tarps

[highdesertranger]

well I did the tent thread now the tarp thread.  since the tent is so hard to set up and you must have at least 3 people to set it up,  for the last 6 years I have been using tarps.  I use the tent poles from my tent and one of those flea market canopies.  so here we go.

in the Oregon outback

here you get a good shot of one of the poles.  scouts doing an inspection.

another camp

another shot.  if you look close you will see the chuck box on my truck. also a good shot of the poles.  note this camp was at 10,600 feet.

the road going into camp.  more to come.  highdesertranger

 

[highdesertranger]

here's a couple of more shots.

this was a great spot however we didn't find any gold.

I know these are from a distance but I included them because they show a different configuration.  highdesertranger

 

[highdesertranger]

these next ones show all the tarps for an extended stay.

from left to right.  the 10x20 flea market canopy,  the 24x17 main tarp there is a small tarp in between he two.  and on the end on the far right a heavy duty easy up type tarp.

this shows the camp before the easy up was up.

different view.  a note here it rained over 2 inches on this set up.  1 inch in one afternoon and we stayed dry.  highdesertranger

 

[highdesertranger]

just a few more these show some of my accessories.

2 80 solar panels.  this is my main source of power now.  I also have a 50watt that I move around and a 15watt but that is just a battery maintainer.

my 2 Engels,  notice the styrofoam on the ply wood when this is closed it keeps the sun off of the refers.

this is the type of music around camp if we are in the music mode.  yep I am a redneck hippy.  Neil Young's Decade.  Johnny Horton's greatest hits,  Johnny Cash's Greatest hits and of course Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.  well that's it for now.  highdesertranger

 

[akrvbob]

Very, very cool! Now that's the good life!

Where were you at in Oregon, which mountains are those?
Bob

 

[Howiet]

That mountain in your Oregon outback pics looks suspiciously like The Steens.  I can't see quite enough detail to tell for sure.

 

[WriterMs]

I've got to ask about the yellow flag (if it is not secret).

You travel with your work equipment so you have a lot of stuff. And living outdoors vs inside a van or such requires good coverage, so all the tarps look necessary. But I'm still astounded that you can pack all of that into your truck.. I see the roof rack and the fact that it is big.. but jeepers it looks like you move a small studio apartment of stuff every time you move camp.

On the tarp arrangements where one corner is dipped down, I'm guessing that was shelter from sun or prevailing winds? I've seen some specialty tarps for sale that have a little built-in spout near one or more grommets so that campers can funnel rain into a collection container. So I wondered if you ever angle a corner down and collect water from rain?

 

[skyl4rk]

These are some tarp setups that I use for backpacking. They could easily be scaled up.

The Arrowhead Wedge is good in wind and provides a lot of usable area under cover.

 

[Patrick46]

WOW...I love it!!

Your set-up look like it's built to last! Well done Sir!

 

[highdesertranger]

oops, Bob and Howiet you caught me when I went back and looked at the pics where I said it was the Oregon outback it wasn't. actually I didn't even realize until I checked to give you guys an answer. that is northern Nevada. the lake in the background is Rye Patch Reservoir. btw you can camp anywhere around the reservoir except by the dam. there is a campground there. plus there is gold in them thar hills.

WriterMs, the flag is a "Don't Tread On Me" flag. it's kinda a deterrent for knuckle heads and a ice breaker with the red necks, they love that flag. it's makes up a little when they find out I am from Kalifornia. as fat as the tarp being dipped down to block the sun is right. if it looks like rain I will reconfigure the traps to shed rain, and yes I do collect the run off most of the time. however that afternoon it rained over an inch we couldn't keep up with it. at times it was filling the buckets as fast as I could dump them in the kiddie pool, then the kiddie pool got full. highdesertranger