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Main Boards => Gear => Topic started by: Litehiker on 18:50:55, 05/04/19

Title: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Litehiker on 18:50:55, 05/04/19
I have a tarp tent Moment DW and a TT Scarp 2, both with ripstop inner tents. Nice 3 season tents but I wanted them to endure winter conditions so I purchased the optional "Crossing Poles" foe both tents.


1. X-ing Poles are run under the flys for much better wind and snow load support.


2. Fly hem stake loops of light nylon webbing sewn to the flys at 4 locations around the tent (eliminates 90% of flapping in high winds)


3. Scarp 2 has heavier diameter and thicker walled custom main pole from Tentpole Technology.


4. prepared guy lines (attachment clips and line tensioners) for sides and ends Very fast attaching in a storm at "zero dark thirty".


So far in gusts to 65 mph. (105 kph?) and steady 35 mph winds these tents have been very solid when using all of the above aids.


** See photos and some instructions at the Backpacking Light website
-> For the Moment DW at "The Tarptent Thread" in the GEAR forum
-> For the SCARP 2 at the "Winterizing My SCARP 2" at the WINTER HIKING forum.


With both tents the Crossing Poles had to be shortened, generally around 5 inches (130 mm) using a small pipe cutter. Crush the waste tubing with pliers until it breaks apart so there is no messing around re-threading a shock cord.


Eric P.S. - Adding fly hem stake loops and making up prepared guy lines can be done for any tent and I highly recommend it.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 18:55:10, 05/04/19
65mph is more like 105kph
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Litehiker on 19:11:26, 05/04/19
Thanks Mike,


I've corrected my wild guess. I'm "metrically challenged".  :)  (as are most Americans)


Eric B.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Rob Goes Walking on 20:30:29, 05/04/19
Thanks Mike,


I've corrected my wild guess. I'm "metrically challenged".  :)  (as are most Americans)


Eric B.


We use mph here for wind speed anyway, the UK uses an odd mix of metric and imperial. Most older people do imperial, most younger people do both.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: ninthace on 21:47:44, 05/04/19

We use mph here for wind speed anyway, the UK uses an odd mix of metric and imperial. Most older people do imperial, most younger people do both.
  Real men measure windspeed in knots. 
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 22:20:56, 05/04/19
Real Knots were used by men up to the mid 19th century - so pretty old now.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: richardh1905 on 22:36:12, 05/04/19
Interesting post, Eric, as I am doing some minor modifications to a tent that I bought off ebay last year.

The idea of extra fly hem loops for guying is a good one - a nice simple mod.

I'm also reinforcing the first 25cm of the pole sleeves, as I have managed to damage the sleeve netting by being a bit heavy handed when pitching the tent whilst under midge attack last year  :o 100mm (4") sash material works very well for this.

Other planned mods include putting a mesh panel in the inner door for added summer ventilation (closable for winter use), and I'm even considering getting some stronger alloy poles, as the ones supplied seem very thin for the size of the tent (3 man Coleman Phad 3).
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: ninthace on 23:05:48, 05/04/19
Real Knots were used by men up to the mid 19th century - so pretty old now.
Knots are still used in aviation.   Last time I flew a glider approach speed for landing was about 1.5 times stalling speed plus half windspeed, all in knots as airspeed indicator is in knots.
Maritime navigation also uses knots (nautical miles per hour) too.  Useful as 1 second of latitude is about 1 nautical mile.
Real men sail boats or fly gliders.  (Engines are for wimps)
My pet hate - people, usually journalist referring to knots per hour


Or did you mean knotty knots tied to logs?
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Rob Goes Walking on 23:12:51, 05/04/19
  Real men measure windspeed in knots.


I regard it as yet another metric that isn't metric that I have to convert to get a grasp of and wish everyone would just use metric.  :)  But I'm of generation snowflake, albeit the more robust end.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 23:36:54, 05/04/19
Knots are still used in aviation.   Last time I flew a glider approach speed for landing was about 1.5 times stalling speed plus half windspeed, all in knots as airspeed indicator is in knots.
Maritime navigation also uses knots (nautical miles per hour) too.  Useful as 1 second of latitude is about 1 nautical mile.
Real men sail boats or fly gliders.  (Engines are for wimps)
My pet hate - people, usually journalist referring to knots per hour


Or did you mean knotty knots tied to logs?


Yes, I did mean the original knotty knots tied to a log that was thrown overboard to measure ship speed.  I assume that this was the origin of the name and of ship’s log (from logging the speed).


I thought real men walked  :)
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: ninthace on 00:31:08, 06/04/19

I thought real men walked  :)
I think real women do too.  She walks, I jog behind trying to keep up.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: BuzyG on 08:06:11, 06/04/19
I think real women do too.  She walks, I jog behind trying to keep up.

Have you calculated your jogging speed in knots, kph or mph?

And do you calculate how many Watts you are putting out climbing a hill?  Or should I that be horse power?

Engineers and units of measure.  Always good for a debate.

Oh and before I forget.  Can anyone define a kilogramme for me.  Do it quick, the definition changes in 44 days time.  ;)
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Owen on 10:26:55, 06/04/19
A kilogramme is the weight of one litre of water as sea level. Always has been always will be.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Rob Goes Walking on 10:33:54, 06/04/19
A kilogramme is the weight of one litre of water as sea level. Always has been always will be.


I thought a kilogram was defined as the weight of Big K (although that may have started as the weight of water and probably did) and after a google it's apparently going to be redefined to be relative to the Planck constant as Big K slowly loses mass screwing up consistency with the measure.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Owen on 10:42:16, 06/04/19
I don't think they knew about Planck constant or Big K back in the seventeen hundreds.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Rob Goes Walking on 10:58:00, 06/04/19
I don't think they knew about Planck constant or Big K back in the seventeen hundreds.


Big K is just a lump of metal they keep as a reference "constant".


According to Wikipedia they started using a lump of metal as the standard in 1799 because it was inconvenient to use a litre of water as a weight.



Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Litehiker on 19:56:57, 06/04/19
Sheesh!  Talk about thread drift...
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: ninthace on 20:17:57, 06/04/19
Sheesh!  Talk about thread drift...
Is that drift in knots, kmph, mph, fps, m/s or what?
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Litehiker on 22:54:21, 06/04/19
ninth,
I was measuring it in rods per mile.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: ninthace on 23:45:31, 06/04/19
ninth,
I was measuring it in rods per mile.
Then the answer would be 320 for a British mile and I believe the same for a US statute mile
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Litehiker on 02:37:16, 07/04/19
OOPS! Senior Moment.


I meant rods /hour


"Old Timers' Disease" strikes again.


Eric B.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: zuludog on 06:36:01, 07/04/19
I've fiddled about with tents - adding extra guys; getting better pegs; sewing on extra pegging & guy attachment points, that sort of thing
I've also changed all the guy runners for the 3 - hole triangular type, which I find the easiest to use
I treated the zips with Ziplube

it does no ham to re - proof your tents; Granger's Fabsil is as good as any
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: richardh1905 on 08:01:42, 07/04/19
I've also changed all the guy runners for the 3 - hole triangular type, which I find the easiest to use



I've just taken those off my 3 man Coleman Phad ebay tent! They always seem to cause a tangle in the guylines, and the holes were a tad too small for the cord making it very difficult to adjust the length.


Replaced them with these (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20X-Noctilucent-Outdoor-Camping-Tent-Lock-Cord-Rope-Fastener-Guy-Line-Tensioners/332836791369?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=541959371606&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649) ordered on ebay from China - £1.66 for 10. Essentially the same as the guy runners sold by Hilleberg for £12 !








Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: zuludog on 08:21:14, 07/04/19
They look like Chinese copies of Clam - Cleats
I've tried those, and couldn't get used to them - each to their own

Go to www.cleats.co.uk
they have various types of cleats and Dynema guyline available
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Litehiker on 20:41:35, 08/04/19
I prefer Line Loc tensioners. Mainly meant to be attached to the tent or tarp with light webbing they can also be used as stand-alone line tensioners. They work best with 2 or 3 mm lines.


Eric B.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Mel on 21:08:04, 08/04/19
Or for the ultra-super-lightweight folks, just ditch the guy runners altogether and tie a Taut Line Hitch (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taut-line_hitch) which comes free with your guy lines  :)
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: richardh1905 on 09:57:57, 09/04/19
They look like Chinese copies of Clam - Cleats
I've tried those, and couldn't get used to them - each to their own

Go to www.cleats.co.uk (http://www.cleats.co.uk)
they have various types of cleats and Dynema guyline available



I pitched the tent on a clifftop last night - the Chinese cleats worked very well for me.


(https://i.ibb.co/FH0dzX7/Phad-Mull-Head1.jpg)


(https://i.ibb.co/19DJd82/Phad-Mull-Head2.jpg)



PS - I'm giving up on 'winterizing' this tent - it flaps far too much in the wind.
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Jac on 12:00:10, 09/04/19

PS ....................................................- it flaps far too much in the wind.



Using your dog as an anchor is cheating
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: richardh1905 on 12:01:30, 09/04/19

Using your dog as an anchor is cheating



 ;D


Is using her to pull me up a mountain cheating too?
Title: Re: "Winterizing" my 3 season tents
Post by: Jac on 15:19:43, 09/04/19
;D 
Is using her to pull me up a mountain cheating too?



Absolutely  ;)        not