Half doors/awning
http://pix.myphotoalbum.com/a/ad/add/addo/addos/addos/albums/album32/s5001131.sized.jpg (http://addos.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=a lbum32&id=s5001131)

Side again
http://pix.myphotoalbum.com/a/ad/add/addo/addos/addos/albums/album32/s5001132.sized.jpg (http://addos.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=a lbum32&id=s5001132)

Back
http://pix.myphotoalbum.com/a/ad/add/addo/addos/addos/albums/album32/s5001130.sized.jpg (http://addos.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=a lbum32&id=s5001130)

Doors Shut
http://pix.myphotoalbum.com/a/ad/add/addo/addos/addos/albums/album32/s5001134.sized.jpg (http://addos.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=a lbum32&id=s5001134)

Used at the latest meet.
http://pix.myphotoalbum.com/a/ad/add/addo/addos/addos/albums/album32/tent_pics_cov_007.sized.jpg (http://addos.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=a lbum32&id=tent_pics_cov_007)

Quick to set up, loads of floor space and head room, can fit two people with kit or one in luxury. Full protection with doors shut and back edge facing the wind, and great with a fire in front.

Cost £55 delivered, and an hour or so, to sew 6 loops and treat with water proofing.

Set up/Mod instructions

Plan - http://nwwoodsman.com/sitebuilder/images/Tarp_Tent-275x352.jpg

Your front edge is where the heavy looped peak is, lay this edge at your feet.
You now have a rectangle in front of you, long edge across your front, short sides going away from you.
You need to sew a loop onto the short sides 1m down from the front edge.
Where it says D ring, sew a loop, these will pull the sides out to your poles and the back, out to the ground.
You may want to sew a loop onto the heavy looped peak part where the two poles are tied, to lift the poles off the material. I did.

When pegging out, start with the back edge, Two pegged sections, each 1m in from edge.
Then your new sewn loops 1m down the short side, from the front, need to be bought into line with the back pegs, to make a square base and pegged. (this shape can be adjusted when up if desired for doors ect).
Tie the poles to the front like in the nwwoodsman videos, and lift up, to make the tent.
After that tie off the sides and back, and arrange the doors as wish.

Hope that makes sense, just keep watching the videos on the links if unsure.

Addo :)

[Gailainne]

Very cool,

That looks like it could be used not only for an overnighter but an extended trip, I would imagine it packs quite small as well ?
Only thing I would add, as I'm sure you've already thought of, is a ground sheet (poncho ?) and a midge barrier at the front. Although Baker style would work with a smoky fire in front between the doors.

When I first saw Mungos thread, I got on the CAD and drew a 3 x 4 ratio tarp up, just to see how it all worked, its a very simple elegant design.

You remember us mucking about with Jeds tarpology lecture last Moot ? I'm sure he had that shape in there at one point.

Nice one mate, I should imagine you would even survive Middlewood with the set-up you have now :D

PS How much fire wood do you have stacked in your back garden ;)

Regards

Stephen

[spamel]

If you look in the background of his shots, you'll see the little red and blue number he's been using lately. We all said we weren't camping near him if he continued using it!

[Gailainne]

:twak: Your bad Spam

I did see it, and I can understand your concern, but its surely better than the orange thing he was using the last time we met up :D

[spamel]

:twak: Your bad Spam

I did see it, and I can understand your concern, but its surely better than the orange thing he was using the last time we met up :D

That's Bodges tent! That's a classic tent, if he was getting rid of it I'd have his arm off! It's the one made by Blacks.

[Gailainne]

Naaah definitely Paul's tarp that he dyed and water proofed, Bodge had a proper tent.

[spamel]

Naaah definitely Paul's tarp that he dyed and water proofed, Bodge had a proper tent.

Oh, his egyptian cotton bed linen tarp? I tell you, Addo wanders around like a walking time bomb! One spark and all the wax and waterproofing agents will go up and take half the county with him! :D

[addo]

Cheers fellas :D

Steve, How goes it. Yeah Jeds the tarp man allright, and it was your link to the pdf diagram on the nwoodsman site that helped too. Thought i'd move up in the world from my little beech shelter, you leave that alone young Spamel! :)

Waylands picture on his site, always made me want to try camping out like this too.

There's around 6 cubic metres of wood chopped and stacked at the mo and ive got to made a third shelter and fill that with another 3, to last around 9 months of burning for HW & CH. I hope anyhow, as solid fuel is very good but pricey.

[Twodogs]

Nice one Addo it looks a fine way to camp .
Twodogs

[addo]

Well, its very warm and cosy with a fire in front of it.
Plenty of room for kit and storing tinders, kindling and main fuel if its raining.
Tryed it out over the weekend, stuck a new pic at the start of the thread.

[drewdunnrespect]

ausome man it looks a great way to camp