robin-d

so.. at the end of my buying-stuff budget and the item missing from my kit is... shelter :^D

i have a military poncho i was considering using .. but thought it may be wiser to use that as a groundsheet?

have been looking at tyvek tarp/bivy solutions... then remembered something purchased a little while ago for a bed: a mattress protector.

Robot Check

it seems to have all the buzzwords i'm looking for: breathable, waterproof, etc...

it already has zippers.. modifications could be minimal (cut hatch for no-see-um mesh, add tabs to perhaps allow it to be tented slightly)

... anyone think about this before?

BikeLite

There has been talk of them for backpacking, but I know nobody that has used it in a downpour.

RedandBlack

It seems like the material would hold up to rain with the right pole/guy line construction. The only two problems I see are the transparent material and the lack of a mesh screen. Since you can see through it there may be a lack of privacy and the sun light would flood in. Then again, you would never need an alarm clock for this set up . Second, while this set up would be fine for rain and morning dew, it would not keep the critters out which is a problem in many environments. A quick solution would be to hang your food so that mammals wouldn't have the motivation to wonder in. Also, you can fashion a DIY bug net if you go to a local fabric store and search until you find some fine, nylon mesh (it's very cheap and worked for a hammock system I was toying around with). I have to ask, how was this the one thing you forget? This is a pretty important part of any setup. If you can spare the weight there are some cheap tents on Amazon might be worth looking into. I originally had the Slumberjack 2 at 6.5 lbs for $70-80. How long is your tour? How often will you be camping? Are you planning on bringing your gear in at night? Would the tarp you propose be comfortable enough if you had to ride out a day long storm in it? Is it worth it to spend a little more for some basic comfort?

The DIY tarp you have is a cool, practical, and cheap idea. However, I get the impression that many people on this forum, including myself, don't have significant experience with this type of camping. I would Google "backpacking tarp" and "ultra light backpacking" with various combinations of "forums", "questions", "ideas", and "DIY" in order to find people that could better help with this question.

robin-d

Well.. supposedly it is bed bug proof.. so i imagine it would keep most creepy crawlies out. No expectation to be scavenger proof... no bears afaik in the camps I'm planning on staying at (stuff near St Louis, IL)

Well... I did have budget for it... then the spouse reappropriated some funds for a new sewing machine she got (who knew they could cost so much?)... so I thought to just get something I can reutilize for 'the' tent next fiscal year..

Looking to do an overnight every/other weekend by leaving as soon as i get off from work on friday afternoon... biking to camp site.. doing overnight... riding back in the morning or perhaps going to another campsite and doing another overnight with return on sunday morning.

The trial run is about 2hrs from my home...(Horseshoe Lake)... and I'll go farther from there.

jonc123

If your riding from home, you have some other choices also, Pere Marquette State Park North of Alton, IL and Babler State Park over in far Western St. Louis County. I've biked & camped all of them except Horseshoe Lake although I've ridden all of the MCT Trails in IL. Do you have a Madison County Transit map? Pere Marquette has the nicest campground (and great eats) although the trail up there is part road and the trail was in pretty bad shape compared to years ago.

I just thought of one other place nearby, Klondike park in Augusta right on the Katy Trail. I would call them and have reservations...not too many spots as I remember.

Pere Marquette and Horseshoe have lots of flyng insects with all the water around, you'll want something to keep em' out. Don't worry about bedbugs unless you stay at a motel/hotel.

RedandBlack

Now I'm confused. I thought you were going cut off the excess, fold it in half, and prop it up with some poles.



Are you planning to put your sleeping bag inside and then zip it up?!? This sounds like a really bad idea. I couldn't even imagine the discomfort, lack of airflow, and condensation that would result from this. Also, there is a serious risk of death by suffocation that should not be downplayed.

robin-d

are those not possibilities with all bivys/tents? also.. having bought one of these mattress protectors for another mattress... it isn't air-tight.. so i doubt suffocation would occur.

it seems my question is an unknown and that it may be up to me to test the viability of this option myself and report back to the community with my findings.

RedandBlack

I'm not sure if this is a joke or not, but since a life may be at stake I will bite...

Something does not need to be air tight for suffocation to occur. Oxygen just needs to be consumed and converted into Carbon Monoxide at a faster rate than it is replaced resulting in an Oxygen/Carbon Monoxide ratio that is harmful (this is why kids suffocate with grocery bags over there heads even thought the bottom is completely open). Go on the ultra light backpacking forums and I'm sure they have plenty of DIY options that would fit your needs and budget.

robin-d

Thank you. I suppose I'll just hold off til I have funds for a proper tent and just use my poncho and tyvek tarp as ground sheet and tarp cover.

Happy Feet

In the mean time try getting a piece of Tyvek or waterproof ripstop nylon and sew a tube. Sew up one end and put some mesh on the other. Add two grommets, one on each end, to string it up and you have a cheap single wall tent like bivy.

robin-d

wow. thank you so much, :^)

I have a 10x10 tyvek sheet now and some stakes... i'm planning on just turning it into a bivy now from some plans on the 'net.. but this looks like a great idea too!

robin-d

Hm... very interested in trying this this weekend.

Are bugs an issue in winter here?

prathmann

There are lots of tents available that cost less than the proposed mattress cover. They may not be the best tents but I expect just about any of them would do better than trying to modify a mattress cover into an acceptable overnight shelter. Here's one example:
https://www.campmor.com/c/wenzel-starlite-tent-28906red?gclid=CjwKEAiA__C1BRDqyJOQ8_Tq230SJABWBSxnIsXMj5x6XpM6H0Thd1l1D0yXy-7MtDFb3khpQuwb_hoCw7Tw_wcB

I used something very similar for several years of backpacking trips and it did fine in keeping me sheltered in assorted thunderstorms and a few snow storms.

jonc123

Bugs not a problem in the winter. Be sure to get the Madison County Trail Map if you don't have one. It's a nice folding map.

MCT Trails

High of 20*F Saturday and 32*F Sunday if your going to be biking, too cold for Me! The 19th, 20th and 21rst are supposed to be 65*F, 63*F and 56*F.

fietsbob

Owning A Sewing machine will help your DIY ..

Bivy is what you sleep In , a pad and sleeping bag covering ..


where you put your camp and erect the tarp over it is another Issue.. think about where the water will run off , Into.
dont put your self there ..

IK_biker

Ummm... perhaps not.
Buying a piano does not make one a pianist.

staehpj1

Have you looked at real bivys? Borah Side Zip, Titainium Goat Ptarmigan, and even REI has the Minimalist. All are in close to the same price range as the mattress cover you listed.

Bivy touring isn't for everyone, but I have found it to work out OK for me. If it will be hot and buggy I opt for a bug bivy and tarp. My bug bivy is 5.5 ounces and my Siltarp 1 is 7 ounces. Add a few ounces for MSR needle spikes and cords and you have about a 1 pound shelter system. My regular bivy that I use in cooler weather is about 1.5 ounces more.

Rowan

Please ensure you get the gasses right. Humans breathe out carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide is what is produced by petroleum-burning engines. In this case, I am sure you are referring to carbon dioxide, which is far less toxic than carbon monoxide.