Always searching for the best 4 season cooking and shelter system

[chimpac]

Let’s trade some ideas on cooking and shelter equipment.
I say that a tarp can do the best shelter for all four seasons. A square tarp, centre pole chimney, pegged down with 2 pegs on each corner about 12” apart 3” in from edge, side strings attached 3” in from edge. To make blizzard tight bottom edge put a strip of Velcro on tarp edge to attach an inside ground edge piece.
No sewed in doors just lift any side for entry. Prop sides open to cool off when the sun or the stove is to hot. If the centre of the tarp is low enough the sides can be lifted to the same level to get hot air out.
Any shelter needs an eye level vent to see what the neighbours and bears are doing.
2 sticks in each corner to keep tarp above persons head.
Burn gas or wood on an inside cook stove. I like to burn wood even if I have to carry it in. A wood burning stove needs a baffle to make the cook top hottest part of stove and stop sparks coming from the chimney.
If you cook inside or camp in summer all sides have to open if you want most comfort.
i Got some pictures on.
https://www.wintercampingsymposium.c...ing-under-tarp

[SD_Motak]

Sounds interesting. How large is your tarp in feet per side? How many bodies will fit inside? Canvas or something else?

[Kinguq]

Hi,
Problem I see with the tarp shelter is the difficulty of pegging anything down in deep snow conditions. I used a lavvu for many years, and using snow anchors was always a pain. And it has to be pegged down tightly, because it is countering the force of the center pole. These days I much prefer a free standing tent.

I do like your stoves as you know!

Kinguq.

[chimpac]

There is more information on my other posts. I just use plastic tarps to experiment with. There is wonderful light waterproof fabric to make a tarp to carry. 10’x10’ for one person sit on the ground, 12’x 12’ 4 people sit on ground,15’x15’ 4 people sit in chairs sleep on cots. Stove can be any size, 45 gallon drum maybe as large as is practical.

[chimpac]

Yes getting the pegs on the corners to hold is absolutely necessary. I have got snow anchors to hold in deep snow. I just now remember that I drive my nail tent peg into a 4”x 10” branch and bury it in the snow. I use the knot in my tarp string that can be made to slip.it where it needs to be.
The real difficulty is on pavement, concrete, any surface a peg can not be driven into. I have moved in something heavy to the corner to tie to.
I am not impressed with some of the tent pegs offered in the stores. I prefer a pole barn nail and maybe 2 if ground is soft. If I get picky about weight to carry I use a long aluminum nail.
I now use 1/2 the side of the same size tin can as my stove for my baffle. Just bent to fit, leaning in my stove from the bottom of the back wall over to the front. Bent to the front to leave a smoke opening and being tight to the side. So simple, why did I not think of it years ago? It makes the front of the stove much hotter than the back. I get my hot cook top and I think it burns the stove hotter and cleaner because the combustion chamber is smaller.
I have gone to one small feed hole (no door) at the bottom in front of my feed chute. Open, non adjustable draft at feed opening and bottom grate. The temperature of the fire is regulated by the size and amount of wood pushed in. I started doing it this way way when I found the homeless guys operating my stove with open front. The door probably lost.
I can’t live without my row of punched holes above the feed door. I can always see how my fire is burning and the holes add some draft right where the fire is the hottest to help for a clean, more complete hotter burn.

https://www.wintercampingsymposium.com/forum/gear-equipment/wood-stoves/2329-new-ideas-for-cooking-under-tarp

[chimpac]

Winter is over, we have had some nice warm days. So I am always trying to get as comfortable as I can when I cook my breakfast in my tarp shelter every morning.
I decided I wanted to go lighter for summer so I quit my 12’x12’ and went to a 8’x10’. To keep cool I use a side chimney jack. Summer cooking inside with a wood stove it is good to get rid of inside heat. The tarp does not come all the way to the ground on the stove side. There is room to crowd in two campers.
I also put a jack in the middle so if the weather gets bad I can keep the tarp tight to the ground on all sides but there is only room for one camper.
I made myself a new 5”x5” summer stove using all the new improvement ideas that came to me this winter.