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I've done it in - 0 degree weather, because I could. If you look in your tent there should be a little loop at the apex, if you don't have one get a new tent because your tent sucks. They have little lanterns either candle or oil powered you can hang on it.
I used to make a candle with a large, thick wick that lasts for a week for $2 with this sealing wax.
I used to make a candle with a large, thick wick that lasts for a week for $2 with this sealing wax.
The ones we had were small oil lamps. They came in small plastic container that was about the size of a larger soup can. The container was waterproof so you dint have to worry about the wick getting wet or oil leaking into your pack if it leaked. It probably had enough oil in it to last 3 or 4 nights.
Hard to describe but there was lantern glass that fit into the container the entire length and width. The base of the lantern was pulled out of the glass and three spring loaded feet would pop out. There was metal top for it and I forget how the handle was attached but it couldn't come off. Never really thought about it but now that you mentioned it could of been used it to warm up a can of food. It was a really cool item, one of the cooler things I owned. Unfortunately it was lost to house fire and I have never been able to find one similar.
This wouldn't have done anything in large tent but certainly helped in small tents especially the good tents we had.
The ones we had were small oil lamps. They came in small plastic container that was about the size of a larger soup can. The container was waterproof so you dint have to worry about the wick getting wet or oil leaking into your pack if it leaked. It probably had enough oil in it to last 3 or 4 nights.
Hard to describe but there was lantern glass that fit into the container the entire length and width. The base of the lantern was pulled out of the glass and three spring loaded feet would pop out. There was metal top for it and I forget how the handle was attached but it couldn't come off. Never really thought about it but now that you mentioned it could of been used it to warm up a can of food. It was a really cool item, one of the cooler things I owned. Unfortunately it was lost to house fire and I have never been able to find one similar.
This wouldn't have done anything in large tent but certainly helped in small tents especially the good tents we had.
Those sound interesting, perhaps you can find a pic?
There is of course a good technique where one gets a campfire going overnight and the heat radiates right through the walls into the shelter and is backed by a reflector, here one just wants to make especially sure it doesn't melt the tent.
If there is one thing I have learned from my time "outside" it is that pretty much everything has its advantages and drawbacks.
So, the art here is to choose the right tool for the right job, so to speak.
Like, a canvas tent would be nicer and would breath, offer more privacy and not be so prone to melt, but they are heavy, and might take up weight that can be used for something else, like a Coleman stove...
I just love innovation and ways of accomplishing things for pennies on the dollar!
Used along with another material, visqueen or painter's plastic can make a good shelter, but by itself, it's mostly just water proof.
In a wedge tent shelter, it's good protection from rain, and add a good pad or groundcloth to prevent losing body heat into the ground, and a good well insulated sleeping bag, you can survive some pretty rough conditions. Getting wet means getting dead in the wild, but if you can stay dry, it's amazing how much cold you can take.
If you make a debris shelter and use the plastic as a wall between you and the fire, the radiated heat will pass through the plastic and create a warm space. Using a space blanket for the back wall will also help hold in the heat, but without the fire, you won't be very warm.
Learning to use the naturally available materials for your shelter, then using your plastic to waterproof is much better than using plastic alone, unless it's all you have.
Saving weight in your pack is great, but it's a trade-off. I'd rather have an ultralight 3 or 4 season tent weighing a couple pounds rather than a piece of plastic weighing a few ounces when the plastic can melt, break or tear after just 1 use or 2, when the tent can last years with some care.
I usually make debris shelters, or use natural shelters all I can, but I do carry a couple large contractor garbage bags to waterproof a shelter, and in winter or late fall, a good 1 man tent. I spend a lot of time in wild country. I don't ever take chances with my safety just to save some weight which is why I have a great sleeping bag with a waterproof cover, just in case. It weighs 4 pounds, but a good night's sleep is well worth it.
I believe we might be missing the bigger point here: the guy built this with nothing more than $5 worth of Saran wrap and tape, let's be fair here, no one is trying to claim it is the "perfect" shelter or can compare with someone's $500 shelter...
I have been in "situations" where I needed shelter, not in deep woods, but more urban woods and I didn't have even $25 for a simple pop-tent.
Or maybe the store was out of the ones I could afford.
A 99 cent painter's tarp and a bit of cord and some sticks can make a huge difference in getting by that night, especially here in rain country!
(Next time I will go to the grocery store instead of the hardware or dept store and check the saran wrap aisle. )
An "emergency" is not meant to be an ongoing thing, I know your $500 tent will outlast this and in the long course is probably a better value, that's NOT the point!
But don't get me wrong either, thanks everyone for your comments, I love the idea of getting by on the cheap when necessary and new ideas and gadgets toward that end!
Check out the shelter/storage dome this guy made out of saplings wrapped in clear plastic wrap!
Now I said "Saran Wrap," but it actually looks like the kind of clear plastic they wrap pallets with
Thx
Thx... I can't speak for the pallet wrap, and of course summer temperatures would not apply, but I understand if one actually used Saran Wrap for a shelter in the colder months with temperatures not exceeding 45 degrees, they guaranty the occupants will stay fresh and resist spoilage for up to 14 days or your money back....
I believe we might be missing the bigger point here: the guy built this with nothing more than $5 worth of Saran wrap and tape, let's be fair here, no one is trying to claim it is the "perfect" shelter or can compare with someone's $500 shelter...
I have been in "situations" where I needed shelter, not in deep woods, but more urban woods and I didn't have even $25 for a simple pop-tent.
Or maybe the store was out of the ones I could afford.
A 99 cent painter's tarp and a bit of cord and some sticks can make a huge difference in getting by that night, especially here in rain country!
(Next time I will go to the grocery store instead of the hardware or dept store and check the saran wrap aisle. )
An "emergency" is not meant to be an ongoing thing, I know your $500 tent will outlast this and in the long course is probably a better value, that's NOT the point!
But don't get me wrong either, thanks everyone for your comments, I love the idea of getting by on the cheap when necessary and new ideas and gadgets toward that end!
Thx
Then contractors bags and duct tape. The bags can be used as a rain poncho, sleeping bag, stuffed with grass or leaves to make a mattress, or used to carry water, gathered food, or materials to make your shelter.
Duct tape can be used for anything, and even makes a good firestarter.
Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it has to be bad, but only focusing on cheap can leave you seriously exposed to the elements. As the old saying goes, "Try before you buy".
Make your plastic shelter in the back yard and try it. If it performs well under controlled conditions and you're warm and dry, then you can feel comfortable using it camping. If not, at least you can go back in the house and warm up with no harm done.
By the way, the bivey tent I use cost $49.95, and I've never paid over $100 for a tent. Yard sales are your friend...
Sometimes the coolest things are almost obvious and take a minimum of effort, and maybe cost next to nothing!
What I was figuring for my place... build "components" with this technique, say "double-pane" like walls, something I can quickly assemble into a sturdy shelter, then when I am done with it, disassemble the walls and roof and stack them up and throw a tarp over if at the back of the property so my neighbors don't squawk.
Maybe a Saran Wrap module "mini-mansion," about the size of this rich kid's playhouse.
Thx
ROFL! What a great little abode that is! I can see it now, the Official Hunting Lodge!
I just heard about this on the news and looked it up. I think it's the first one in the world. Awesome job at recycling otherwise junk that fills dumps.
"You're saving the planet. You're saving the oceans. You're taking all this [plastic] out of the environment and making stuff with it," said Saulnier.
Quote:
The walls provide both structural strength and insulation. It helps the home maintain inside temperatures more than twice as effectively as conventionally built homes, the builders say.
The home's plastic panels were also tested against winds stronger than a Category 5 hurricane. JD Composites says the testing machine maxed out its power and the walls didn't break.
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They have little lanterns either candle or oil powered you can hang on it.
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