No tent camping/sleeping

[kletzenklueffer]

Originally Posted by Pete

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.

Pete- when my son goes, it's usually out of the truck, we shoot some, and fish some. He's put together a decent backpack of his own, but he needs to reduce it's weight some. I talk to him about not carrying things you won't need- like a 0-15 degree sleeping bag when it's 80 degrees outside, that a poncho liner will do.

As far as my gear, I carry a water purifier, extra pants, t shirt and socks, a real lightweight sleeping bag (size of a 1/2 loaf of bread) and a woobie if it's getting below 30, a canteen, cup and stove, a 70 oz camelbak, simple foods (nuts, cranberries, a dehydrated meal or two) first aid, gps and compass, hikers tent and 8x10 camo tarp, knife, pistol, rifle, more ammo than I need, fleece jacket and layers if it's freezing. My pack weighs about 40 with water, food and tent.

I've been working to reduce my carrying weight, and while comfort is important, if I can't get to where I want to go, there's no point in going at all.

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by Jefe

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.

Second that, the new ones are a waste of space. And don't even think about the nylon one for a poncho raft.
Replace them? Replace a cruddy something that replaced something that worked real good? Not a chance. Oh well they did improve it . . .it now comes in ACU pattern. which makes crappy, sh!ty.

"So I got that goin' for me." Bill Murray

[Jefe]

LOL, I remember starting a sniper squad in the ARNG after I left Active Duty where we would be out in that nice November rain in the hills and I would be dry, warm and comfortable all night with my old man poncho and the young studs were tired, frozen and ready to get moving just to warm up!!

The other good piece of gear was the Rain Jacket made of the same stuff. You would die of heat stroke if you tried to move in it, but as one poster wrote, if you just lean up against the tree with your boonie cap on, it was a good rest.

I also think the Poncho Liner is the best piece of gear (maybe the sleeping shirt) ever issues. I still keep two of them and am not far removed from Linus and his blanket with them.

And Poncho Hootch or Poncho Villa depending on your AO. (Standing by for incoming on that joke)

[kgoerz]

I was in 7th Group. One time in Peru. The AC went out in the Hotel.

[koz]

For the lightest cover that actually works, take a look at the Kifaru ParaHootch -
http://www.kifaru.net/tarps_hootches.html - it's expensive but works really well.

While you're there, take a look at their Woobie or Doobie - https://kifaru.net/woobie.html
Also expensive but are pretty awesome.

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by kgoerz

I was in 7th Group. One time in Peru. The AC went out in the Hotel.

We had to sleep in the host unit's barracks one time in Venezuela, because of an ingratiating, kowtowing Team Leader who thought we'd be dissing the unit if we rented a house. No AC. Fans just don't cut it.

Many ice-cold Polars were drunk on that trip!

Originally Posted by Jefe

I also think the Poncho Liner is the best piece of gear (maybe the sleeping shirt) ever issues.

Field Jacket liner used under BDU shirt. When not needed, the body portion was stuffed in it's own sleeve for pillow use.

[Jefe]

Hands down agree. Remember how some guys would sew Poncho Liner into the Rain Parka?

And the field jacket liner weights zero and a strong gust of wind will dry them out.

And OG 107s rather than the repeated line of failed uniforms since then.

Have a great holiday weekend! BBQing and actually stringing up a poncho hootch tonight outside a cabin up in the mountains!

[lindy]

Originally Posted by wet dog

Field Jacket liner used under BDU shirt. When not needed, the body portion was stuff in it's own sleeve for pillow use.

I'm taking that little gem with me to Benning this "winter".

Originally Posted by lindy

I'm taking that little gem with me to Benning this "winter".

Old tricks, new dogs.

I supervised a bunch of OCS/IOBC students, Ft. Benning, running them through a land nav course. I, the steely eyed SF/SSG, commanded one of several lanes/stations. Temp. dropped low enough to allow for warming fires. I got the word 2 hours prior, and had enough students asking, "Sergeant, can we light a fire?", but I was waiting on three more to arrive so I could call it in, "All present".

As we sat around camp, clip board in hand, I was comfortable sitting in a lounge chair while in the near distance, several sets of teeth chattered in the night.

When the last one arrived, we conducted our AAR, another hour passes. One soldier asked when finished, "Sergeant, are you not cold?"

"Nope."

"How are you remaining warm?".

"Field jacket liner, LT."

My next set of orders were, "Everyone, gather around......remove wet T-shirts, remove boots and socks. Time to warm up. Who can start a fire? Take care of feet, eat some chow, stay within 100m of this spot, do not wonder off. The time is now 2200hrs., we are here for the night. Trucks to pick us up will arrive at 0600hrs. Get some sleep, zero security tonight boys."

12 young soldiers were asleep within the hour, they earned it,....

I had fire duty. I opened a jar of sweet home canned peaches, and thought of next years Elk hunt back home.

[Pete]

This was cheap - used it last night up in Uwharrie. One heck of a thunderstorm at 2000.

Took a little effort to hold the one flap down and fill the canteens and water bottles.

I put a pointed stick through the eye on the flap and set the ruck on top of the end to weigh it down. The first big gust of wind flipped the flap up on top of the tarp taking the stick with it. The ruck toppled over into the rain so I had to drag it over to the far side, grab the flap and then start filling canteens and water bottles while holding the flap. All this while I was in the hammock.

After that - easy as pie.

Edited to add - camera settings. I took two pictures around 1945. The first was taken on the regular setting with flash. It was too dark to pick out any detail. I switched the setting to Landscape / Mountain and with the flash the picture came out lighter than it was at the time. So play with those extra settings.

Originally Posted by Pete

This was cheap - used it last night up in Uwharrie. One heck of a thunderstorm at 2000.

Took a little effort to hold the one flap down and fill the canteens and water bottles.

I put a pointed stick through the eye on the flap and set the ruck on top of the end to weigh it down. The first big gust of wind flipped the flap up on top of the tarp taking the stick with it. The ruck toppled over into the rain so I had to drag it over to the far side, grab the flap and then start filling canteens and water bottles while holding the flap. All this while I was in the hammock.

After that - easy as pie.

Another claymore bag for man-purse, awesome.

[Golf1echo]

Pete, Looks like a British DPM Basha overhead, have you attached a piece (perhaps ACU) along the one side? Interesting how you were collecting drinking water (nice thing about water proof tarps). Were you holding your containers, were they suspended or did you have the overhead rigged to divert the water into containers on the ground? Nice set up for the rain, some may not realize a hammock/overhead had better be bomb proof in heavy rain or....... I noticed your slap straps, very handy! Also your convenient head lamp placement.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Golf1echo

Pete, Looks like a British DPM Basha overhead, have you attached a piece (perhaps ACU) along the one side? Interesting how you were collecting drinking water (nice thing about water proof tarps). Were you holding your containers, were they suspended or did you have the overhead rigged to divert the water into containers on the ground? Nice set up for the rain, some may not realize a hammock/overhead had better be bomb proof in heavy rain or....... I noticed your slap straps, very handy! Also your convenient head lamp placement.

The photo is somewhat an optical illusion. The hammock is Trek Light (rated to 400 lbs) and is 10' long. The main tarp is a 8' x 10' $6.00 plastic cover from the sports store at Fort Bragg set up diagonally. That works for just rain. With the storm coming I added an ACU pattern poncho over the ridge line to cover my feet area and it is hanging down over the hammock - comes just about to the middle.

It was raining so hard and the wind blowing so strong everything was jumping around. I just held a canteen cup along the edge of the tarp and it filled in a few seconds.

"Good enough" usually ain't. I was thinking of putting a little more effort into the shelter but decided I wasn't going to get hit very hard. Wrong! When it looked like I was going to get hammered I had time to throw on the poncho, snap the picture, drag the ruck under the hooch and get in the hammock. With all the lightning I was not going to put my feet on the ground.

[The Reaper]

Most of my time in the woods has been in a temperate/jungle environment.

My biggest concerns were staying dry, and keeping my blood for my own purposes.

Having said that, I like a jungle hammock, even set up on the ground.

Dry and keeps the bugs out, too. Not too bulky, but they are hard to find now days, especially the US versions.

If rain is expected, an Australian poncho/shelter goes over the top.

Having said that, I have slept wrapped in just a woobie or a poncho and a woobie, or just pased out on the ground with a ruck for a pillow.

If you are tired enough, you can sleep anywhere.

TR