"...Campmor 9'x9' ( finished)coated nylon tarp with preknotted tiedowns..."

Is that the green one (at least mine is) with all the tie tapes on it? Those tapes sure make it a lot easier to set it up quickly in a variety of ways...

I just caught that!! Laughing my arse off. As someone coming up on their 10 th anniversary, do you think the bride would mind if traded her in for a tart, impregnated or not?

And Susan, any married man knows not to trust tarts, that's how we got in the trick bag in the first place.

A parachute silk hammock, can lay sideways or lay long and roll-up in it.
W/hammocks you reallyneed something under you as the wind moving will make your backside freezing cold!

I'm adding a light-weight (kind of pricey) tarp to use as a rainfly for it. I also have 1 woolblanket and 1 wool/poly blanket mix that would make a night out comfy.
I also have a tube tent, a couple 60gallon white baggys and maybe some 80gallon (i forget I just know they are huge). And I have lots of paracord to make al ot of stuff.
A couple space blankets to use as wind shields, and maybe a few other things.

I've got the exact same setup as Ras in my BOB. Takes up very little space and works pretty well.

In most of my smaller kits I keep an AMK Heatsheat, a large trashbag (80"x52") and 25' of reflective tent cord or 550 cord (in the larger of my small kits)

For my field PSK I carry only the AMK Heatsheat and 12' of reflective tent cord or 550 cord.

In my 24 hour kit, wildland kit, and my BOB where it is more likely that my Shelters will need to be taken down and the materials reused, I keep more durable materials. In my BOB and 24 hour kit I keep a Blaze orange 10'x12' Silicone Nylon tarp, 50' of 550 Cord, an AMK Emergency Bivy, (2) AMK Heatsheats and (2) 80"x52" trash bags. In my IA pack (wildland) I carry a Silicone Nylon Poncho and a AMK Emergency Bivy and 50' of 550 Cord.

Tube tent is just like a big garbage bag. One can cut it and, voila', you tave a tarp. I have a tube tent and some rope, making it an OK expedient shelter. Additionally I recently upgraded to the new AMK HeatSheets emergency bivvy.

Alan,

Because I am also from Arizona I am very interested in what shelters you use in the different biomes. Readers may not realize that our state goes from dessert to areas in northern Arizona that are like Canada. It can be very hot in Phoenix and when you go up to the rim it can be below freezing.

I am only interested in the shelters you have for emergency use. Can you describe how you set them up? Are they meant to protect against wind, rain and cold or just one or two? My wife pointed out to me that when you are in heavy trees there is very little wind on the ground. She was raised camping in the southeast. I tend to think in terms of our monsoon rains.

Thanks!

When going light (hunting) I carry an AMK Heatsheet. I hunt in the pines so if needs be I can always make a debris shelter out of deadfall. When hiking I also carry an 8' X 10' Campmor tarp. I always have plenty of paracord along.

Certainly something to spend some time considering that most often in an unexpected night outside shelter is the most important survival need. Get some type of shelter in your kit and upgrade as budget allows. Might be the one thing that saves you (and your tart). <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

By the way, in my EDC bag, I carry the AMK HeetSheet and a TMR Storm Shelter. In my bigger bag (EDC when I need my laptop) I plan on something more substantial, or at least some back ups. Probably going to get some WalMart tarps for the cars...enough to shelter the whole family.

Speaking of which, if weight is not much of a concern, would I benefit from medium to heavy weight plastic tarps as opposed to the light weight? I figure that they will both keep the wind and weather off, but I wonder if in a strong wind falling debris, from a tree perhaps, would tear the lighter weight tarp. Then again, as was said before, if in an area with trees, wind is not as much of a factor.

What do y'all think?

In my Witz PSK - no shelter, too small.
In my EDC (BOB 1 of 2) bag - a space blanket.
In my vehicle survival kit - a space blanket, orange tube tent, poncho, large black plastic garbage bags.
In my vehicle FAK - a space blanket.
In my hiking pack (BOB 2 of 2) - an AMK heatsheet, weather-resistant pullover.
In my camping gear bin - a nice tent, rain fly, and groundsheet! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I recently bought an AMK 1-person emergency bivvy. That's going to go into the hiking pack. And there are a couple of additional AMK heatsheets to replace most of the various space blankets floating around. The space blankets will likely be used as backups.