Engineering Challenge - Two Story Tent!

[M.D. Holloway]

A nice ring of petro-jelly would do the trick - we use it instead of starter fluid. Does a great job with wet kindiling as well.

[Rot 911]

Kach you are a hell of an architectural artist. I always enjoy your renderings!

[Moses]

Ha! Kach is Armenian! I knew there was a reason I liked him.


(My wife is a Michaelian)

[azasadny]

Armenians are the best!!

[M.D. Holloway]

The pole could be telescoping composite, the tent itself could be one piece. There can be a pully at the top and to set it up would require stabilizing the pole and hoisting the tent like you would hoist the mainstall!

An alternative would be to have a tetrahedraon pole set-up with 4 poles all meeting at the top. I suppose you could have even more than 4 poles - it would allow for smaller poles which would be easier to carry.

Anybody know anyone working on carbon nanotube technology?

[ckissick]

Originally Posted by Moses

Ha! Kach is Armenian! I knew there was a reason I liked him.


(My wife is a Michaelian)

And my wife is a Bazigian.

[kach22i]

Thanks for all the support guys.

The center post/pole might want to have climbing pegs like a ladder on it. At least wedges nicked out of it so the side of a shoe can leverage on it, or fingers can grap and latch on to it. Like I said if the whole pole had a large sprial screw thread on it that should do as well.

In a related thread - for the skin I wrote:

Impluse heat sealer for thermal urethane

Originally Posted by kach22i

Impluse heat sealers for thermal urethane

I have some samples of heat sealable fabric for making waterproof bags (nylon base 420 denier with a nice thick urethane coating one side). They said you can just iron it with a houshold iron, but that leaves something to be desired. Problem is both sides should be heat activated at the same time and pressure kept on after the heat is removed until it cools. An iron can't do that, and an iron has a hard time doing straight lines (mine are two feet long). By the time I get it to seal well it starts to bubble and ruins the finish. If I go over it several times it ends up stiffing the fabric (bad for my application).

My first product choice would be the T-Clamp a $3,000 Vertrod Style by Therm-O-Seal, but I can't afford it.
http://www.therm-o-seal.com/equipment.handsealers.html

My last choice is $40 from Harbor Freight, might be better off with the iron.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=43477

The local rental place has nothing to rent me, the local tent and awning place only sews things and is expensive.

Any suggestions besides Craig's List and E-bay?

I did an oven test (150 degrees) on the fabric samples I ironed a few days ago. One passed, and one failed. The one that failed had not been heat welded as well but was very strong cold. The material I've found so far is the color black and I want to make sure that it's strong in the sun as well as in the shade. I think I saw a similar product in hot pink, but I don't have samples of that on hand. Who wants a pink tent anyway?

[M.D. Holloway]

I think this would make for a great Scout project! I would like to try and make this. I can understand the need for the tent to be portable and light weight if it was going to be packed on a back but for us lightweights that pull our cars up to the campsite, I would for go the weaight reduction in trade for a robust design.

Kach seems to have a pretty good handle on the design and the tent material. The 'second story' could be made out of a high strength netting / web material. The lines are easy to come up with. The only thing that is still an unknown is the center pole and if the tent needs side poles (Not sure it does).

The flattened out tent would be the shape of an octogon with an opening for access once lifted into shape. The 'second story' net could be fitted once the tent is in place.

[RoninLB]

OT entertainment in OT


For quick traveling a plastic tarp is great. Check out x-mas lights. Rain no prob.
A small zippered tent is safe and becomes warm inside.
Those $15 emergency foil 8x10' work great under bag + above bag if needed.
911 forest camping is great.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

Kach seems to have a pretty good handle on the design and the tent material. The 'second story' could be made out of a high strength netting / web material.

The material is the one I just ordered for my hovercraft skirt, I'm that impressed with it - and it's on sale until the end of the month.

Link (#6607-108):
http://www.rockywoods.com/heat_nylon.htm

The second story can be of the same material.

You can sew the material as well as heat welding it.

The post is in compression, everything else (even the floor) is in tension.

The post should be configured with climbing up and down in mind, and the fact that it could be exposed to muddy/slippery boots. I would not go so far as to put metal cleats on the post, I would just have them take their shoes off before going up stairs.

I would have people climb down, not slide down like a firemans pole. having ladder type arms would prevent sliding but you might jab an eye out in the dark if it's not rounded on the ends.

I still like the climbing screw idea.

[M.D. Holloway]

Could also go with a rope hoops with a rubber tube for comfort and slight stiffness on bare feet. We have a rule when we camp - no shoes or boots in the tent.