MYO 1 Person Tent (ADVICE NEEDED)

[DanShell]

I have decided to make a lightweight 1 person tent. I have a good 2 person tent but I want a solo tent that weighs (hopefully) under 1kg and is purely a solo tent. Not enough room for two in a pinch, purely solo only.

This is the design I like, mainly because it is within my ability to make it like this, I want it to have side entry, I want to be able to sit up in it, it needs to be stable in some wind and steep enough to shed some snow if needed and also double wall, if not a hybrid style.

I have not decided on the final sizing yet so these drawings may change scale slightly but this is the general style. In regards to size, as I have already said it is only a solo size. The bath tub floor on the inner will only be a touch wider than my mat and only long enough to fit me with a bit of room for some stuff at the end so around 700x2200. Obviously the outer will then accommodate the inner without touching it hopefully.

Here is a render from the program I use to get all my sizing so I can cut out the materials (saves me using pythagorus theorem to work out the sizes!)

tentrender.jpg (10.64 KiB) Viewed 30540 times

So there are few things id like some opinions on.

Firstly, would you use cantenary cuts any where in this design to get a tighter pitch? If so where abouts?

I am considering using some carbon pipe in the corners to lift the corners higher (but still fully enclosed), giving me more room for my feet and head and it would allow me to make the outer slighter smaller. Would you?

Would you use one long piece of material for the roof or run a seam at the ridge line?

I think ill only bother putting a zip and entry on one side of the inner but I am considering making both sides of the outer zip for storage in both side vestibules. What do you think of this idea? May as well put a zip in both sides of the inner?

I was going to make one side wall drop straight down and not bring it out to form a vestibule but I feel bringing it out will help dramatically with stability. What do you think?

The materials I am using are silnylon for the outer, 1d non calendared nylon for a large part of the inner walls with the rest of the inner walls being mesh and CT3.5K.18 1.3oz cuben for the bathtub floor. The materials are ordered and finalised so even though I value opinions I don't think Ill be changing the materials I am using. Oh and it uses my poles to pitch it

Thanks very much in advance for any advice or opinions on this.

[north-north-west]

I am considering using some carbon pipe in the corners to lift the corners higher (but still fully enclosed), giving me more room for my feet and head and it would allow me to make the outer slighter smaller. Would you?

If you don't, your sleeping bag will be touching the material, and will get wet. Give yourself enough room, one way or the other, to avoid that.

[DanShell]

I am considering using some carbon pipe in the corners to lift the corners higher (but still fully enclosed), giving me more room for my feet and head and it would allow me to make the outer slighter smaller. Would you?

If you don't, your sleeping bag will be touching the material, and will get wet. Give yourself enough room, one way or the other, to avoid that.

I amended the image to show the inner. The outer will need to be quite a bit longer to allow the inner room to not touch the outer.

I also need to bring the apex more to the centre, it is too far back. It should be just off centre slightly.

[neilmny]

I was going to make one side wall drop straight down and not bring it out to form a vestibule but I feel bringing it out will help dramatically with stability. What do you thinkI was going to make one side wall drop straight down and not bring it out to form a vestibule but I feel bringing it out will help dramatically with stability. What do you think

I don't know a lot Dan but I do think not having straight down walls is a good thing. It must be a stronger structure (you know triangles and all that stuff) plus a side wind will flow over better than it will over a vertical wall.

[DanShell]

Ok I have pretty much finalised the shape.

2.jpg (24.85 KiB) Viewed 30497 times

[north-north-west]

Very pretty. Except the colour . . .

[simonm]

I am looking forward to seeing how this turns out Dan.

Oh and I haven't cut any fabric yet - just in case . Delivery will be tomorrow.

[Tortoise]

Very pretty. Except the colour . . .

At least it's not pink.

[MickyB]

Dan, can I ask how much a project like this will cost you? Cheers.

[DanShell]

Dan, can I ask how much a project like this will cost you? Cheers.

Micky it's a bit hard to gauge yet because I'll have quite a bit of material left over but if doing it all in sil I'd imagine it's somewhere around $150-200 but that would give you enough to make a 2 person.

Throw in some cuben instead of sil for a floor and you can add 50-100 depending on how much you buy.

But I'll confirm all that once it's finished

[Franco]

I strongly suggest you first make a full size mock up , even if just with strings.
Once up, put your mat and sleeping bag inside it and step in.
Then you will know if you fit in it or not.
Don't forget to allow for some fabric sagging.

[DanShell]

Thanks Franco I'll do exactly that.

Has anyone got some opinions on my other questions, in particular the cat curves?

[GPSGuided]

Anyone tried tyvek as a tent material?

[Travis22]

Hats off to you Dan, couldn't even begin to imagine what a project like this would require.

I look forward to your progress and seeing the project come to life.

Travis.

PS: OD green is ok

[undercling-mike]

I don't know if you've seen this project for a similar tent but it sounds like cat cuts on the 4 main corner seams are beneficial: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... _id=101895

Good luck and I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with.

[neilmny]

I think ill only bother putting a zip and entry on one side of the inner but I am considering making both sides of the outer zip for storage in both side vestibules. What do you think of this idea? May as well put a zip in both sides of the inner?

I prefer access or exit both sides, not sure why............maybe escape during WW3 or a drop bear attack????????
But you can access gear you store in there without having to get out.

[north-north-west]

I prefer access or exit both sides, not sure why............

Because then you don't need to obsess so much about pitching it the 'right' way around. View here, scrub on that side? - doesn't matter as you can get out the other. Also two doors means a good through breeze in warm weather.

[GPSGuided]

I like 2 sided entries to allow for 'dirty/muddy side' and clean side for cooking and clean storage etc.

[DanShell]

Thanks for the comments. I agree in regards to dual entry. its only a zip so Ill go ahead with it.

Trav, it'll be a while before we see any progress. Over the next month with any luck. I have heaps of projects on the go but this one is my rainy weekend project.

Mike thanks for that link, thats perfect. Its almost the same thing! As I expected Ill cat cut the sides. Ill sew it all together and leave the bottom hem until last so that way I can pitch it and have a good look at its taughtness (is that word?) before I make any cat cuts.

All the materials arrived today too, great service by Simon at Tiergear as usual. Hand delivered again

EDIT, it appears as though the gent in that link has cat cut all the corner seams. Hmm interesting.

[undercling-mike]

Yeah, sounds like he did them straight originally then found it to be a bit slack so he went back and added the catenary curves. I think it's standard to do cat curves on the corner seams of mid type shelters as well.

[north-north-west]

... its taughtness (is that word?) ...

No.
First, 'taught' and 'taut' are two different things. 'Taut' is the one you want. And you'd be looking at the tension.
Second, sorry for the English lesson, but you did ask, even if you didn't really want an answer.

[DanShell]

... its taughtness (is that word?) ...

No.
First, 'taught' and 'taut' are two different things. 'Taut' is the one you want. And you'd be looking at the tension.
Second, sorry for the English lesson, but you did ask, even if you didn't really want an answer.

No that's ok, my life will be all the better for knowing. In a similar way algebra enlightened me

[Strider]

The word you are looking for is toight

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[neilmny]

The word you are looking for is toight

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Is that toight loik a toiger!

[DanShell]

Ive been doing a bit more research and I will definitely be putting cat curves in the 4 corner seams. I may even put a small one in the short ridge line seam and I am thinking bottom hemmed area will also have them.

I came across a build on BPL (I had to pay 5USD to participate on BPL, is that new?) so Ill try my best to get some info out of this guy as his design is very similar to what I am envisaging.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... _id=100402

Anyway Ill try and make a start this weekend. Ill do a mock up of the shape and make sure I fit then ill finish my calculations. And video document it all of course

[GPSGuided]

The guy's side panels looked to be a bit too vertical, not providing much vestibule space nor helping with wind impact. Your CAD drawing looked to be significantly wider in comparison.

[DanShell]

The guy's side panels looked to be a bit too vertical, not providing much vestibule space nor helping with wind impact. Your CAD drawing looked to be significantly wider in comparison.

Possibly. I only want around 400mm width for my vestibules. His height looks a fair amount higher than I want but I won't really know until after the weekend when I make a mock up and then do my final plans in a proper scale.

I only need around 1100mm height on my inner so i can sit up comfortably so the outer will need to be a bit higher of course.

[Franco]

I had to pay 5USD to participate on BPL, is that new?
Sort of.
It was done to stop spambots infesting the site.

[DanShell]

Just some pics of the materials. The colours look quite odd in the photos, the sil for instance is a bit greener, it appears brown in the pic.

This pic is the Xenon Sil (which I just realised is a polyester aaaargh) but it feels just like a nylon and its light so Ill give it a go. And its supposed to be latest and greatest in this type of fabric so perhaps it'll be really good when its wet?? There is a good thread about it on the hammock forums, it is getting a good wrap. The cat cuts don't need to be as deep as it doesn't quite have the stretch of nylon. Ill have to suck it and see so to speak. http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/online-shop/xenon-sil And also the Cuben fibre ill be using for the floor. It is the heaviest duty cuben I have ever used so I think it is perfectly suited to a floor and its light.

IMG_2932.jpg (71.63 KiB) Viewed 30085 times

This pic has the nylon for the inner http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/online-shop/nylond-10 and the mesh also for the inner. http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/online-sh ... ee-um-mesh

IMG_2934.jpg (101.73 KiB) Viewed 30085 times

And finally the hardware. And also some heavy duty fabric that I may use internally to strengthen the area where the poles will go. You won't see it luckily so disregard the colour I think it is this stuff? http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/online-sh ... ier-coated

IMG_2937.jpg (135.45 KiB) Viewed 30085 times

I weighed the materials and keep in mind there is enough material here to make a tent to easily fit two people. It all weighs only 700 or so grams! So when I have cut out my bits that I need for the solo tent its going to be well under 1kg

[wayno]

have you considered going to a midden design? will be better in the wind and have more room in it.