No tent camping/sleeping
 

I'm curious about how SF goes about staying warm and dry when on a mission, or even just out hunting.

To lay some foundation for the direction of my question I want to relay an incident that occured recently.

My son and I were camping just north of Camp Frank Merrill (Rangers for those that didn't go thru there) in NE Georgia. The Rangers were doing some amush training and such and we were camping a mile north of them. A group of instructors were just up the hill from us and I talked to them about my son and I shooting at our camp. I wanted to find out when they'd be wrapping up as I didn't want to cause any issues with other gunfire while they were doing their thing. He said that the guys in training would be coming along in about :15 and that he'd appreciate it if we gave them :30 to clear the area, so we waited :45 just to be safe. So we did our shooting, had dinner and got in the tent to sleep around 10pm. At 11:45 I work up hearing someone walking right by the tent. I was groggy, but it was either two guys walking by, or one walked past and then came back by again. I sat up quietly, clicked on my night vision and unzipped the tent and scoped the area and saw no one. I might have been 30 seconds from the time I woke up til I unzipped the tent, and that's an eternity at night, on foot. So I didn't sleep worth a crap that night. (Now that I think about it, maybe that's where my REI french press coffee cup went missing!).

At first I thought it might have been some Rangers doing some night navigation, but I talked to a Ranger buddy and he said they never trained only a couple guys at a time, that it's either all or none.

so whether it was someone that came down the road, saw our tent and bugged out, or someone looking for free stuff, I decided I ddn't want to sleep in a tent anymore.

So I've been working on a lean to setup that is light to carry, fits in my backpack and can provide some elemental protection. This particular night was 67 degrees, but I much prefer to camp while hunting when it's in the 20's or thereabout. So I have considered pup type tents, lean to's, or just a ground sheet and open air. One thing I've decided on is to stay out of the middle of frequented campsites. I'd much rather sleep out of the way and if I wake to someone in the area, to have a chance of seeing them first, instead of being walked right up on top of. We'd have been screwed if it was a malicious type. There's just no fast way out of a tent and it offers no protection except from bugs.

So I'm interested in ideas on how this issue can be avoided while still staying warm enough and dry enough to enjoy the trip.

You guys got anything?

I use a Thai hammock with a Thai bug net. Aussie tarp over the top if I think it'll be wet. I tie it low to the ground and tight. Nice thing about the Thai hammock is that you can put a sleeping pad in between the sheets to help with the cold. (Northern AZ can get chilly at night.)
I stopped using a tent years ago. But I also dont like sleeping on the ground if I can help it.
There are a few companies that sell hammock systems here in the states. I dont have personal experience with them, but they look like the Thai system I have. Good luck.

No "need" for a tent most of the time.
 

There is no "need" for a tent most of the time. Unless you're deep into some winter warfare FTX - or civilian equivalent - you can throw down and sleep anywhere.

Hammock or ground - personal preference. I use a hammock in the summer and thermarest on the ground after the first good freeze.

Looks like some kind of precip? Throw a small fly over your setup.

Most folks don't wander around in the woods after dark - any that do are usually on a trail. If camping in a wilderness area that allows dispersed camping make sure you get off the trail and are somewhat sheltered from view.

I like to go up in Uwharrie camping and hiking. I like to hit the trail early and just about every trip I go through somebody's camp where they stopped and set up right on the trail so at 0630 to 0700 here I come right through the middle of camp.

Pete, we were truck camping in this instant and put up the tent right next to the truck. From now on, the sleeping are will be away from the truck when hunting and such.

I had looked into a couple different tarp set ups like the Siltarp and Noahs Tarp and such. I have a large tent that the poles are damaged on. I have been considering pilfering it to make a simple tarp out of the ripstop nylon. It would at least afford me some wind protection when it's real cold and some rain/wet snow protection. I've mainly been concerned with how to keep my sleeping bag dry when on the ground. I know about bivvys and have thought about getting one.

Poncho and Foam Pad
 

String up a poncho with 550 cord about 3feet off the ground and make sure the hoods tied off. Put a foam pad on the ground and you can stay dry and have good SA/Camo.

Don't get the newer lightweight versions. Get the old style thats a smelly chunk of rubber as the new ones actually will let really hard rain go right thru them.

DISCLAIMER: New means the ones that came out in the 90s, maybe they have finally replaced them.

I think you will find some useful things here http://stores.group1equipment.com/StoreFront.bok
You might be surprised how comfortable you can be just on a sleeping pad with liner.

Edit: "Late at night while your sleepin, those Rangers come a creepin all around...they come a creepin all around".

No tent camping/sleeping
 

3dGp. in '65 we were issued 2 poncho's.

BMT

Use a bivvy sack over the bag and you're good to hook. If it looks like rain - just string a Tarp/poncho over it. Snow? Don't worry about it. Spent four years on a cold-weather team. We'd kick a trench in the snow, toss your pad down and then curl up and let the snow blow over you, (waking up sucked but you couldn't be warmer).

50% security in the patrol base at all times, Ranger. :D

TR

Golf1Echo- I was looking at the liners and shells on your site and like what I see. I want a cheap solution in the interim to see how it goes.

Jim P. and others, I'm off to find a older poncho. A buddy rigged a poncho and a tarp up on a fishing trip recently and it was good to go, and got me thinking more about being able to just unzip the bag and get up, or grab my rifle and have nothing between me and the "disturbance" but cool night air.

My son is 13, and it's time he realizes that the tent is providing a false sense of security- anything that wants to eat you can get in- and it's an obstacle to get out of in an emergency.

TR- I have been thinking about security. I think that I shouldn't have to consider perimeter security on a simple hunting trip, but then again, even the pigs around here are getting big and aggressive, so maybe some toe poppers and noise makers are in line. The other 50% isn't going to have a security rotation with me.

Wait a sec...when do you guys ever SLEEP? :D

There is always just sitting down next to a big tree, leaning against it and going to sleep. If it starts to rain just throw a poncho over yourself and you gear. But in reality it sucked.

Bivy sack most of the time, hammock sometimes, tent in the winter. These days I like my comfort. :D

Tress

Well,.......
 

Well, there is a difference between backing in your vehicle and throwing all your stuff out on the ground next to it and "ultra light" backpacking through a wilderness area.

Those are the two extremes - and there all levels of comfort in between.

It boils down to "What level of comfort do you want and can you carry it?"

Are you packing so much gear you can't enjoy the outdoors as you're trudging down the trail - or are you shivering at 0300 wishing you brought the second poncho liner?

And on the tent - there is only one way to put it up and most flies that come with them are cut in a dome to fit over it. A 10 x 8 tarp can be set up low for bad weather or high for sunny, hot weather. It can be tied to the outside of your pack and if a thunder storm comes along it can quickly be set up between two trees.

Tents are good for privacy in campgrounds and in very buggy areas. Other than that you go outdoors to see the outdoors.

Yup, I like the way you think,....

Few years back, I got into Kayaking, (big open water), ocean lanes. The Seattle to Vancouver was a favorite and a kick in the pants fun thing to do. I (we), could only do small portions of it as time allowed, but paddling up (north), keeping land in view, carrying a bunch of gear, kind of like having a ruck sack full of cool stuff, (tent, stove, fuel, fishing gear, etc.). We'd paddle, stop when tired, fish, nap, make camp, paddle some more. Beach landing were always interesting, found many quiet locations, away from others, 4 days the norm.

Always had a pad, sleeping on sand is tough duty.

I'm into comfort these days, hard to call it camping.

Exactly,we were also issued poncho's when I went thru SFTG and it rained that night and we were all sock-en wet the next morning..........:boohoo My partner was a ranger and I thought he knew what he was doing,don't ever share with a ranger........... :rolleyes: De Oppresso Liber.................;)

Big Teddy :munchin