Could a tarp replace your Underquilt?

**lesspayne** · 06-04-2015, 17:11

Hey guys it's been awhile, but I have a question.

Could a tarp that is clear on one side and had reflex on the other side (Like a super shelter) with a fire on the clear side and the hammock pitched low, keep you warm at night?

I'm thinking of something like in this video but sleep in a hammock instead.

Has anyone tried this...does it work...Thoughts?

**BrianWillan** · 06-04-2015, 17:40

It would be an interesting test. One would need to ensure that there was no air movement within the supershelter. Moving air is what causes heat loss in a hammock. The fire needed to heat the shelter all night long would have to be pretty large and self feeding in nature to sleep the whole night without stoking the fire.

Give it a shot and report back how it works. Making the supershelter can be done easily with a larger plastic painters drop cloth and a cheap mylar space blanket.

Cheers

Brian

**lesspayne** · 06-04-2015, 18:52

I do plan on trying it... the only current hold up is the weather...we are barely getting down into the 60's...gonna be that way for more than a few months around here. I also wonder if the lean too made of deadfall is necessary. Will just a piece of Mylar lining the back of the clear plastic cloth work? Many variables to this idea it seems.

**bkrgi** · 06-04-2015, 19:01

So so so so so much easier just use a quilt suited to temps than to fuss over that whole set up...well unless you like to fuss then go for it and test it out.
To me if air temp inside the shelter falls below 70* your gonna start to feel the cold creep in without a quilt.

All I see that shelter idea good for is if one was way short on insulation for the given temps and then it becomes more about survival and that would be a good set up to keep you alive but your gonna have to be on the ground..not hanging.

But as said if you like to fuss go give it a full test and report back with results.....good real world info is always welcomed

**lesspayne** · 06-04-2015, 20:35

I do like to fuss about when I'm on short hikes in the woods, or car camping and time is on my side (yes it is).

I was thinking do a common man cold weather hammock setup that Dave Canterbury showed in a recent video. Hang the hammock low, around a foot or two off the ground, then build up leaves, pine needles, or whatever might be plentiful on the ground in your neck of the woods into a big pile like 3 to 4 feet off the ground. For maybe a hour's work you may only need a light top quilt or sleeping bag liner...

I can maybe take it down to about 20 degrees or so but that's about it in my neck of the woods. For colder temperature and snow testing it will require someone else interested in this idea on the north side of I-10.

**lesspayne** · 06-05-2015, 08:55

Looks like someone did some preliminary testing already...

Not a complete failure, there are some things to be learned from this...When you get up to pee stoking the fire in the night is a definite...even with an upside down lay fire...hanging the hammock low and in addition building up a good debris pile underneath I think will help with the air flow underneath the hammock...the tarp has to be longer to reach the ground but still have room inside to move...another potential flaw I see (took me a little while to think of this one seeing as how snow is a once a decade event around here) is in areas where snow covers the ground there might not be or take to long to find enough debris to give you adequate insulation under the hammock...the wheels keep turning...

**Dux** · 06-07-2015, 12:43

Nice vid. At least he's out there doing. "Failure" = Learning. Everything right with things not going as expected: that is when you are learning the most. Everything right with fussing about: that is when you learn the little details that are make or break when the rubber meets the road. And it is how one becomes skilled enough to make it easy on oneself under varied conditions.

Like the idea of the debris UQ. Very likely to introduce moisture to the setup but otherwise seems sound. As everyone ought to know, what is under you is twice as important as what is over you. In other words if I only have three blankets, two go under me whether G2G or hangin'.

Good thinking about the snow but not the case. You learn where things are and what they look like under various amounts of snow. Hiking in the woods is exactly the same as walking down the aisles of a store once you are knowledgeable enough.

You will feed the fire at least once per night, no practical way around that. Even with a well insulated wood burning stove inside a home with thoroughly dry premium hardwoods you'll feed it at least once per night. If one's fire skills are poor, feeding the fire will be much more often than that.

Do not need everything sealed off. Super Shelters need to vent. Do need more heat coming in (and being retained) than going out. Do not need to go to ground. Do not need a large fire. Is best if it burns long and slow. That takes skill in materials selection and fire lays. In the vid he did well by having large wet (yet still solid) logs as his base. There are many other tricks he missed but, since he admitted up front this was a learning trip, that is to be expected.

**lesspayne** · 06-09-2015, 21:59

Thanks Dux...I appreciate the advice as I am excited to try out this idea a couple times and work out the bugs...I'll let you know how it goes once the weather starts to cool off again

**IRONFISH45** · 06-09-2015, 23:30

I would be worried about Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and accidental melting of the nylon you would be swaddled in.

**lesspayne** · 06-12-2015, 09:53

There are risks...I will be sure to understand them and take the appropriate precautions...hence starting this thread...and thanks I will be sure not to place the fire inside the tarp setup and make sure the fire is a good distance away (3 or more feet) from the Plastic tarp with an appropriate fire break and not too big.