TUBE TENT
You will need:
- plastic
- ball of strong cotton string
- 40 gromets (approximately)
- wax paper, 2 towels, iron (if you choose this method)
- 20' of rope (more of less depending on where you 'pitch' this tent
Directions
- You will need a large sheet of plastic approximately 10' X 12'. If this is not possible, you can use smaller pieces, and just seal them together using an iron which will be explained below. Building supply stores sell this, the vapour barriers used in new home construction work really well.
- Fold the plastic in half lengthwise
- Double fold the two ends together about 3". Two methods could be used to hold these together. The first is using a gromet (marble, small pebble, etc.) every 15" or so; or using wax paper, and 2 old towels, and an iron. To use this method, take the seam and place it between 2 layers of wax paper with one towel under and one over. This keeps the wax paper off your iron. In sections, seal the seams.
- Start at one end and place gromets around the opening leaving the strings about 6" on the inside and long enough so when all are pulled together they can be loosely tied. Depending on the size of the hole, 8-10 gromets are generally used here. If you divide in 2 groups, both ends can get completed at the same time. I find it works best when there are 2 girls tying each gromet as it can get difficult to twist the gromet under the plastic and tie the string at the same time.
- Once both ends have the gromets in place, one or two girls need to get inside the tube to put the finishing touches on it
- To keep the top from collapsing on the girls in the middle of the night, 3-4 more gromets need to be put along the top portion so that a guyline can be used to pull the top out.
- Instead of using pegs, as sometimes the ground is too frozen to put them in, another line of 3-4 gromets need to be put along the bottom of each side.
- When you go to use this tube tent, find a place that looks comfy to sleep on but has a few trees around.
- Place tube between 2 trees, pull rope through the tube (it should run along the top)
- Secure bottom string to inground roots, low on a tree trunk, or any other object that will be secure.
- Tie guylines to a tree.
- When it is time to go to sleep, once the girls are in their 'tent' gather all the strings from the gromets around the doors and tie them together. It is easier to get out in the morning if when you are tying the string to divide them into 2 sections & then tie them like you would your shoe.
- Make sure at least one person in each 'tent' has a knife with them. If something happens in the night, just cut your way out as it would be easy to fix.
I hope this makes sense, it is SO much easier to show someone how to do this then to type all the directions.
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