diamond shelters
- Thread starter stevew
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Steve, I am surprised you haven't gotten some replies. One reason might be that diamond shelters are pretty controversial among the re-enacting communities, practical as they are.
Really? I figured they would have surely been used back then. Is it because of lack of documented use?
I don't have any photos of my usage but I did use diamond shelters when I first started doing events due to the lower cost of getting set up.
I was much younger then and the aspect of sleeping on the ground wasn't a big deal. I suppose even at 72 given enough dry clean straw I might be able to do it but a tent with a stove jack makes winter outings a heck of a lot more comfortable.
I was much younger then and the aspect of sleeping on the ground wasn't a big deal. I suppose even at 72 given enough dry clean straw I might be able to do it but a tent with a stove jack makes winter outings a heck of a lot more comfortable.
I know what you mean, at 65 I didn't know I could have so many aches and pains. The club I'm in has a couple rendezvous a year and I never was much into the reenacting end. I figure I could handle sleeping on the ground for a couple nights. We'll see.
Brokennock
Cannon
and thankyou.
Bark-eater
40 Cal
I'll play.. How big a tarp does it take to cover a pack on a horse?
I've camped under modern 5x8 poncho tarps and a 9x9 flying diamond tarp extensively solo.
A civil war shelter half is 5.5x5.5 and I'm sure someone got paid to come up with that size.
Which happens to be what Wilde came up for a matchcoat size.
I heard about folks using blankets as tarps.
A 3.5 point blanket is a palatial 63x81"
Comparatively, it seems to me that a 10x10 tarp is a big piece of cloth to have around for an "improvised" field shelter, and for about the same square yards of cloth and weight you could have a wedge tent.
All that said, I'm planning on making a square tarp, but I want to see just how small I can cut it down before charm succumbs to suck.
I've camped under modern 5x8 poncho tarps and a 9x9 flying diamond tarp extensively solo.
A civil war shelter half is 5.5x5.5 and I'm sure someone got paid to come up with that size.
Which happens to be what Wilde came up for a matchcoat size.
I heard about folks using blankets as tarps.
A 3.5 point blanket is a palatial 63x81"
Comparatively, it seems to me that a 10x10 tarp is a big piece of cloth to have around for an "improvised" field shelter, and for about the same square yards of cloth and weight you could have a wedge tent.
All that said, I'm planning on making a square tarp, but I want to see just how small I can cut it down before charm succumbs to suck.
Interesting thread. If you go to the AMM site, there seem to be a few diamond shelters used and those guys seem to have strict PC/hc rules. I don't know myself, although I'm interested in trying one just to be closer to the fire in the cold weather. No heat in my wedge tent.
Bark-eater
40 Cal
I've got a semi permanent lean-to in the back yard with a fire place . I added 2 small winged out tarps to the sides and pretty much have a Whelen tarp. Its a 2 pole rig with lots of guy lines, and an embarrassing amount of overlap from the side tarps. So, I have 3 tarps pitched in a Whelen form, but not a banned non period correct Whelen tarp. If I wanted to I could tighten up the wings and have a Baker pitch. But not a Baker tent.
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I set my tarp up in a little different configuration.
I use a 12x12 and set it up so that can be closed up in foul weather or in bad skeeter environment.
This configuration allows me to open the front which makes it a semi- diamond.
HC? It's just a square tarp so it's possible.
I use a 12x12 and set it up so that can be closed up in foul weather or in bad skeeter environment.
This configuration allows me to open the front which makes it a semi- diamond.
HC? It's just a square tarp so it's possible.
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We can’t document anyone setting up a Dimond in these time.
They have big squares of canvas, so they could have set up such a shelter.
I go with a wedge as we can document them.
And it’s acceptable to any time period
This is a shadow zone.
For me they are an anachronism, but the most we can say is they are historically unknown.
Of note, bakers are a post WTBS design
But we have a painting of Cooks voyage showing sails laid out on land in what looks like a baker design in 1776.
If you have a diamond your welcome in my camp.
They have big squares of canvas, so they could have set up such a shelter.
I go with a wedge as we can document them.
And it’s acceptable to any time period
This is a shadow zone.
For me they are an anachronism, but the most we can say is they are historically unknown.
Of note, bakers are a post WTBS design
But we have a painting of Cooks voyage showing sails laid out on land in what looks like a baker design in 1776.
If you have a diamond your welcome in my camp.
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I really prefer a simple lean-to but when the flying cannibals come out in huge numbers I prefer to leave them outside.
I've been considering a wedge for ease of set up and room for a cot.........I'm not getting any younger and I don't crawl so good anymore
I've been considering a wedge for ease of set up and room for a cot.........I'm not getting any younger and I don't crawl so good anymore
Bark-eater
40 Cal
I'll suggest the plausibility of some one cutting the end and doors off of an old wedge tent to have a big tarp...
I can set up my wedge tent in about 10 min. I’ll likely stick with just that.
I really like the outside a frames, good setup.
Wedge with open side, can close when needed, and a cot as ground has gotten noticeably harder there last decade or soI really prefer a simple lean-to but when the flying cannibals come out in huge numbers I prefer to leave them outside.
I've been considering a wedge for ease of set up and room for a cot.........I'm not getting any younger and I don't crawl so good anymore
Bark-eater
40 Cal
That could get pitched as a campfire tent, lower and closer to the fire. The "awning" half could be folded back over to make a double back wall with an air space creating insulation. Not a Whelen....
This thread makes me want to camp and get the coffee on the fire.
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I used a diamond shelter for years had my two sons camping with me most of the time. We put a small fire just behind the point worked great. We eventually out grew it and I got too old to sleep on the ground. Now we have two wedges and a fly and I sleep on a cot.
