What is your shelter options in your BOB'S and your other kits?

i have small rain poncho,large orange survival blanket w/ survial instructions on it,trash bag.---my medium size kit

my BOB-survival blanket, rain poncho,several trash bags, and i have a tube tent which im seriously considering subsituting for a tarp(the ones you cover stuff with, and its not the biggest tarp ever). but i would have to stick it into a vacuum sealed bag so i could save lots of space.

thats all that comes to mind

saw a tube tent at big lots for $2.99 and wanted to take it to add to bob, decided against it and find a better deal? no experience with this cheapie, so the cheaper the item,the less time you have to live?

I've got an Adventure Medical Kits Emergency Bivvy Sack and a Sil-Nylon tarp (6'x8'). They both pack fairly tight and don't take much space.

A$$_bag
- AM heat sheet
- para-cord
- couple of contractors garbage bags
- Sportsman's space blanket (hooded with hand pockets)
- REI gore-tex pants and jacket
- leather work gloves treated with Camp-Dry

BOB
as above, but adds a British Army basha, 6 titanium tent stakes, imps net, SAS head over, socks, and poly-pro long underwear.

The basha is 6 x 8, bomb-proof, seam sealed, reinforced at the loops, and has 2 yards of para-cord attached to each loop. A great multi-use piece of kit. But heavy, weighing in at 2 lbs. I've looked into replacing it with a silicone impregnated tart, but the one's I've looked at don't seem very sturdy.

Winter gear would swap out the basha for the Preying Mantis, sleeping pad, and synthetic bag.

I usually consider appropriate clothing to be your first layer of shelter. Having the appropriate dry clothes in your kit can save you from a world of hurt!!

Has anyone had any experience with the Adventure medical bivys?

Misanthrope - someone who mistrusts mankind

Hmm, let us know if you find one...

<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My BOB is very small & compact. I carry an army poncho & a Baja jacket for shelter. If more warning is given, I pack my duffle as a Ruck and carry more gear.

Stored in the gamepocket of my Filson packercoat, itself a major shelter is a Campmor 9'x9' ( finished)coated nylon tarp with preknotted tiedowns. It isn't the lightest compared to the premium siltarps, certainly more expensive than the affairs you use for painting. Size was determined simply by that week's paycheck. I got the biggest my budget would allow. Shelter follows the same dictate of all homes- location,location,location. The tarp is merely the foundation for my shelter options using additional materials. I've practised several of the configurations on our homepage article. My favourite replicates the origami 'Rock.' If I can't throw a basic shelter up in a few minutes I'll just wrap myself up in the thing.

yes i forgot to mention all my types of cordage. mostly 550 parchute cord, i also have some nylon too in various kits of mine.

'I've looked into replacing it with a silicone impregnated tart, but the one's I've looked at don't seem very sturdy.

'Misanthrope - someone who mistrusts mankind'

Look, Sweetie -- if you mistrust mankind, you'd better mistrust those womankind silicone impregnated tarts, too! They may keep you warm, but I doubt that they'll keep the rain off. They're nothing but trouble and will take you for everything you've got. And whether they're sturdy or not doesn't matter. <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Sue, who is literally laughing out loud

"...I doubt that they'll keep the rain off..."

I guess that would depend on how much silicone that tart was impregnated with, and where you stand...

OBG, with a mental picture...

"...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.

FWIW - my personal BOB has a Eureka Mountainpass Tent. It is a free standing tent that I've used for winter camping. I also have a 25 degree marmot sawtooth sleeping bag.

When hiking in the woods w/ a day pack I have a 5x8 sil-nylon poncho.

Adam

I don't have a dedicated BOB right now. But for my car or my pack for long day hikes, I have an Army Gortex bivy sack with the two sleeping bags. It was expensive, but on Ebay, about a third of what it could have been. But that's for Wyoming, and I'll hump the extra weight so I don't wake up with frost bite(not that I would, I doubt I could fall asleep). I also have a Drizabone riding coat I just got for an early Christmas present. That's my EDC shelter, sure beats a trashbag. I also have a couple blaze orange hunting vests. Better then surveyor's tape as a signal, plus if its hunting season it might mean someone'll think twice before sending lead down range.

that is a tough bivy medical sack. I will get it for sure.

I have a 10 X 8 tarp and rain poncho in my BOB. Been looking at switching over to a small tent, if I can find one for not a lot of $$$ and lightweight I'll do it.

In my small wilderness PSK (belt pouch), I carry an extra-large orange garbage bag. In my daypack, I carry a bigger heavy-duty tarp with a reflective side, it has grommets and allows me to tie it down to trees with cord.

MY backpack kit, which is mostly kept packed for S & R, I have a simple military poncho. Easy to set up, rain proof, & has yet to let me down. In my jeep, I have a large tupperware container, with all kinds of stuff thrown in, depending on the season. I have a 10X8 silnylon tarp, that has survived as an emergency bivy a few times, while on exposed peaks in New England. Its nice having tie downs pre sewn onto points on the tarp. Beats having to deplete my cordage.

In my Belt Survival Pouch I keep a 55 gallon drum liner and a space blanket. In my daypack I keep a heavy duty Stearns poncho with grommets that can easily be improvised along with another 55 gallon drum liner. In my BOB I keep an orange tube tent with two more 55 gallon drum liners and a space blanket. I am ditching the space blankets for some Survival Emergency Blankets by Adventure Medical Kits in the near future.

The same rule of real estate applies to survival shelter- location, location, location. Murphy's law dicates that a heavier tarp will in all likelyhood just get ripped by an equally bigger piece of debri. Any shelter, from heavy duty trashbag to dedicated tent provide us TIME to THINK and IMPROVE our situation.

What kind of emergency blanket is that?

http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=20 - Doug's take on emergency blankets

I use what I call "layers of preparation system"
Belt PSK
- large plastic bag
- heat sheet
- cordage

SHTF bag
- backpacker poncho (longer)
- large plastic bag
- even larger plastic bag (one of those 85" by something)

BOB
- Silshelter http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/...elter%20Review/
(I will highly recommend this line of superlight shelters. They make tarps too. This shelter uses one pole, staff, limb, whatever. I've used it many nights and they are deceptively tough. It's sort of a triangular affair, no floor, but kindofa door - shelters two people and weighs LESS THAN ONE POUND!!)
- MORE cordage!
- six screw-in plastic stakes
- yet one more plastic bag!

Vehicle Kit
- two plastic tarps (10'X12')
- more rope

In EDC a mylar blanket and an orange poncho.

In BOV (I use a vest, rather than a bag) an 8x10 Siltarp, a couple hundred feet of paracord and a foldup saw big enough to cut wood to build a real shelter.

In car kit a North Face 2 man tent, and a large plastic tarp.

Attached to my BOB is a 2 man tent. My BOB is rather extreme and it also weighs about 55 lbs. Yes the tent adds weight, but I am able to walk all day with it on and with the tent, I will be able sleep warm, protected from the element and I will, like CK stated at the bottom of this post, have a place to think and regroup. I also carry a 8x8 tarp and tie downs, 100 ft of 550 paracord and 2 ratchet tie downs. I have my reasons for carrying all this. As I have said before, I can and have carried my pack all day in the mountains of Wyoming. The tarp is an extended part of my shelter. The winds in WYO can blow up to 80mph (45 mph today), and the tarp can be wind protection (or a sail when you are trying to set it up). All in all shelter is an important part of my BOB. I have a 7 year old and a wife that I have a resposibility for and I am more willing to do uphold my responsibility if the wife and kid are less cranky by being warm and rested. Just a thought.

Pocket
Disposable poncho

Belt Kit
Silnylon poncho
6x8 Silnylon Tarp
AMK Heatsheet

Fanny Pack PSK
2 AMK Heatsheets
10x10 Silnylon tarp
AMK Bivi