Engineering Challenge - Two Story Tent!

[M.D. Holloway]

In an attempt to out-do the latest story, our Son told me he saw a two story tent at Academy Sports. I knew he was fibbing when he burst out laughing but it got us thinking, is it possible? The upside would be at least a few feet from the ground and critters. Perhaps some sort of hammock system. The tent poles would have to rather stout or you would have to rely on a few trusty branches to tie off to.

Maybe we are just being silly but the more we talked about it the cooler it seemed. so, Pelican Brain Trust, lets see if you can come up with a design!

[island911]

that reminds me; did ya hear about the big fire at the circus? ....it was intents.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Sure it's possible. I sketched up something thinking about this (I'll scan when I get a minute) - conventional tepee design only extending the "vertical" members (that the tepee skin is stretched over) past the apex point, across which a horizontal skin or membrane could be stretched horizontally above. Creates a kind of "hourglass" shape - one space is the inside of the tepee below, another is the platform created by the skin above. It actually would help to load the verticals at that point too, since you're creating an outward force at the bottom, picked up by the tepee skin at the lower level, floor or banding straps for the verticals.

Wrap the entire thing in a "second skin" that takes no load on its own and you make the space bigger and more interesting, plus gives you a place to install a ladder to the upper level. Plus a mesh or canvas top to keep the top "floor" enclosed and/or weatherproof.

It'd be complex and probably a bit heavy & a pain to set up, but it certainly could be done. . .

[TerryBPP]

Reinforce the bars that hold up the tent and use hammocks for the 2nd level.

You could easily design a fold out 2nd floor, similar to a party table, but tents need to be set up quickly and be light. You don't want to spend 2 hrs putting it up and have to haul around 100 lbs.

[azasadny]

I'v always though a tent with hammocks would be good because it would keep your boddy off the ground, which would help eliminate the "sore and broken" feeling you tend to have when you wake up in a tent, especially in a damp environment...

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by azasadny

I'v always though a tent with hammocks would be good because it would keep your boddy off the ground, which would help eliminate the "sore and broken" feeling you tend to have when you wake up in a tent, especially in a damp environment...

True, although those inflatable air mattresses also help with that.

[kach22i]

I would suggest a center post with a tension ring around it.

You could use the post to move vertically.

[john70t]

The mongols used a latice-style framework versus the American indians' strait-pole. More difficult to fabricate, but perhaps stronger because of the shorter runs.
This could be run through a load/compression CAD simulation for the material.

[Jeff Higgins]

From the same brilliant minds that brought us this:

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by john70t

The mongols used a latice-style framework versus the American indians' strait-pole. More difficult to fabricate, but perhaps stronger because of the shorter runs.

Yurts.

I have an uncle who has 2-3 yurts.

[ckissick]

I have one. It looks like this one.

[tcar]

Saw a large 2 story tent at a party rental place here in Denver on Saturday.

[azasadny]

Charlie,
I had a Westfalia a few years ago that looks just like yours. I bought it from a guy in South Bend, IN, then sold it a few months later and doubled my $. It was clean and ran well, but I didn't have any use for a camper... Fun vans!!

[oldE]

Because of the sideways forces exerted by hammocks and the desire for a stucture which could be easily set up, knocked down and transported, I would suggest expanding upon the basic design of the ubiquitous camp chair. Pivot points and triangulation along the sides with enough regidity to withstand the loads on the upper floor.

So, your basic structure is an expansion of the camp chair frame, the lower bedrooms would clip onto the framework for structure and privacy. The upper floor would be framed by fibreglass poles arched and captured in pockets at the corners and sides of the perimeter of the 'upper floor'. Then a lightweight shell would drape over the whole thing to provide weather protection.
Oh yes, anchor the sucker in case the wind picks up.

Les

[svandamme]

the scouts here build all sort's with nothing but timber poles and rope

how many stories do you want



















a 2 story tent, no offence, is not much of a challenge for these kids
they'll rig one up in half a day

[M.D. Holloway]

Here is something I found and I just about pizz'd my pants reading it.

Cohoris Two-Story Grass Tent

The Cohoris Two-Story Grass Tent was developed by a group of adolescent Cohoris who had recently ingested a large does of Cohoris Dream Paste. The tent was a complete accident; they weren't even trying to weave a single-story tent, but in fact an intricate wall hanging. With so many weavers, all under the hallucinogenic influence of the dream paste, all weaving with both hands and feet, the wall hanging went terribly wrong and ended up as a two-story tent.

Once the dream paste's effects had worn off, the weaving team was very embarrassed to learn that they had failed to create the requested wall hanging. This embarrassment was short-lived, as the other Cohoris celebrated the invention of the two-story tent and praised the innovative young weavers.

There are very few Cohoris Two-Story Grass Tents in existence, and each one of them is unique. This is because there is no known method of intentionally creating one, and they only seem to happen when a group of teenage weavers ingest dangerous amounts of Cohoris Dream Paste and begin a frenzied group weaving. And even then, they more often than not just end up with a tangled mess of grass and a few broken limbs.

Because of the random nature of the creation of the Cohoris Two-Story Grass Tent, it is also unknown how the dwelling actually works. It is unclear how to second story of the tent supports the weight put on it by its residents, but it seems to work fairly well so nobody really questions it.

[svandamme]

eeh, that's a story from a fictional realm called the elemenstor saga

[kach22i]

I've found this awesome waterproof fabric that you can iron - NO SEWING!

I have some rope.

Need a post, something which one could climb, maybe threaded?

Who wants to build the prototype for me?

http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x295/kach22i/

[M.D. Holloway]

Kach - how about a tree? I have seen hundreds of trees with long slender trunks and the branches don't start for maybe 50 feet.

Other wise, a telescoping/locking pole would do the trick. I think I see a new product being developed!

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

Kach - how about a tree?

We may have to put insect repellant on the trunk, I can just see ants maching up and down the trunk looking for food or flesh.