Temp rendezavous shelter set up?

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Im looking to build something very simple, 3 poles maybe, then drape a canvas tarp ( without the modern grommet ). This shelter just has to be big enough for 2 of us to sit or lay under while we're on site, selling/trading goods.

I have something like this in mind, but a little more simple.

Does anyone have some info on something that may suite me better?
31472510.jpg
 
FrontierGander said:
Im looking to build something very simple, 3 poles maybe, then drape a canvas tarp ( without the modern grommet ). This shelter just has to be big enough for 2 of us to sit or lay under while we're on site, selling/trading goods.

I have something like this in mind, but a little more simple.

Does anyone have some info on something that may suite me better?
31472510.jpg
Frontier Gander
 Nope...that looks about as close to a MM setup as you'll get? I'd say the only thing missing is a camp fire; a canvas side flap, and maybe a fleshed hide on a stretcher? Looks rite comfy to me! Save me a spot!
Good luck with the blanket trades. MAN... I just remembered what all I missed about Rendezvous'.  Lord...the memories I have!!
Stoney
 
Without knowledge of your setup being "era" correct FG, it certainly looks primitive enough to serve the purpose of a portable shelter. 
Trivial as it is, I wonder :scratch: what they used in the day as a ground stake to tie-down their pole ropes...wood or metal...??
 
Jonathan the biggest problem were you'll be setting up is rain, wind and dust blowing off and on getting all your wares dusty and damp.  There are lots of other designs that are correct, over the years I have used anything from just a drop cloth to a 20 foot tipi.

Look at these folks, good prices, great quality.  http://www.pantherprimitives.com/furtrade.html

For hunting or just short stays a single pole tent works very nicely - look at Panther's "Hunter Tent", sets up fast, original called a "Pyramid Tent" popular in The War of 1812.  Have wore out two of these from the hard use in hunting camps and bad weather.

.
 
Buck, I plan on waterproofing this material. Its basically going to be a sun shade for my buddy and I when I set up my trade blanket. I don't have a ton of stuff to bring, so everything will fit into a waterproof container and be taken back to camp once  the day is over or its raining. I ended up buying the 9x12 which is plenty big for what we intend to use it for. Just have to find some poles in the mountains.
 
One of the best and least expensive material is a high thread count king size bed sheet 200-300 thread count treated with canvas water proofing, light and strong.  Pike used these when exploring in southern Colorado Territory.

In the corner use smooth small river rock to prevent tearing the material, make a pocket with corner, place the clean smooth small rock then tie your rope around the sheet and the rock. Now you'll have four corner ties and middle ones can be added is needed.  Pretty easy and light in weight. I used a rope usually hemp that has been worked a little to be softer and not as coarse as most you see. Easier on the sheet and on your hands.
 
Almost finished it, but a while back i bought the 9x12 canvas tarp and this evening, have almost finished waterproofing it with linseed oil. Looks great and the test area repealed water with ease. Almost $90 into the damn thing after buying linseed oil. I have have a 3'x'3 square I will have to finish tomorrow when I get a small can on linseed oil.
 
Cut cedar poles on the property today and used my tomahawk to peel them with ease. I have them set up in Teepee form to dry.
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I ended up replacing the top pole with something a little longer and thicker towards the narrow end. Worked out like a charm and I even found a better way to run the rope and keep the frame SOLID. The new pole is 12" and much thicker on the thinnest end which alone, beefed up the framework. I didn't bother with pics as I have the cover off it and rolled up to take to rendezvous on the 7th and set everything up.

I had the original design for a solid week, horrible wind storms, rain, hail, shes still solid.

The new roof pole however, I spent some time with today and used 50 grit sand paper on my belt sander. I like this method much better!
 
I have 2 tarp sets.
#1 has 2 uprights (6' to "Y"), a 4' to 5' straight cross member to roll a canvas corner onto, and 2 long poles 12-14' long to run from upright "Y" to back point of canvas ( can be spread about 3' apart, rested on ground at back point. My poles are straight poplar. They are light but strong until they get dry rotted. After they dry I put a waterproofing on them. used 5-7 steel pegs on canvas bottom and NO ROPES! Folks looked at the setup and said there was something that seemed off. Yeah, NO ROPES!Camp has tripod to hang things and rifle leans on gun rest.
,ropeless tarp set-up.jpg
Set #2 is a 1 person camp. It's a 7X12 tarp for 1 occupant. It has 1 5-6" upright and a 13-14" pole running from front to back lined on opposing corners. 1 rope on upright. Stake down long side (front to back) and over to corner. Y pole goes on free front corner with the long canvas ridge pole running from back center pegged corner to upright. Rope it to steady.
7X12 tarp corner to corner 2 pole set-up.jpg7X12 tarp corner to corner 2 pole set-up.jpgThis is 1 rope; use 2 to sturdy up better. Stumps make great small tables
 
I'll tell you what, you must be some stout young boys to be packing 8 and 13-14 inch poles around! Or you are teeny-tiny to fit under them if that's their length.... :>)

Sorry, I couldn't resist that! :>o

I do like Buck's suggestion. I had thought of using a bed sheet before after re-reading that Col. Whelen had his tent made out of 400 count Egyptian cloth. I may have to revisit that idea.

~WH~
 
We have used about every period shelter we could document. Tipi to a smiple ground cloth (all depends on time fo year and length of time on the ground).

camping.jpg

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Winter Hawk, some of the specialty fabrics of yore are very hard to find today. Plus, Townie Whelen had a lot of contacts most of us don't have.T

I have had 15-plus years excellent service from a Whelen lean-to tent made from #40 cotton pocket drill cloth. This is a light canvas often used to make pockets on sturdy clothing. I bought mine at JoAnn fabrics, then washed and dried it twice on the hottest settings to remove sizing and shrink for stability. Dyed the fabric a light tan in the machine before cutting and sewing. Sewed with heavy duty UV-resistant thread and a #18 needle. Added triangular reinforces at corner loops and for tie tapes. Waterproofed with some kind of paint on stuff from the farm and ranch store.

I've been hankering to make up a square tarp the same way, for use as a sun shade or plow point tent.
 
Monsieur Renard Blanc,

I have also read about folks using cotton pocket drill cloth for various articles. I think I'll head over to JoAnn's and see what they can fix me up with. I keep coming back to the Forester tent which Whelen also recommended. Or just a rectangle tarp to use for a shelter. Thank you for the hint!

~WH~
 
We had brothers that purchased Egyptian cotton (800 thread ct)flat sheets, king sized on sale to save [they say thrifty not cheap]). They washed in hot water to rid softeners and other adds in the material. Air dry on a clothsline. When dry, it's sprayed with a water-proofer, Let dry, flip over and spray the other side, let dry totally, and then fold and roll. They used marbles, instead of RB, tied into the edges where they wanted the tie downs. A heavy, quick, downpour would allow a light spray for a for a minute or two, until the threads swell to close off the water. But it worked well. Cost was about $45 and easy to travel with.
 
Frontier Gander, There is a way to hide those modern grommets. You can make them look like they were made there by a sail maker. You need a large eyed sail makers needle and thick, heavy weight, cotton thread. You start by threading the needle with three or four strands of thread, all the same length which should be long enough to cover the grommet by wrap stitching it after it is properly installed on the canvas. You start by placing the needle down through the canvas 1/8" from the metal grommet edge leaving the thread ends about 1" to 2" left hanging out. bring the needle up through the grommet, looping it over the thread ends left hanging. Now, repeat covering the thread ends and going around the grommet completely. When you get to where you started, make a second wrap around pacing the needle between the previous needle placements. Go around the second time. When back to the starting point, feed the threaded needle under the sewn threads for about 2 inches and then cut it off. Now you have a proper appearing threaded grommet. Some originals had washer type rings, made of lead, sewn in place. this is the look you'll now have.
 
Egyptian cotton (800 thread count) flat sheets, fit king sized beds. Your not spending the winter under it, your making do for a weekend or a week. We tend to pack so much unneeded stuff on primitive camps that it has become crazy. Years ago I would make a list of eveything I was taking to camp, as I used an item I checked it off on my list. By the end of the camp whether just a few days or several weeks long you would look at your list of goods. Most of the time I didn't need half of what I brought, next camp those items stayed home and were never missed. Weight is the "key" to these ventures, the less the better.

Grommets: you can always do like seen in museums with canvas used during the westward movement. Those tarps used smooth small round river rocks instead of grommets tied with twine or small rope then you tie from that spot to what is needed, simple fast and adjustable.

That's why Mad Irish Jack and a few others mention this to Jonathan - "LIGHT IS BETTER". With this thought in mind we have had some damn good primitive garage sales.


buck conner.jpg
 
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