Tarpaulin, hoochie, basher...

[Ghetto Defendant]

Or whatever the hell else you want to call them. Who makes a good one? Anything in particular I should look for construction wise? I've been using tents far too long. I need something a little different and more flexible, lighter, etc. Any tips or experiences would be appreciated.


Thanks.

[Silent 6]

Check out some of the ultralight backpacking gear, if you don't need tactical, from places like REI.com.

Kelty, MSR and others make very versitile ultralight tarp style canopies that pack down small.

[StrykerLead]

ebay......

The British "Basha" is an awesome bit of kit - lightweight, very strong and versatile - it comes in temperate and desert camouflage colours - pick one up for around $40 USD. www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk (http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk) is a good place to hit up also (for brand new and a bit more) - Japser is a really good bloke.

The USMC Tarp is popping up now and again - good, bit heavier and less versatile, given the fewer eyelets and attachment points - Coyote Brown/MARPAT.

Hint 1 - use bungees (pre-tied) for speed, strength (as they don't break with wind) and you can't loose them.

Hint 2 - you can use treking poles to help add structure to your shelter or buy "basha poles"

[gafkiwi]

Thats is one bit of our issue kit I'm always getting hit up for by other armies, more often than not by infanteers to swap for. I know there is a variation in sizes but our issue one (NZDF)is big enough, You can fit 2 guys and their kit. (tight but will fit)

[Waterman]

I have had good experiences using the Hennesy Hammock for overnights. If there are trees around....you are good to go. It keeps me up out of the wet and protected from the bugs. I have used them on single night overnights to multi night expeditions. It gives you tent-like sleeping protection, in a package that is much smaller and lighter than a tent, and weatherproof even in the most torrential downpour.

[Trenk]

british basha is good, it´s also polless litter, and their poncho is huge, so you can comfortably coo, sleep and plan under it, even in tropical rainstorm. But if you want something really hi-speed and you got some spare money, go for hennessy hammock, and buy also water collector for it, if you are going to use it for jungle ops

[noneck11]

I have both the Hennessey hammock and an issue Basha sheet. Both are great but have different roles.

The Hennessey is a complete shelter system (hammock, mosquito net, and tarp). It is an oustanding peice of kit and has made for the best nights sleep I have ever had in the field. It gets you off the ground, it's easy to put up and packs up as small or smaller than the basha sheet. That being said it's a one person system, it's not the easiest to get out of in a tactical situation and it's not the best in the cold. The stock sil nylon fly is quite small and I would upgrade to the hex fly. The basha sheet is great and I have fit three people under it in a pinch. As someone mentioned it has lots of tie down points and can be used as a stretcher. It's also a little more rugged than the hammock.

Another piece of kit that I think is great is the Integral Designs olive green Sil Tarp line. They have various different sizes and shapes and most are available on Ebay. These pack down extremely small and are very light weight.

Noneck

[TacoDelRio]

What Silent 6 said.

I sometimes use just a British issue bivy bag and my sleeping bag, or better yet, subtract the sleeping bag and wrap myself in a poncho liner while wearing all the warm clothes I've brought. This saves ya some weight.

What kinda terrain/foliage/environment? The rougher the terrain, the less you may need to carry.

[Ghetto Defendant]

Thanks for the info. The use will be primarily in heavily forested areas. Summers are usually hot and humid (lots of mosquitoes), fall is cool, and winter is very cold, often below zero Fahrenheit. (I use a heavy duty tent for that). Those Hennessey hammocks might be the way to go. Maybe bring a lightweight tarp for use by the open campfire to act as a rain fly, wind break, and to reflect heat.

[TacoDelRio]

If you've got trees, the hammock might be the ticket in warm weather. Otherwise, in your situation (sounds like Georgia), I'd use a regular poncho, and some bungee cords.

[California Joe]

Christ, at first I thought this thread was going to be about me and Stoli and our hobbies....

[snowmaster]

Mate, can I suggest the Australian army hooch, if you are by yourself you can survive with one, if you have a mate with you, you join the two together, two is quit comfortable,

You will not need polls, only some 550 cord or some buggies, 4 small aluminum tent pegs, and be able to choose you ground carefully, a bivi bag is a must if you are in any other season except perfect, I will never go bush without one. (100% Gore-Tex, no 50% bag if you are going to be serious).

Also if you are going away form the tent option, you may need to stay away form down sleeping bags, if it pisses down rain and you can’t evade, the down bags lose all there loft, and they are hard to dry out the next day, (weather permitting of course)

If it snows they are still good to go, just make sure the tree you have tied to doesn’t dump 100kg of snow on you when the wind picks up,

Also a small poof mat, mine is 12’ x 30’ x 1/4 foam, it only covers my torso, I put my head on my pack belt pad,

I rate Asian army hammocks highly. They tie to the same tree as the hoochi. And there is not way you can get wet if you set up properly, it also keeps most of the ground animals out of you sleeping bag at night, the only down side is they let you body vent at night and all the warmness escapes, so when its cold I go back to the ground,

If you get one I will be happy to show you how to fold it, this is important as the hoochi is also an excellent way to collect water when it rains, you can fill all your water bottles in no time. Then get strait under the dry ground and have a feed.

[Ghetto Defendant]

I've been doing some reading on the Aussie Army hoochies, I hear they are top of the line. The problem is finding one. I don't know the difference between genuine issue and copies. I did find this one here:
http://www.kitbag.com.au/category354_1.htm The real thing?

I e-mailed them a few days ago and they haven't got back to me yet. Price seems right. Shipping charges might kill me though.

[snowmaster]

No don’t get one from kitbag, or sh*tbag is its called over here, I doubt if they are original, or mill spec, leave it with me for a week or so and I will see what I can find for you, the old ones are OD, and the new ones are cam, they are both good, however from memory the cam ones are a little bigger, so you will need to get a matching set if you want to join them together,

Do you want one or two?


I am a bit of a ****fight at the moment but I will see what I can find lying around my war room.

[Ghetto Defendant]

One would be plenty. AUSCAM would be ideal, but OD would be fine.

Thanks for the effort.

[StuRat]

Aussie Hootchies are great stuff, If its going to be cold, be aware that in a hammock that you have wind going under you as well, which will make it colder. Much better on the ground with a poof mat.

[Flak]

Or You could just build one for yourself, making it exactly
the way You want...

It's just a big rectangle with attachment points for lines,
so they´re really easy to build.


http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/MoltenFlak/Flak-Gotl3.jpg


http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/MoltenFlak/Flak-tarp201.jpg


http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/4194/flak270dj.jpg


Here are two that I've made...


:)